FDD’s Long War Journal’s response to Zalmay Khalilzad’s Twitter thread
FDD’s Long War Journal responds to the former ambassador’s assertion that assessments of Afghanistan once again becoming a terrorist safe haven are false.
Tag Archives: Islamic State
Analysis: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb encourages its Sahelian wing to continue fighting the Islamic State
Abu Yasir al-Jaza’iri, an Algerian ideologue in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, offers the group’s harshest rebuke of the Islamic State to date.
Generation Jihad Ep. 88 — al Qaeda and Islamic State findings in new UN report
Host Bill Roggio and (now official) co-host Caleb Weiss are joined by former coordinator of the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss findings in the latest UN report on the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
Islamic State Sympathizer Arrested for Carrying Out Jerusalem Bombings
Israeli authorities announced the arrest of an Islamic State sympathizer involved in the November 23 Jerusalem bombings.
U.S. kills Islamic State officials during raid in Syria
The U.S. military has targeted the Islamic State’s top tier leadership cadre with raids and strikes at least five times since the beginning of the summer of 2022.
Islamic State announces death of its caliph, appoints successor
The Islamic State announced the death of its emir, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, and has chosen a new leader, an individual identified only as Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi.
JNIM claims deadly assault in northeastern Togo
This is the third such JNIM claim of responsibility for an attack inside northern Togo.
Generation Jihad Ep. 79 — An update on the Islamic State
Bill is joined again by Edmund Fitton-Brown and Caleb Weiss to take a look at the current global footprint of the Islamic State.
Generation Jihad Ep. 73 — Prison Break (Jihadi Edition)
You guessed it. Our guest is, indeed, Caleb Weiss. This time, he and Bill discuss how (and which) prison breaks fit into the larger strategy of various Jihadi groups — and why some don’t bother.
Islamic State claims prison break outside of Nigeria’s capital
Hundreds of prisoners, including an unclear number of jihadists, remain free following a massive jailbreak just outside the Nigerian capital of Abuja earlier this week. The Islamic State has said its men were behind the raid.
Relocating or expanding? Islamic State Mozambique’s reaction to foreign intervention
Islamic State in Mozambique has expanded its operations to new theaters despite major successes by foreign troops bolstering Mozambican security forces, raising fears of a new stage in Mozambique’s nearly five year old jihadist insurgency.
Generation Jihad Ep. 61 — The State of the Jihad
Bill Roggio is joined by Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator of the United Nations Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, to discuss the findings from his team’s latest report on the statuses of ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Islamic State’s emir dead after U.S. military raid in Syria
Islamic State emir Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi died during a daring overnight raid conducted by U.S. special operations forces in Idlib province in northeastern Syria, ending a two-year hunt for the group’s leader. His demise does not mean the end of the Islamic State is at hand.
The Dynamic Terrorism Landscape and What It Means for America
On Feb. 2, Bill Roggio testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security at a hearing titled, “The Dynamic Terrorism Landscape and What It Means for America.” His testimony focused on the state of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, state sponsors of terrorism such as Iran and Pakistan, and the growing threat of global jihadism.
Analysis: Islamic State targets Uganda with bombings
The Islamic State has claimed a series of bombings, including suicide bombings, inside Uganda over the past month. This represents a significant shift in the overall threat from the Islamic State’s wing based in the DRC.
Sudan reports crackdown on suspected Islamic State cells in Khartoum
Sudan’s intelligence service has reported three raids on suspected Islamic State cells in Khartoum in the last week. However, details remain murky surrounding the details of the Islamic State’s purported network inside Sudan.
Islamic State bombs Taliban convoys in eastern Afghanistan
The Islamic State claims to have attacked multiple Taliban personnel and vehicles across the city of Jalalabad on Sept. 18 and 19.
Analysis: The Islamic State’s expansion into Congo’s Ituri Province
While most of the Islamic State’s operations have been based inside Beni territory of Congo’s North Kivu Province, it has steadily expanded into neighboring Ituri Province since June.
Islamic State claims capture of coastal city in Mozambique
Mozambique, however, claims the fighting is still ongoing for control over the city. If its capture is confirmed, this is the second major town to fall under the control of the Islamic State’s local wing.
Islamic State kills hundreds in massacres across the Sahel
Almost 300 people have been killed in a series of mass killings in Niger and on a military position inside Mali. The Islamic State has officially claimed just one of the attacks, but it is believed to have carried out all of the massacres.
State Department designates Islamic State in DRC, Mozambique
Both wings collectively represent the Islamic State’s Central African Province, which the UN recently noted as one of the Islamic State’s most ‘dependable’ affiliates.
Analysis: Islamic State official critiques Al Qaeda in the Sahel
In an interview with the Islamic State’s Al-Naba newsletter, Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, attempts to paint al Qaeda’s efforts in the region as rife with internal squabbles and disunity.
Islamic State claims prison break in the DRC
At least 1,300 inmates were freed in an operation conducted by the Allied Democratic Forces, the Islamic State’s local affiliate.
Generation Jihad Ep. 29 – An Interview with Edmund Fitton-Brown
Edmund Fitton-Brown joins hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio to discuss his work for the United Nations Security Council.
Islamic State claims prison raid in eastern Afghanistan
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a prison assault in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The facility reportedly holds about 1,500 inmates. It’s not clear how many were freed.
US launches airstrike on Islamic State in Somalia
Yesterday’s drone strike was the first US airstrike on the Islamic State in Somalia this year.
ISCAP Ambushes UN Peacekeepers in the DRC, Exploits Coronavirus
The Islamic State’s Central African Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen a rapid expansion in claimed activity in recent months. At the same time, it has tried to exploit the global coronavirus pandemic to recruit individuals.
Analysis: Taliban again denies presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s statement should raise deep concerns with U.S. officials about the group’s reliability to be an effective counterterrorism partner against Al Qaeda and other terror groups.
Islamic State in Somalia suffers setbacks despite uptick in claimed activity
The month of May saw a relative spike in Islamic State claims inside Somalia compared to earlier months. However, this comes in the backdrop of several Puntland security operations against it.
Wanted Islamic State leader reported killed in Syria
The U.S. continues to target high level Islamic State leaders in Syria despite President Trump’s claim that the group has been “defeated.” Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service said that the U.S. military killed Hajji Taysir, who oversees the “Research Department for ISIS’s chemical and biological weapons efforts in Syria.” His death has not been confirmed.