WaPo: "Bitter religious fighting over mosque plays right into al-Qaeda's hands"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Washington Post kindly invited me to contribute a column to their "On Faith" blog regarding the latest controversy over the proposed Cordoba House Muslim community center in New York near the site of "Ground Zero." See below: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/by_evan_f_kohlmann_the.html Bitter...

Flashpoint Exclusive: Captive Pakistani Intel Officer Threatens to Reveal "Secret Game" Behind Afghan Conflict

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the latest embarrassing disclosures about Pakistan's unhelpful role in the Afghan conflict, Flashpoint Global Partners has obtained an unpublished video of retired Pakistani military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer Colonel Imam Sultan Amir Tarar, who has...

Flashpoint Partners Exclusive: Video of Times Square Bomber with Pakistani Taliban Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

Flashpoint Global Partners has released a previously unpublished video excerpt of a meeting between confessed Times Square bomb plotter Faisal Shahzad and the leader of the Pakistani Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud. During the undated video clip, Hakimullah and Shahzad are shown...

Turkish Jihadists in Waziristan Respond to Charges Against Gaza Flotilla Charity IHH

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the controversy over the Turkish charity Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a principle sponsor of the Gaza aid flotilla, Turkish jihadists fighting alongside the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan have now weighed in with their own perspective. On...

Shooting the Messenger: A Look at the Facts on the Turkish Aid Group IHH

By Evan Kohlmann

When I first published a research paper four years ago with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) on the Turkish Muslim charitable group Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), I didn't imagine it would get much of a response outside the...

Jamaican Cleric Shaykh Abdullah al-Faisal Alleged To Have Inspired Times Square Suspect

By Evan Kohlmann

From NPR: The man accused in the failed Times Square bombing attempt has been talking to authorities for more than two weeks. And one of the things he told them, according to people close to the case, is that he...

Slideshow: "The Times Square Bomb Plot Videos"

By Evan Kohlmann

Flashpoint Global Partners has released an exclusive multimedia slideshow tracking the origin and provenance of video recordings produced by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Pakistani Taliban) which appear to claim responsibility for the most recent failed "Times Square" bomb plot in New...

"Jihobbyists" No More: English-Speaking Western Jihadists Coming of Age

By Evan Kohlmann

Perhaps the most ironic aspect of all the media attention in the latest criminal allegations against "Jihad Jane" is that Colleen LaRose of Pennsylvania is only the latest example of this odd emerging trend in homegrown terrorism. Indeed, LaRose is...

West Point CTC Sentinel: "A Beacon for Extremists: The Ansar al-Mujahideen Web Forum"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Counter Terrorism Center at West Point has released the February 2010 edition of the "Sentinel" Journal, featuring a new paper that I have written on the subject of the Ansar al-Mujahideen web forum, and the linked problem of English-speaking...

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Denies Suffering Losses During Raids, Threatens Response "On Land, Sea, and Air"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has issued a new communique -- the first since acknowledging its role in the failed airline bomb plot executed by Nigerian national Umar Abdulmutallab. In its statement, AQAP strongly denied "false claims... that [the...

"Vanguards of Khorasan" Interview with Jordanian CIA Bomber "Abu Dujanah al-Khorasani"

By Evan Kohlmann

On September 26, 2009, the Al-Fajr Media Center -- the official logistical group responsible for distributing Al-Qaida propaganda online -- published the 15th issue of "Vanguards of Khorasan", a well-known propaganda magazine about the Afghan jihad. The magazine prominently featured...

Why Did the Bush Administration Send Hardcore Terrorists Back to Al-Qaida?

By Evan Kohlmann

One of the most troubling aspects of the recent explosion of activity by Al-Qaida in Yemen (otherwise known as "Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula") is the role being played by Saudi nationals who are former detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba....

Al-Qaida in Yemen Claims Responsibility for Christmas Day Airline Terror Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's network in Yemen (otherwise known as "Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula") has issued an official communique claiming responsibility for the failed terrorist bomb plot targeting a Delta/Northwest airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas day. The communique included...

Al-Qaida in Yemen Responds to Airstrikes with New Threats

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's network in Yemen has issued an official response to the airstrike earlier this week on a suspected Al-Qaida gathering in the region of Shabwah that reportedly killed up to 30 people, including a number of senior Al-Qaida operatives. The...

Al-Qaida in Yemen: Target Airports/Airplanes With Small Explosives

By Evan Kohlmann

On October 29, 2009, Al-Qaida's network in Yemen (AQIY) released the 11th edition of their official magazine Sada al-Malahim, which included an article written by the top commander of AQIY, Abu Basir al-Wahishi, titled "War is a Trick." In the...

ForeignPolicy.com: "No, Madam Secretary: The System Is Not Working"

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the failed Al-Qaida terror plot targeting a Delta/Northwest airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit, I've published a new piece over at ForeignPolicy.com, titled "No, Madam Secretary: The System is Not Working." As someone who generally considers...

TIME Magazine: Should the U.S. Destroy Jihadist Websites?

By Evan Kohlmann

TIME Magazine has published a new article on the simmering debate over whether the U.S. government should be aggressively shutting down and destroying jihadist Internet websites. This debate has received added attention in recent weeks from a series of unrelated...

Al-Qaida's Zawahiri Hails KSM, Ramzi Yousef, and Others Held in U.S. Prisons

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri titled, "The Idol of National Unity.” In the statement, al-Zawahiri said, “…Obama’s commands that uncovered for the Muslims...

Former Taliban Minister: "Two Million Martyrs" to Defend UBL

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an online jihadi magazine interview with former Taliban Deputy Justice Minister Jalaluddin Shinwari, once considered one of the more moderate Taliban leaders who would cooperate with the Karzai administration. During the interview, Shinwari...

The Taliban vs. The Treadmaster: Aftermath of a Taliban Takeover in Nuristan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released still images from a video recording recently published by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban), depicting the conquest of a coalition military outpost in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan. Following their apparent "victory",...

Al-Qaida Confirms "Martyrdom" of Former Guantanamo Detainee in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's network in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen) has released the audio-recorded wills of two mujahideen operatives who were recently "martyred" in clashes with local security forces -- including former Guantanamo Bay detainee #114 Yusuf Muhammad Mubarak al-Jebairy al-Shehri. The younger...

The Taliban Reaction: "Regarding Obama’s New Strategy"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communique released by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) responding to President Obama’s remarks, titled, “Regarding Obama’s New Strategy”. The statement noted, “The American President Obama has announced his strategy after months...

Chechen Mujahideen Claim Russia Train Bombing

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communiqué from the Chechen mujahideen claiming credit for the November 27th train bombing that killed over 30 in Russia. According to the statement, “We declare that this operation was prepared and carried out within...

Video: The "Martyrdom" of "Abu Safiyya" in Afghanistan (a.k.a. German national Javaid Siddiqi)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a video recording released by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) paying tribute to a German national "Abu Safiyya" (a.k.a. Javaid Siddiqi) who was "martyred" in late October during fighting alongside mujahideen forces in Afghanistan....

More Jihadi Endorsements for Ft. Hood Shooter Maj. Malik Hasan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an English-language statement regarding the Ft. Hood massacre that was posted by the administrators of the Ansar al-Mujahideen online jihad forum. The statement noted, "We issue this statement in support of the actions of brother...

Images: Rockets Prepared by the Tawheed wal-Jihad Movement in Gaza

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a series of photographs of rockets prepared by the nascent Al-Qaida-aligned Tawheed wal-Jihad Movement in the Gaza Strip. The trademark banner visible in the background of several of the images was borrowed by Tawheed wal-Jihad...

Chechen Mujahideen Claim Sabotage Bombing of Russian Natural Gas Storage Facility

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communiqué issued by a group calling itself “Muwahiidun ar-Rusi” ("The Russian Monotheists") claiming responsibility for the bombing of "the largest subterranean natural gas storage facility in the world" in Stavropol, Russia. The communiqué was...

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq": "A Letter to the Knights of Baghdad"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) titled, “A Letter to the Knights of Baghdad”. In his statement, al-Muhajir argued that “the big [martyrdom] deeds that are...

Shabaab al-Mujahideen Threatens the UN World Food Programme (WFP)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communiqué from Shabaab al-Mujahideen threatening the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). According to the statement, “the bringing of immense quantities of free food rations, and specifically during the harvest season, has been devastating...

Text: Afghan Taliban Release Eid al-Adha Message from Mullah Omar

By Evan Kohlmann

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) have released a new communiqué from their shadowy leader, Amir al-Mumineen Mullah Mohammed Omar, to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. In the message, Omar rejected negotiations, saying, “our mujahid people will...

NEFA Foundation (video): "The Wanat-Kamdesh Battle"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released exclusive raw video footage obtained by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco depicting the July 13, 2008 Wanat-Kamdesh battle in which 9 U.S. soldiers died. The video follows the progress of the battle from early morning,...

Al-Qaida's Mustafa Abu al-Yazid Blames Blackwater for Peshawar Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of a video message from Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. “Shaykh Saeed”) titled ““Blackwater and the Peshawar Bombings”. Addressing the recent violence in Pakistan, Al-Yazid stated, “We totally reject these bombings which occur...

NEFA Foundation: Interview with Spokesman for Pakistani Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of an interview, produced by the As-Sahab Media Foundation, with Dr. Ahmad Farooq, Senior Media Official, Al-Qaida in Pakistan. During the interview, Dr. Farooq was asked "how Pakistani individuals" had become a part...

A Yardstick to How Radical Anwar Al-Awlaki is: Former Bin Laden Mentor Condemns Ft. Hood Massacre as "Irrational" and "Unjustified"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a statement by Saudi cleric Salman Al-Awdah condemning the Fort Hood shooting. Al-Awdah, who Usama bin Laden described as his "ideal personality" in a March 1997 interview, asserted that "this action taken out...

ForeignPolicy.com: A Web of Lone Wolves (Ft. Hood)

By Evan Kohlmann

The editors at the magazine Foreign Policy kindly invited me to contribute commentary on the fallout from the massacre at Ft. Hood and revelations about the online terror ties of Maj. Malik Nidal Hasan: Upon learning of the reported "missed"...

NEFA: Ft. Hood Cleric Awlaki Urged Muslims to "Fight Against Government Armies" in July '09

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of an English-language online blog post from just this past summer by Shaykh Anwar al-Awlaki -- the Yemeni cleric suspected of influencing Ft. Hood shooter Maj. Malik Hasan -- titled, "Fighting Against Government...

Afghan Taliban Celebrate Massacre at Ft. Hood

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communique from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) in response to the massacre at Ft. Hood, Texas that killed 13 people. In a statement titled, "The Attack In Texas Is...

Transcript: The Post-Baitullah Pakistani Taliban Leadership Greets the World

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a videotaped press conference featuring Waliur Rehman, Emir of Mehsud Taliban in South Waziristan Agency, and Hakimullah Mehsud, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader. The statements appear to be aimed at legitimizing Rehman as the...

Video: American Al-Qaida Spokesman Urged "Shooting Spree" at U.S. Military Base in 2006

By Evan Kohlmann

In light of the Nov. 5 mass shooting incident at Ft. Hood, Texas, the NEFA Foundation has released an excerpt from a July 2006 propaganda video produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation to mark the first anniversary of the 7/7...

Investigating Ft. Hood: Anwar al-Awlaki's "Constants on the Path of Jihad"

By Evan Kohlmann

One of the key questions for investigators who are now looking into potential links between radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and the accused perpetrator of the massacre at Ft. Hood, Maj. Malik Nidal Hasan, is understanding to what degree al-Awlaki's...

Breaking: Extremist Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki Endorses Ft. Hood Massacre: "Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing"

By Evan Kohlmann

Extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has just issued a new entry on his blog titled, "Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing." Excerpts from the entry are reproduced in part below: "Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is a man of conscience...

Followers of Anwar al-Awlaki Giddily Celebrate Ft. Hood Massacre

By Evan Kohlmann

Supporters of radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki--whose name has surfaced in connection with the investigation of Major Malik Nidal Hasan--are now championing Hasan's murder of thirteen U.S. military personnel last week at Ft. Hood in Texas. Upon learning of initial...

NEFA Foundation: Response from Gaza to Solidarity Calls from Shabaab al-Mujahideen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a letter from an unnamed Palestinian Islamist in the Gaza Strip, posted on several prominent jihadi forums, thanking the top commander of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia for announcing a new campaign...

Interview with Taliban Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid re: the UN Guesthouse Attack in Kabul

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an English transcript of an interview with Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid regarding the October 28th attack on the UN Guesthouse in Kabul that left 11 dead, including 5 UN workers. According to the interview, “A...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Roundup on Failed Nayif Assassination Bid

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an English transcript for a recent terrorist propaganda video titled, “The Descendants of Mohammed bin Maslamah”, which was produced by Al-Qaida’s network in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen). The video purports to document the failed August...

NEFA Foundation: Shabaab al-Mujahideen Declares Formation of the "Al-Quds Brigade"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a communiqué from Shabaab al-Mujahideen declaring the formation of the "Al-Quds Brigade." According to the statement, on October 30, 2009, “Hundreds of thousands of citizens in the Islamic districts in [the] south and...

NEFA Foundation: Interview with Taliban Official in Herat Province

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an interview with Sheikh Abdul Manan Niyazi, Governor and Military Official for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (The Taliban) in Herat Province, published in Al-Somood, a monthly Islamic magazine published by the Taliban’s media center....

NEFA "Target: America" Series - "The North Carolina Jihad Cell and the Quantico Marine Base Plot"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the 22nd report in the “Target: America” series, a PowerPoint presentation on the accused jihadist network operating in Raleigh, North Carolina and an alleged plot, involving members of that cell, to attack the U.S. Marine...

NEFA Foundation: Biography of “Martyred” East African Al-Qaida Operative Saleh Ali Nabhan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a biography, posted on a jihadist website, of a key suspect allegedly behind the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings, Saleh Ali Nabhan, who was killed in a U.S. helicopter strike south of Mogadishu...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) Claims Baghdad Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claiming responsibility for the suicide car bombings that left more than 160 dead and injured nearly 500. According to the statement, “One of...

The Taliban Response to Afghanistan's Runoff Elections

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communication from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) titled “Regarding the Runoff Elections,” which noted that runoff elections are being held again to “keep the attention of our countrymen and the public of...

NEFA Foundation: "Migrating from the Arabian Peninsula to Somalia"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new message posted on an Al-Qaida web forum, wherein a jihadist recounts his journey from Saudi Arabia to join the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia--in the process providing valuable insight into the...

NEFA Foundation: Sunni “Jondollah” Claims Suicide Attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a claim of responsibility from a Sunni militant group known as “Jondollah” (“The Army of God”) for the October 18 suicide bombing attack on a delegation of senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers in...

AQIM Mourns Pakistani Taliban Commander Baitullah Mehsud

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from Al-Qaida's network in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) mourning the death of Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud in a U.S. air strike. According to the statement, Mehsud was “graced…with martyrdom at the...

Transcript: Message from the "Emir" of the "German Taliban Mujahideen" Abu Ishaq al-Muhajir

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new document from the designated terrorist organization known as the “Islamic Jihad Union” (IJU), offering a message from the “German Taliban Mujahideen.” The statement encourages German ISAF soldiers serving in Afghanistan to abandon their...

NEFA Foundation: Bio of Alleged Mumbai Terror Mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of an April 2001 bulletin from the Pakistani terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba unraveling the early history of the organization -- and featuring the founding role of "Abu Waleed" (a.k.a. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi), who has been...

NEFA Foundation: Resources on Al-Qaida's Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. "Shaykh Saeed")

By Evan Kohlmann

Following reports of an alleged connection to NYC terror suspect Najibullah Zazi, attention has focused on Al-Qaida's "number 3" Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. "Shaykh Saeed al-Masri.") Click to see video screenshot montage in full resolution "...The virtuous Shaykh Mustafa...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb Spawns New Media Wing, "The Andalus Foundation"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from Al-Qaida's network in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) announcing the foundation of a specialized media wing known as the "Andalus Foundation." According to the statement, "due to our belief that the battle...

Transcript: Al-Qaida's Mustafa Abu al-Yazid Mourns Pak Taliban Commander Baitullah Mehsud

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of a communiqué from Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. “Shaykh Saeed”) mourning the death of Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud in a U.S. air strike. In the statement, al-Yazid said, “Emir Baitullah Mehsud...

Afghan Taliban Deny Terror Agenda in Western Countries

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communication from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) titled “On the Occasion of the Eighth Anniversary of the American Attack on Afghanistan”, in which the Taliban noted, “they were promising they would withdraw...

Video: German and American Militants Training for Terror in Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video from the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) showing a group of alleged German nationals receiving instruction at an IJU terrorist training camp in northwest Pakistan. The video also includes footage of a balding...

NEFA Foundation: Focus on New Pakistani Taliban Leader Hakimullah Mehsud

By Evan Kohlmann

Following Hakimullah Mehsud’s meeting with tribal reporters last week, the NEFA Foundation gained access to a brief autobiographical sketch handwritten by the TTP leader to provide a reliable account of his life and origins to the media. The most significant...

NEFA Foundation Special Report: "The Life and Death of Ibn Sheikh al-Libi"

By Evan Kohlmann

When Ibn Sheikh al-Libi died in a Libyan prison in May 2009, the response from the global jihad movement was more intense than anticipated. The NEFA Foundation has released a short report about al-Libi and translated three recently acquired documents...

(NEFA Foundation) English Transcript of Bekkay Harrach ("Abu Talha the German"): "Security is a Mutual Interest"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video recording of German Al-Qaida member Bekkay Harrach (a.k.a. “Abu Talha the German”) titled “Security is a Mutual Interest.” In the tape, Harrach sought to influence the German populace ahead of the September...

(NEFA Foundation) Video: "The Battle for Control of Somalia: Shabaab al-Mujahideen on the Frontline"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained new video footage of Shabaab al-Mujahideen militants fighting on the frontline in southern Somalia. The undated recording shows masked Shabaab commanders leading their charges under the official banner of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq." Militants...

(NEFA Foundation) Full Text: "A Message from Shaykh Usama Bin Laden to the People of Europe."

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording of Usama Bin Laden produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation and titled, "A Message from Shaykh Usama Bin Laden to the People of Europe." During his speech, Bin Laden called upon...

Video: Shabaab al-Mujahideen's "Abu Suleim Training Camp"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained new video of the "Abu Suleim Training Camp" operated by the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in southern Somalia. The undated recording includes footage of "Abu Mansour the American" (a.k.a. former Alabama resident Omar Hammami) leading recruits...

Al-Qaida Declares New "Cabinet Roster" for its "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI)

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) has issued an updated leadership "cabinet roster." The roster reads as follows: - Deputy Emir and Minister of War: "Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Abdel Moneim al-Badawi" - Minister of Shariah Councils: "Shaykh Abdul Wahab al-Mashhadani"...

NEFA Foundation: Four-Part Package Examines Competing Voices Within the Taliban Leadership in Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a four-part package by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco (with reporting by Javed Afridi) comprised of: 1.) An analysis titled, "Inside the Mufti Kifayatullah Interview: Competing Voices Within the Taliban Leadership in Pakistan"; 2.) A...

New Shabaab al-Mujahideen Video: "At Your Service, O' Osama" (featuring Abu Mansour al-Amriki)

By Evan Kohlmann

The Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia has released a new propaganda video titled, "Labayk Ya Osama", or "At Your Service, O' Osama." The video includes footage of the "Abu Suleim" training camp in southern Somalia and new scenes of "Abu...

NEFA Foundation: Afghan Taliban Release Ramadan Message from Mullah Omar

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new letter published by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) from their shadowy leader, Amir al-Mumineen Mullah Mohammed Omar, to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. In his letter, Mullah Omar blamed...

Would-be Al-Qaida Franchise Claims Lebanon Rocket Attack on Northern Israel

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the "Ziad al-Jarrah Unit" of the "Abdullah Azzam Brigades" claiming responsibility for a rocket attack, launched from Lebanon, on the Nahariya settlement on September 11, 2009. The statement blamed...

Uighur Militants from the TIP Celebrate America's Economic "Demise"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an article published in the Turkestan Islamic Party’s “Islamic Turkestan” magazine titled “America is Leading the Capitalist World Towards Collapse”. In analyzing the sources of the financial crisis, TIP wrote that “The events...

NEFA Foundation: Text of Shabaab Response to U.S. Airstrike on Al-Qaida Suspect Saleh Nabhan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia celebrating the “martyrdom” of 1998 Embassy bombing suspect Saleh Ali Nabhan, who was killed in a U.S. helicopter strike south of Mogadishu. According...

Video: "Martyrdom" Wills of Suicide Bombers Behind the Sept. 2008 Terrorist Attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained video-recorded "martyrdom" wills of the Al-Qaida suicide bombers responsible for the September 2008 terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. In his address to the camera, assailant Lufti Bahr--a former cleric at a...

Al-Qaida Again Resorts to Racist Name Calling, Labels Obama "Kunta Kinte"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)--an Al-Qaida online propaganda center officially responsible for distributing communications from Shabaab al-Mujahideen in Somalia and other armed jihadi factions--has released a new message from the notorious "Rakan Ben Williams." Williams is a purported underground...

NEFA Foundation: Interview with Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Commander Abdul Haq

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a two part interview with Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) commander Abdul Haq, which was published in the TIP’s “Islamic Turkestan” magazine. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Haq directed TIP’s military commander, in...

U.S. forces kill al-Qaida leader in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

American special operations forces killed an al-Qaida terrorist during a helicopter commando assault in Somalia on Monday, NBC News has reported. U.S. officials told NBC that Saleh Ali Nabhan, suspected in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania,...

NEFA Foundation: Bin Laden's 9/11 Anniversary Message to the American People

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation of Usama Bin Laden speaking to the American people on the anniversary of 9/11. During his sermon, Bin Laden called upon Americans to end their...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Claims Attempted Assassination of Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Nayef

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communique from Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claiming responsibility for the attempted assassination of the Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef al-Saud. The statement identified the suicide...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of New Zawahiri Video, "The Path of Doom"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video recording produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation featuring Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and titled, "The Path of Doom." During his sermon, Dr. al-Zawahiri sharply condemned the Pakistani military campaign to restore control over...

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) Claims Deadly Baghdad Suicide Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communique from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) claiming responsibility for the coordinated August 19 suicide bombing attacks on Iraqi government ministries in the capital Baghdad. According to the statement, "disciples...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Offers "Consolation and Condolences" to Nigerian Islamists

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new statement from Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in which the group offers "consolation and condolences" to Nigerian Muslims in response to the swift Nigerian government crackdown on the nascent "Boko Haram" movement....

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims Bombing at French Embassy in Mauritania

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new statement from Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claiming responsibility for an August 8 suicide bombing attack on the French embassy in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. The communique identified the bomber...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Slain Palestinian Militant Encouraging "Beheading" of Americans

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated video footage of a sermon by the late Shaykh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdisi (a.k.a. Abdellatif Moussa), spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant faction "Jund Ansar Allah." During his speech, al-Maqdisi condemned the United States...

Video of the Final Sermon of Jund Ansar Allah's Abu al-Nour al-Maqdisi

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained video footage of the final sermon given by Abu al-Nour al-Maqdisi (a.k.a. Abdel Latif Moussa) in the Ibn Taymiyah mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah shortly before he was killed in clashes between...

NEFA Foundation: Video of "Jund Ansar Allah" Training Camp in Gaza

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained video footage of a recent terrorist training camp in the Gaza Strip run by the Palestinian Al-Qaida startup franchise "Jund Ansar Allah." The footage, which opens with a sermon from the group's late spiritual leader...

NEFA Foundation: Full Text - Declaration of an "Islamic Emirate" in Palestine

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released an English translation of the initial statement from the Palestinian militant faction "Jund Ansar Allah" declaring the foundation of a so-called "Islamic Emirate in Bayt al-Maqdis" under the command of cleric Shaykh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdisi....

NEFA Foundation: "Jund Ansar Allah" Threatens "Response" to Hamas Clashes

By Evan Kohlmann

The Palestinian militant group known as "Jund Ansar Allah" has threatened an unspecified "response" in coming days in revenge for clashes with Hamas security forces in the southern Gaza Strip. According to a new statement from "Jund Ansar Allah" posted...

NEFA Foundation - Taliban Media Spokesman: Baitullah Mehsud is Still Alive

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new message posted by Abdullah al-Wazir, the official online correspondent for the media wing of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, sharply denying reports that the leader of the Pakistani Taliban Baitullah Mehsud has been...

NBC News: Iraqi insurgent spokesman open to better ties with U.S.

By Evan Kohlmann

In a videotaped response to questions from NBC News, a spokesman for Sunni insurgents in Iraq suggests that America's revamped diplomatic approach under the administration of President Barack Obama may be causing some of America's most vocal opponents in the...

NEFA Foundation: Reports of Squabbling Over French Hostages in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new post from online jihadi discussion forums that describes a dispute over two French security consultants in Somalia who were kidnapped from a Mogadishu hotel on July 14. The dispute surrounding the...

NEFA Foundation: Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Claims China “Terrified by Our Operations”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an article from the Turkestan Islamic Party’s (TIP) official magazine, "Islamic Turkestan", titled, “The Enemy Is Terrified by Our Operations” by Abdullah Mansur. In this article first published last November, Mansur described the...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Latest Zawahiri Interview, "The Facts of Jihad and the Lies of the Hypocrites"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new video interview of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation. During the interview, al-Zawahiri strongly criticized Iran, noting, "Iran had her image scandalized in front of...

NEFA Foundation Report (Part 3 of 3): "Militant Groups Active in the Bajaur Region"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the final installment of a three part report by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco titled "Militant Groups Active in the Bajaur Region." The NEFA Foundation has closely followed the evolution of the Taliban insurgency in...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Clashes with Yemeni Forces in Mareb

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from Al Qaida’s network in Yemen claiming responsibility for a recent violent clash with Yemeni security forces in the Mareb province. According to the statement, as a result of the...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Media Wing Struggling Following Release of Captured U.S. Soldier Video

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new chart by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann titled, "Charting the Ongoing Drought in Taliban Media." The chart helps illustrate how, over the past few weeks, the number of daily communiqués and statements issued...

NEFA Foundation: Text of Web Communique Claiming Jakarta Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communiqué from "the Tandzim Al-Qaida of Indonesia" claiming responsibility for the July 17, 2009, bombings at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta that killed seven and injured more than fifty people. Purportedly...

Imam Anwar Awlaki Back Again, Saluting Al-Qaida "Victories" in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a statement issued by Anwar al Awlaki, an Al-Qaida-linked U.S. citizen, in which al Awlaki celebrated the "humiliating defeat" suffered by the Yemeni government in recent clashes with mujahideen. Al Awlaki said, "The first face...

NEFA Foundation Report (Part 2 of 3): "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan: The Bajaur Case"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the second installment of a three part report by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco titled "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan: The Bajaur Case." The NEFA Foundation has closely followed the evolution of the Taliban insurgency in Pakistan’s...

NEFA Foundation: The Muslim Brotherhood Online

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a December 13, 2008 Muslim Brotherhood communication that discusses the Brotherhood’s use of cyberspace as a “new and effective means of communication at a time when most attempts to have a media...

NEFA Foundation: Hamas Celebrates U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Iraqi Cities

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a statement from the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement) regarding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraqi cities. According to the communiqué, "it is because that they...

NEFA Foundation: The ISI's Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Responds to U.S. Urban Withdrawal in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from the Amir al-Mumineen (“Commander of the Faithful”) of Al-Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. In the tape, al-Baghdadi noted that " if the American occupiers...

NEFA Foundation: Shabaab al-Muhajideen Bans 3 UN Agencies

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia announcing that " Beginning from the publishing of this announcement, a number of non-governmental organizations and foreign committees currently operating in Somalia have had their...

Al-Qaida in the Maghreb Responds to the Call of Abu Yahya al-Liby: “We Are At Your Disposal, O’ Abu Yahya”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audiotape from Abu Anas Al-Shanqiti of Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In this speech, Al-Shanqiti stated that AQIM's "swords will not be put down until they purify the Islamic...

NEFA Foundation Series - "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan: The Bajaur Case"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the first installment of a three part report by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco titled "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan: The Bajaur Case." The NEFA Foundation has closely followed the evolution of the Taliban insurgency in Pakistan’s...

Transcript of American Mujahid's Latest Missive from Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording of "Abu Mansoor al-Amriki" -- an American mujahid previously featured in a Shabaab al-Mujahideen video from Somali -- in which al-Amriki responded to President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo, which was...

The Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Finally Reacts to Urumqi Riots, Threatens Revenge on China

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) titled, "In Occasion of the Communists’ Massacre of Our Muslim Nation in China and in Urumqi (East Turkistan)." In the statement, TIP's military commander Saifullah...

Who is the Legitimate Voice for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)?

By Evan Kohlmann

In the past few weeks, a communique published by several exiled former leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) based in the United Kingdom has caused a bit of a stir in British media. Those familiar with the LIFG...

How Serious is the Taliban's Cash Flow Problem?

By Evan Kohlmann

Several recent statements issued by such Al-Qaida luminaries as Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (Al-Qaida's former treasurer) have suggested that Al-Qaida and the Taliban may be suffering from at least a temporary shortfall in funding. In an audio...

New Audio from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri: “A Message to My Muslim Brothers and Sisters in Pakistan”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri titled, "A Message to My Muslim Brothers and Sisters in Pakistan." During the recording, al-Zawahiri appealed to Muslims...

Renewed Focus on Foreign Fighters and Terrorist Threats in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

The last few weeks have seen a renewed focus on the issue of foreign fighters--particularly Somali-American exiles--who are traveling to Somalia in hopes of joining the militant Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement. A former Islamic Courts Union (ICU) leader-turned Somali president Shaykh...

NEFA Foundation: Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Liby - “Algeria; Between the Sacrifice of Fathers and Loyalty of Children”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a June 25, 2009 video featuring Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Liby entitled, “Algeria; Between the Sacrifice of Fathers and Loyalty of Children.” In the video, al-Liby sent “a greeting of love, kindness, honor, brotherhood,...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Threatens Attacks on France over Veil Controversy

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communique from Al-Qaida Committee in the Islamic Maghreb threatening to carry out terrorist attacks against France in revenge for the recent decision by the French government to ban the niqab (a full body...

Palestinian Militants in Gaza Split with the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new statement from the Army of Islam (a.k.a. Jaish al-Islam) in the Gaza Strip -- a Palestinian Islamic militant faction opposed to Hamas -- announcing that it is withdrawing from a mutual...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid's Al-Jazeera Interview

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of an Arabic-language interview Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. “Shaykh Saeed”) gave to Al-Jazeera television on June 22, 2009. Asked about Pakistani nuclear weapons, Abu al-Yazid replied, "Allah-willing the nuclear weapons will not...

NEFA Foundation Report - "Al-Qaida and Europe: The Case of the German-Pakistani Aleem Nasir"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Director of Analysis and Research Ronald Sandee titled, "Al-Qaida and Europe: The Case of the German-Pakistani Aleem Nasir." Nasir was arrested in June 2007 in Pakistan on suspicion of involvement...

Dear As-Sahab: Please Take Away Adam Gadahn's Microphone

By Evan Kohlmann

Late yesterday, Al-Qaida's official media wing--the As-Sahab Media Foundation--released yet another meandering, half-baked video message from American Al-Qaida member Adam Gadahn, formerly of Los Angeles, California. Gadahn--who perhaps at best can be described as an arrogant, pasty-faced computer nerd--has nonetheless...

NEFA Foundation: New Video From American Al-Qaida Spokesman Adam Gadahn

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video recording of most wanted American Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Yehiye Gadahn, titled "Let's Continue our Jihad and Sacrifice." During the video, produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation, Gadahn sharply criticized the Obama administration...

NEFA Foundation "Target America" Report: "The Little Rock, Arkansas Recruiting Station Shooting"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the eighteenth installment in the “Target: America” series, which examines the June 1, 2009 shooting attack by Muslim convert Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammed, formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe, at a U.S. Army/Navy recruiting center in Little...

Al-Qaida's No. 3 in Afghanistan Sent Begging for Cash, Again

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio message from Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. “Shaykh Saeed”), during which Al-Qaida's No. 3 in charge desperately begs for cash donations in order to fund continuing jihadi operations in Afghanistan. In May...

NEFA Foundation Chart: "Al-Qaida's Online Couriers: The Al-Fajr Media Center and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new interactive chart that I have created titled, "Al-Qaida's Online Couriers: The Al-Fajr Media Center and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)." The chart maps out in detail the multi-step process by which multimedia...

NEFA Foundation: Q&A With Taliban Media Wing Representative

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and produced an edited transcript of an open question-and-answer session with Afghan Taliban media wing spokesman Ahmad Mukhtar that took place several days ago over an Arabic-language Internet chat forum. During the exchange, when asked...

NEFA Foundation: Oussama Kassir Expert Report and Powerpoint

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released copies of the expert witness report and PowerPoint slideshow that I presented during my expert testimony in the recent trial of Swedish national Oussama Kassir in federal court in New York. On May 12, 2009,...

NEFA Foundation: TIP Accuses Chinese and Pakistani Media of "Lies and Accusations"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) titled, "The Chinese and Pakistani Media are Full of Lies and Accusations." In the statement, dated May 1, 2009, the TIP warns, "The American government announced...

NEFA Exclusive Interview with Haji Muslim Khan, Chief Spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat Valley (Pakistan) (Part 2 of 2)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released part 2 of its exclusive interview with Haji Muslim Khan, the chief spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the restive Swat Valley. During the second part of the interview, Khan addressed the September 11, 2001...

NEFA Foundation Report: "Shabaab al-Mujahideen - Migration and Jihad in the Horn of Africa."

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report that I have written titled, "Shabaab al-Mujahideen: Migration and Jihad in the Horn of Africa." The report is a comprehensive analysis of the Shabaab al-Mujahideen ("Mujahideen Youth") Movement in Somalia, including sub-chapters...

NEFA Foundation: Exclusive English-Language Video Interview with Taliban Spokesman in Pakistan's Swat Valley

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an exclusive English-language interview with Haji Muslim Khan, the spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat Valley (Pakistan). During the interview, conducted on April 27, Muslim Khan discussed the Taliban implementation of Shariah law in Swat and neighboring...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri on "Six Years Since the Invasion of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of a video statement from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, titled, "Six Years Since the Invasion of Iraq. And, Thirty Years Since the Signing of Peace Treaty with Israel." In the video,...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Training Camp Video

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has transcribed and translated video messages from senior commanders of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) featured alongside recently-released footage of a TIP training camp located somewhere in northwest Pakistan. The speakers featured in the video include the...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Terrorist Training Camp in Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained footage of a terrorist training camp in Pakistan run by the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), a splinter faction of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) primarily based in Waziristan and elsewhere in the North West...

NEFA Foundation: Translated Communiques from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released English translations of a series of recent communiques issued by the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) over the past year. The TIP is a splinter faction of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (TIP) primarily based in...

NEFA Foundation: Jihad Website Financing 101

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new post from online jihadi discussion forums about how to finance jihad-related websites without being "ensnared" in a trap by law enforcement: “If you [have] not gotten arrested yet, that does not...

NEFA Foundation Report: "Core Al-Qaida in 2008: A Review"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Director of Analysis and Research Ronald Sandee titled, "Core Al-Qaida in 2008: A Review." Delivering the Intelligence Community’s annual threat assessment in February 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C....

NEFA Foundation: Letter from American Jihadi Fighting in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has published a letter written by "Abu Mansoor al-Amriki"--an American mujahid recently featured in a Shabaab al-Mujahideen video from Somalia--dated January 8, 2008 and titled, "To the beloved Mujaahideen (in specific) and the Muslims (in general)." In...

NEFA Foundation: AQ in Yemen Claims Attack on South Korean Tourists

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new statement from Al-Qaida's Committee in Yemen claiming responsibility for a March 16 suicide bombing attack on South Korean tourists near the city of Shibam, naming the bomber as "Abu Ubaidah al-Jarrah."...

NEFA Foundation: New Zawahiri Audio - "Crusade Sets Its Sights on the Sudan"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on March 24 and titled, "Crusade Sets Its Sights on the Sudan." During the recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri insisted, "I am not defending Umar...

NEFA Foundation Report - "The Union of Good: INTERPAL and the U.K. Member Organizations"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Senior Analyst Steve Merley titled, "The Union of Good: INTERPAL and the U.K. Member Organizations." The Union of Good (UG) is a coalition of Islamic charities that provides financial support...

NEFA Foundation: Hamas Addresses Prisoner Swap - "Zionist Occupation Bears Full Responsibility"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communiqué from Hamas' "military" wing, the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, addressing the prisoner swap. According to the statement, "The Zionist enemy has not provided any new offer recently. What Olmert has tried to propagate in...

NEFA Foundation: New Usama Bin Laden Audio - "Fight On, Champions of Somalia"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording released on March 19, 2009 of Shaykh Usama Bin Laden, titled "Fight On, Champions of Somalia." During the recording, produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation, Bin Laden condemned the decision of...

NEFA Foundation: Palestinian Al-Qaida Faction Claims Murder of Israeli Policemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a communiqué from a previously unknown Palestinian Al-Qaida faction claiming responsibility for the murder of two Israeli policemen in the West Bank. According to the statement from the “World Islamic Front for the...

NEFA Foundation: German Al-Qaida Member Bekkay Harrach - "Islam and the Finance Crisis"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a German-language video recording of German Al-Qaida member Bekkay Harrach (a.k.a. “Abu Talha the German”) produced by the As-Sahaab Media Foundation. During the video, titled “Islam and the Finance Crisis", Harrach asked, "Where...

NEFA Foundation: New Bin Laden Audio - "Practical Steps to Liberate Palestine"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a transcript of a new audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden titled, "Practical Steps to Liberate Palestine". During the recording, Bin Laden asks, "how long must our family in Palestine live in fear,...

Is Al-Qaida in Iraq on the Rebound?

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, after nearly two months of total silence, Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" stepped forward to claim credit for last Sunday's devastating suicide bombing attack targeting a line of recruits outside a police academy in Baghdad. According to a statement...

NEFA Foundation: A Unique Look Inside the IMU's "Jundullah Studios"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained new video footage of day-to-day operations inside "Jundullah Studios", the official media wing of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)-an Al-Qaida and Taliban mujahideen ally fighting in pockets along the Afghan-Pakistani border. Jundullah Studios is...

New NEFA Chart: "Prominent Jihad Media Organizations in Central Asia"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new roster I have created charting the eight most prominent jihad media organizations active in Central Asia--namely, Al-Qaida's "As-Sahab Media Foundation", "Labayk Media Productions", "Ummat Studios", the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's "Jundullah Media", the...

NEFA Foundation: New Zawahiri Audio - "From Kabul to Mogadishu"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on February 22 and titled, "From Kabul to Mogadishu." During the recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri congratulated the Shebaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia on their...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims Kidnapping of U.N. Envoy & Four European Tourists

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué, dated February 18, from Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of U.N. special envoy for Niger Robert Fowler, his Canadian aide Louis Guay, and four European...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Suicide Bombing in Khost in Southeastern Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a newly-released video recording of a November 20, 2008 suicide truck bombing attack on a joint-U.S.-Afghan military base in the southeastern Afghan province of Khost. The video shows footage of the bomber—identified as "Qari Abu...

Saudi Guantanamo Veteran and Al-Qaida Commander Mohammed al-Harbi Reportedly Surrenders in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

News agencies are now reporting that Saudi national Mohammed al-Harbi (a.k.a. Abul Hareth Mohammed al-Awfi)--a former Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of participating in jihadi conflicts in Chechnya and Afghanistan, who was later released and rejoined Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia--has surrendered...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Denies Surrender of Commander Abou Tamim Amine

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué, dated February 3, denying reports of the surrender of Abou Tamim Amine (a.k.a. Ben Touati Ali). According to the statement, “following the… imprisonment of Brother Amine-the commander of the al-Ansar...

NEFA Report - "'The Eleven': Saudi Guantanamo Veterans Returning to the Fight"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report I have written titled, “The Eleven: Saudi Guantanamo Veterans Returning to the Fight.” The report includes in-depth profiles of eleven former Saudi detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are now listed on...

Al-Qaida’s “A Bailout Plan for Germany”: A NEFA Analysis

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Contributor Antje Kraschinski analyzing the Al-Qaida video "A Bailout Plan for Germany." The January 2009 video features German citizen Bekkay Harrach and is the third German-language video issued by Islamic...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Claim Responsibility for Kabul Attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) claiming responsibility for the coordinated February 11, 2009 attack on the Ministry of Justice, the Directorate of Prisons, and the Ministry of Education in...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Says Two of Saudi's 85 "Most Wanted" Already Dead

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has learned that at least two of those who have been listed on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's most recent roster of its 85 most wanted terror suspects may already be dead. Two years ago, in January...

NEFA Foundation: Army of Islam Issues Message to the Austrian Government

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from the Army of Islam in Gaza, in which the group urges the Austrian government to release Muhammad Shawqi Mahmoud from jail. In March 2008, Mahmoud was sentenced to four years in...

NEFA Report on Anwar al-Awlaki: "Pro Al-Qaida Ideologue with Influence in the West"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has recently published a new background report on Imam Anwar al-Awlaki. This report on Awlaki discusses his experience in the United States, his reputation as an ideologue, and his connections to Al-Qaida. Awlaki, an American who lives...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Suicide Bomber Assessed by Pentagon as "Aggressive", "Committed Jihadist" Prior to Release from Gitmo

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of the transcript of the 2005 Pentagon Administrative Review Board (ARB) assessment of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Kuwaiti national Abdullah al-Ajmi. According to that document, “Al-Ajmi is committed to jihad… Al-Ajmi wanted to...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM’s Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Calls for Terror Strikes in Vengeance for Gaza

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording (dated January 13) of the top commander from Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, titled, “Gaza - Between the Hammer of the Jews and...

NEFA Foundation: New Audio From Zawahiri on "Sacrifices of Gaza and the Plotting Against It"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on February 3 and titled, "Sacrifices of Gaza and the Plotting Against It". During his address, Dr. al-Zawahiri expressed his solidarity...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Reject Formation of “Awakening”-Style Movements in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) rejecting the formation of new paramilitary security organizations in Afghanistan modeled on the apparent success of the “Awakening” movements in Iraq. The...

NEFA Foundation: Video Transcript of Former Gitmo Detainees Swearing Allegiance to Al-Qaida in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new video from the Al-Qaida Organization in the Arabian Peninsula released on January 23, featuring two former inmates at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba who have returned to senior...

NEFA Foundation: Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) Issues Messages from German Militants Fighting in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a newly-released German-language propaganda video from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) produced in September 2008. During the video, a group of German nationals fighting with the IMU in Afghanistan offered messages and...

NEFA Foundation: Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) Releases Message From German-Speaking Militant

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new video excerpt from the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) in Afghanistan of an IJU militant threatening in German to carry out revenge attacks on Western countries for the recent Israeli incursion into...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Insist "Closing the Cages of Guantanamo Is Not Enough"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) titled, "Closing the Cages of Guantanamo is Not Enough.” According to the statement, "This action of Barack Obama regarding Guantanamo prison can be regarded...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Denies Alleged Germ Warfare Experiment Gone Wrong

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communique from Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) denying recent reports that a group of Al-Qaida fighters perished in Algeria after mistakenly contracting fatal doses of the plague during a biological...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Former Gitmo Detainee-Turned-Al-Qaida Suicide Bomber in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released English-subtitled excerpts from the final video-recorded will of Kuwaiti national Abdullah al-Ajmi (a.k.a. Abu Juhaiman al-Kuwaiti). Al-Ajmi was a former detainee at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba who was freed from American...

On The Eve of the Obama Inauguration, Al-Qaida Takes Another Swipe at the "Celebrity" U.S. President

By Evan Kohlmann

Though it has attracted little attention in the midst of public celebrations for the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Al-Qaida has taken another angry swipe at the celebrity aura and optimism surrounding Obama--not just in the U.S., but also in...

NEFA Foundation Report - "The Union of Good: A Global Muslim Brotherhood Hamas Fundraising Network"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Senior Analyst Steve Merley titled, "The Union of Good: A Global Muslim Brotherhood Hamas Fundraising Network." The Union of Good is a coalition of Islamic charities that provides financial support...

NEFA Foundation: German Al-Qaida Member Bekkay Harrach - “A Bailout Plan for Germany”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new German-language video recording of German Al-Qaida member Bekkay Harrach (a.k.a. “Abu Talha the German”) produced by the As-Sahaab Media Foundation. During the video, titled “A Bailout Plan for Germany”, Harrach threatened,...

NEFA Foundation: New Video Footage of a Terrorist Training Camp Run by the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained new video footage of a terrorist training camp run by the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), apparently inside the borders of Pakistan. The video shows IJU fighters receiving instruction in basic weapons and more advanced urban...

NEFA Foundation: New Bin Laden Audio - “A Call for Jihad to Stop the Gaza Assault”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new Arabic-language audio recording of Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden titled, "A Call for Jihad to Stop the Gaza Assault." During the recording, Bin Laden called upon Muslims around the world "to...

NEFA Foundation: Somali Militants Issue Biography of American Jihadist

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a biography issued by the Shebaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia of an American jihadi recruit recently killed in a missile strike in southern Somalia. Former Seattle, Washington-resident Ruben Shumpert (a.k.a. Amir Abdul Muhaimeen)...

NEFA Foundation: Zawahiri Issues Orders to “Strike Everywhere” in Revenge For Gaza

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on January 6 and titled, “The Massacre of Gaza and the Siege of the Traitors.” During his address, Dr. al-Zawahiri condemned...

NEFA TerrorWatch Episode #9 Now Available

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released TerrorWatch Episode #9. This week, TerrorWatch examines the larger picture behind the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which have been blamed on Pakistani militant groups active in the conflict over Kashmir. Since 1989, a...

NEFA Foundation "Spot Report": Ummah Welfare Trust and the Barclays Bank Controversy

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new "Spot Report" titled "Ummah Welfare Trust and the Barclays Bank Controversy." On December 16, 2008, a representative from Barclays Bank PLC wrote to the Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT) to inform the organization that...

Al-Qaida-Linked U.S. Citizen Addresses Shabaab al-Mujahideen; Shabaab Responds

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a statement issued by Anwar al-Awlaki, an Al-Qaida-linked U.S. citizen, addressed to the Shabaab al-Mujahideen, as well as a communiqué Shabaab issued in response. On December 21st, al-Awlaki released a message titled "Salutations to al-Shabab...

The Fort Dix Homegrown Case: Expert Report, Training Video, "Target America" Report, Exhibit Library

By Evan Kohlmann

Following today’s conviction of five men in New Jersey federal court for plotting to kill members of the U.S. military, the NEFA Foundation is providing a copy of my expert report submitted on behalf of prosecutors in the case. Initiated...

NEFA Foundation: Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) Admits Grudging “Admiration” for Aspects of U.S. Election

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the media spokesman of the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), Dr. Ali al-Nuaimi, concerning the recent U.S. presidential elections. According to Dr. al-Nuaimi’s statement, “There were significant lessons demonstrated...

NEFA Foundation: Fatah al-Islam Claims Death of Leader, Endorses Terror Financing Through Bank Robberies

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated two new communiqués from the Al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon and Syria. On November 29, Fatah al-Islam issued a statement condemning “Syria’s entrance into the public arena against Fatah al-Islam… If this organization...

NEFA Foundation: Growing Chorus of Sunni Militants in Iraq Turn On Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated recent communiqués from two major Sunni insurgent groups active in Iraq, voicing their solidarity with and support for the Mujahideen Army in their ongoing war of words with the leader of Al-Qaida in...

NEFA Foundation: Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and "The Lions of Al-Azhar"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video interview of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri produced by Al-Qaida's As-Sahaab Media Foundation and titled "The Lions of Al-Azhar." During the interview, al-Zawahiri called upon fellow Egyptians to observe a general...

NEFA Foundation: Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and "The Death of Our Heroes and Betrayal of Our Rulers"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new Arabic-language audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on December 1. During the recording, titled "The Death of Our Heroes and Betrayal of Our Rulers", al-Zawahiri hailed the...

NEFA Foundation: Mujahideen Army Condemns “Hideous Slander” from AQI’s Abu Hamza al-Muhajir

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from a prominent Sunni insurgent group in Iraq known as the Mujahideen Army. The statement, issued in response to a controversial recent audio address from Al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu...

NBC News: "Pakistani militants deny role in Mumbai terror attacks"

By Evan Kohlmann

NBC News: Pakistani militants deny role in Mumbai terror attacks The sole surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks allegedly spent 18 months training at camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), a banned Pakistani militant organization with a long history of high-profile...

NEFA Report: "Inside As-Sahaab: The Story of Ali al-Bahlul and the Evolution of Al-Qaida’s Propaganda."

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report that I have written titled “Inside As-Sahaab: The Story of Ali al-Bahlul and the Evolution of Al-Qaida’s Propaganda.” The report is based upon previously unseen evidence presented during the recent Guantanamo Bay...

Jamat-ud-Dawa (LET Political Wing) on Mumbai Attacks: "Not a Legitimate Tactic"

By Evan Kohlmann

In the aftermath of this week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Indian government officials and media outlets have already begun pointing a finger at Islamic militants in neighboring Pakistan -- particularly an organization known as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET). The LET has been...

New Al-Qaida Video from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri -- No Mention of Mumbai (DEVELOPING)

By Evan Kohlmann

Late this afternoon, Al-Qaida's official As-Sahab Media Wing released a new Q&A-style video interview with Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri titled "Al-Azhar: The Lion's Den." There does not appear to be any reference to Mumbai, India, or even the...

NEFA Foundation: Shebaab al-Mujahideen Strongly Denies Threatening Pirates in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Shebaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia denying published reports that it intends to fight with local pirate forces for control of a hijacked Saudi supertanker off the coast of...

Frustrated Claims of Pro-Obama Media Bias... This Time From Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

Global reactions to Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri's controversial condemnation of U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama as a "House Slave" (or, alternatively, "House Negro") have begun to pour in -- including via the top jihad web forums used by Al-Qaida to disseminate its...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Reject Hamid Karzai's Offer to Protect Mullah Omar

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) rejecting Afghan President Hamid Karzai's solemn offer to Mullah Omar to "guarantee his security and safety" if he would agree to willingly participate in...

Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Risks of Having a Big Mouth

By Evan Kohlmann

(Co-Editor's Note: Evan was interviewed on MSNBC about this on November 19 - watch here.) During several recent conferences concerning extremist radicalization and the web, I have frequently commented that the Internet can often serve as a double-edged sword for...

NEFA Foundation: Ayman al-Zawahiri on the "Parting of Bush and the Arrival of Obama" (TRANSCRIPT)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on November 19, 2008, titled "On the Parting of Bush and the Arrival of Obama.” During the recording, al-Zawahiri issued a message to...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Faction in Gaza Claims Rocket Attacks on Israeli Targets (VIDEO)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a video recording from an emerging Palestinian Al-Qaida faction based in the Gaza Strip, Jaish al-Ummah ("The Army of the Islamic Nation"), claiming responsibility for rocket attacks on the town of Ashkelon and other Israeli...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Reaction to Obama Presidency

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) addressed to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. The Taliban assess that "the overwhelming victory of Barrack Obama, the candidate of the Democrats in the US...

Iraqi Insurgents Issue Open Letter to President-Elect Obama

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an Arabic-language communiqué issued by the Political Council of the Iraqi Resistance (PCIR), an umbrella organization which oversees the political interests of several major Sunni insurgent groups in Iraq—including the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI),...

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Offers Economic Proposal to “New Rulers in the White House”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from the Amir al-Mumineen (“Commander of the Faithful”) of Al-Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. According to al-Baghdadi, the purpose of the audio recording addressed to...

NEFA Exclusive: Translation of Controversial Interview with Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Abu Hamza al-Muhajir

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has transcribed and translated a highly controversial new interview with Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq. During the interview, produced by the official media wing of Al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza pointedly accused various...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Reject Notion of Iraq-Style "Awakening" Movement in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) rejecting the notion that a U.S.-sponsored "Awakening" movement in South Asia -- styled after the model recently developed in Sunni areas of Iraq --...

NEFA Foundation: Exclusive New Interview With Pakistani Taliban Deputy Commander Maulana Faquir Mohammed

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an exclusive new interview with Maulana Faquir Mohammed, deputy commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). During the interview, Maulana Faquir insisted that the TTP closely supports the activities of Al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan because these...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida in Yemen Mourns Fallen Martyrs, Including Iraq Veterans & Saudi Terror Suspects

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated additional selected articles from the official magazine of Al-Qaida’s network in Yemen, “Sada al-Malahim.” The articles include two reports from an ongoing series titled “Men on the Road” profiling notable Al-Qaida figures from...

Has Al-Qaida Chosen its Candidate? An Examination of the "Al-Hesbah-McCain" Controversy

By Evan Kohlmann

Earlier today, the Washington Post published an article examining recent "chatter" on Al-Qaida Internet forums which appears to endorse Arizona Senator John McCain as Al-Qaida's "preferred" candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The Post cites a message posted on...

NEFA Foundation: New Video of Most Wanted German Terrorist Eric Breininger

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a video released on October 21, 2008, of Eric Breininger, a German convert to Islam, who traveled to Pakistan and joined the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU). In the first half of 2008, the...

NEFA Foundation Library of HLF Retrial Exhibits Now Available

By Evan Kohlmann

Between July and September 2007, prosecutors in the case against the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) and its top officials released scores of exhibits that provide unprecedented insight into the dizzying web of connections tying together a handful of alleged Hamas...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida in Yemen Threatens Denmark and Europeans With "Killing", "Slaughter", and "Heavy Blows" Over Cartoon Controversy

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated selected articles from the official magazine of Al-Qaida’s network in Yemen, “Sada al-Malahim.” The articles include a report published in the first issue of the magazine (released in January 2008) documenting a failed...

NEFA Foundation - Saudi Terror Operative in Yemen: Target Oil to Cause "Total Collapse"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new selected article from the official magazine of Al-Qaida’s network in Yemen, “Sada al-Malahim”—in this case, featuring an interview with most wanted Saudi Al-Qaida operative Nayif bin Mohammed al-Qahtani (a.k.a. Abu Hummam...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims "Battle of Zerouate" in Mauritania

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new statement from Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claiming responsibility for a September 14, 2008 attack on a local military convoy in the Mauritanian region of Zerouate. According to the...

NEFA Foundation Report: The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Director of Analysis and Research Ronald Sandee titled "The Islamic Jihad Union." The Islamic Jihad Union was founded by breakaway fighters from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in March 2002...

Reports: Lebanese Security Forces Prepare Arrest Warrant for Al-Muhajiroun Founder Shaykh Omar Bakri Mohammed

By Evan Kohlmann

Co-Editor's Note: The Counterterrorism Blog has reported on the activities of Omar Bakri Mohammed since our opening in January 2005. See a special archives page for those posts. -------------- The Al-Markaziya News Agency and the Lebanese OTV television channel are...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Jihad Training Camp in Somalia, Testimonials from English-Speaking Recruits

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a video recording from the Shebaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia featuring recent footage of a locally-based jihad training camp. The footage includes scenes of mujahideen recruits practicing using automatic weapons, RPGs, and anti-tank weapons—all under...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Fajr Center Announces Shuttering of Three Top Jihad Web Forums

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an Arabic-language statement from the Al-Fajr Media Center—the official online logistical network responsible for disseminating messages from various Al-Qaida military factions—announcing the sudden closure of three of the top Internet discussion forums currently...

NEFA Foundation: Somali Islamists Release Video of FBI Most Wanted Terror Suspect

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an Arabic-language video recording released by the Shebaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia featuring a statement from Kenyan national Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan (a.k.a. “Abu Yousef”), who is currently wanted by the FBI “in connection with...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Latest Adam Gadahn Video Message

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and transcribed a copy of the latest English-language video message from American Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn (a.k.a. “Abu Azzam al-Amriki”) released on October 3, titled “The Believer Isn’t Stung from the Same Hole Twice.” Breaking...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Deny Reports of Peace Talks, Urge Fighters to Avoid Innocent Civilians

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained four new statements from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban). In these new communiqués, the Taliban have denied widespread rumors of Saudi-sponsored peace talks with the Afghan government and have mocked news that U.S....

Al-Qaida's Foreign Fighters Shift Focus from Iraq to Pakistan and Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated Arabic-language biographies of foreign fighters—particularly those from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait—which appear to document a shift in focus away from the jihad in Iraq and towards the growing conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan....

NEFA Foundation: TerrorWatch #8 and Report on the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the latest edition of its TerrorWatch online video broadcast, which examines the growing problem of Al-Qaida safe havens and terrorist training camps flourishing along the Afghan-Pakistani border, despite the continued efforts of both the U.S....

NEFA Foundation: The Bitter Divide Within Al-Qaida's Last Remaining Ally in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated two recent statements issued respectively by the Ansar al-Islam Organization in Iraq (formerly known as the Ansar al-Sunnah Army) and a breakaway faction which refers to itself as the “Shariah Committee of the...

Al-Qaida's 9/11 Anniversary Video Release Delayed Due to Technical Problems, Human Errors

By Evan Kohlmann

For those who follow the workings of Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation, it is no secret that As-Sahab has recently been suffering a series of embarrassing technical problems relating to the delayed publication of Al-Qaida's 9/11 seventh anniversary video, titled "Results...

NEFA Foundation: Video of a "Terrorist Training Camp" in Canada

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained exclusive footage of a would-be "terrorist training camp" that took place in a rural section of Canada in 2006. The camp, directed by CSIS confidential informant Mubin Shaikh, included members of the alleged “Toronto 18”...

The Case of Belal Khazaal and "Essential Provisions in the Rules of Jihad"

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, at the Supreme Court of New South Wales (NSW) in Sydney, Australia, former Qantas Airlines baggage handler Belal Khazaal was convicted by a jury of "knowingly making a document connected with assistance in a terrorist act" in violation of...

NEFA Foundation Report: "Anatomy of a Modern Homegrown Terror Cell: Aabid Khan et al." (Operation Praline)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has published a new report that I have written, titled "Anatomy of a Modern Homegrown Terror Cell." The report focuses on the recent criminal trial of Aabid Hussain Khan at the Blackfriars Crown Court in London, as...

NEFA Foundation: New Exclusive Interviews with Top Pakistani Taliban Spokesman Maulvi Omar

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained two exclusive interviews with Maulvi Omar, the main spokesman for and a Shura Council member of the Pakistani Taliban movement, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). During the first interview, recorded in May 2008, Maulvi Omar emphasized the...

NEFA Foundation: Interview with Sirajuddin Haqqani, Latest Zawahiri Audio Transcript, Written Responses from KSM/Khallad, Taliban Biography of the Late Mullah Dadullah

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has published several new items on its website which will be of interest to counterterrorism researchers. First, the NEFA Foundation has obtained video of a conversation with Taliban Deputy Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of the infamous...

NEFA Foundation Report: "Jihad Networks in Pakistan and Their Influence in Europe"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report I have written titled “Jihad Networks in Pakistan and Their Influence in Europe.” The paper is based upon a presentation I gave on July 10 before the III International Course on “Jihad...

NEFA Foundation Report - The Evolution of the Taliban in Pakistan: Feb-May 2008

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco titled "The Evolution of the Taliban in Pakistan during the February-May 2008 Period: The Peace Accord Era." Franco explores the evolution of the insurgency in North-Western...

(NBC/NEFA) - Voices from the Iraqi Insurgency: An Exclusive Interview with the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

(See also - MSNBC Deep Background: "Iraqi insurgents weigh in on American election") In an effort to help Americans better understand the evolving dynamics behind the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, I have begun conducting a series of exclusive interviews with...

NEFA Foundation Exclusive: An Interview with Mangal Bagh, Commander of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an exclusive video-recorded interview with Mangal Bagh, the charismatic, de-facto leader of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) in control of approximately three-quarters of Pakistan’s Khyber Agency. Bagh took control of Lashkar-e-Islam approximately two years ago from its original...

NEFA: Slain Hamas Militant Challenges Political Leadership Over Participation in Democratic Elections, "Supporting the Christians"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new video from dissident members of the Izzadeen al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Palestinian territories - of their recently slain comrade Rami Abu Suweirah (a.k.a. Abu...

Second Circuit Appeals Court Upholds Conviction of Uzair Paracha, Expert Testimony Given in Case

By Evan Kohlmann

Last week, in an unpublished summary order, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2005 conviction of Uzair Paracha in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on charges of providing material support to Al-Qaida. Paracha's defense attorneys...

NEFA: TerrorWatch on Fatah al-Islam and Samina Malik Powerpoint

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has posted a new edition of its TerrorWatch video cybercast, this time examining Al-Qaida's growing focus on the plight of the Palestinians and the emergence of apparent Al-Qaida cells in lawless regions of the Gaza Strip. In...

(NBC/NEFA) - Voices From the Iraqi Insurgency: Exclusive Interviews with Hamas al-Iraq and the Al-Rashideen Army

By Evan Kohlmann

(See also - MSNBC Deep Background: "Exclusive Interviews with Iraqi Insurgents") In an effort to help Americans better understand the evolving dynamics behind the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, I have begun conducting a series of exclusive interviews with prominent Sunni...

NEFA Foundation Exclusive: Video Interview with Pakistani Taliban Commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained an exclusive video-recorded interview with Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, a senior commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and an acknowledged deputy of notorious Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. When asked during the interview whether the TTP would...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims Bomb Attacks on French Contractors in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb claiming responsibility for several recent terrorist attacks in Algeria, including a June 8 bombing near the Beni Amrane train station which killed a...

Trio of Homegrown Jihadis Convicted of Plotting to Kill U.S. Soldiers in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

This afternoon, a federal jury in Toledo, Ohio has convicted three local men--Mohammad Amawi, Marwan El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum--of all criminal charges filed against them, including plotting attacks against U.S. troops fighting in Iraq. The jury took less than two...

NBC: U.S. tries (in vain?) to smoke out accused terrorist Adam Gadahn

By Evan Kohlmann

NBC News has just posted a new story on its Deep Background blog by Senior Investigative Producer Jim Popkin examining the new U.S. effort to "smoke out" American Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn (a.k.a. Azzam al-Amriki." In the piece, Jim describes...

AAPSS Annals - "'Homegrown' Terrorists: Theory and Cases in the War on Terror's Newest Front"

By Evan Kohlmann

I have published a new paper in the July 2008 issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) titled "'Homegrown' Terrorists: Theory and Cases in the War on Terror's Newest Front." As I demonstrate...

Jane's - "The Quiet American: Tracing the Whereabouts of Adam Gadahn"

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of my CTBlog post from last month, the editors at Jane's Intelligence Review (JIR) asked me to write a piece on the shadowy whereabouts of American Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn. In the piece, I have dug deeper...

AQIM Promises Revenge for Attack on Muslim Woman in Morocco

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a statement dated June 4 from Shaykh Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, the top commander of Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), titled, “Here We Come, O’ Sister!” In his statement, Wadoud swore...

Taliban Defends Peace Accord with Pakistani Government

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban movement) defending the recent peace accord negotiated between the Pakistani government and local Taliban forces. According to the statement, “We consider the...

NEFA Foundation Translation of Latest Zawahiri Recording: "Lift the Siege of Gaza!"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of an audio recording of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released by Al-Qaida’s official As-Sahab Media Wing on June 4, titled “On the Anniversary of the Disaster - A Call to Help Our...

N.Y. Detainee Allegedly Hosted Riyadh Bomb Plotter on U.S. Visit

By Evan Kohlmann

Several interesting pieces of information have surfaced in legal documents relating to the immigration case of Mourad El Hamyani, a permanent U.S. resident who is currently detained in New York. In February, a federal immigration judge denied the government's request...

Exclusive: NEFA Dossier on Al-Qaida's Shaykh Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new dossier I have authored examining the role of Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. “Shaykh Saeed”), appointed in May 2007 as “the overall head of al-Qaida Organization in Afghanistan.” According to Al-Qaida’s official As-Sahab...

UPDATED (w/complete text of statement): Al-Qaida Claims Attack on Danish Embassy in Islamabad

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a communiqué issued by senior Al-Qaida commander Mustafa Abu al-Yazid claiming responsibility for the June 2 suicide bombing attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. According to al-Yazid, “one of...

NEFA Foundation: Iraqi Insurgents Quarrel Over Recognizing International Law

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated two new statements from an emerging Sunni insurgent faction calling itself “the Iraqi Martyrs Brigades.” In its initial statement of purpose, the IMB indicated that its fighters were being guided both by Muslim...

NEFA TerrorWatch Episode 5: Bin Laden's Latest Messages

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the fifth episode of its TerrorWatch video-on-demand service. This week, TerrorWatch takes a look at the most recent pair of audio recordings from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden focusing on the subject of Palestine and...

NEFA Foundation: Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) Interview with German Convert "Eric B."

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new interview published by the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) with “Abdul Gaffar al-Almani”—better known as “Eric B.”, a 20-year old German convert to Islam from Neuenkirchen in Saarland who traveled to Pakistan in 2007...

Ayman Al-Zawahiri and the Attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of today's massive car bomb attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, I think it is appropriate to revisit particular comments made by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri during his most recent public Q&A session (an English transcript is...

The Danger of False Assumptions

By Evan Kohlmann

Today's edition of the New York Times includes a column from its Public Editor Clark Hoyt regarding a recent Op-Ed published in the Times written by Edward Luttwak and titled "President Apostate?" In his original piece, Mr. Luttwak argued that...

Al-Qaida Continues Defiance on Mosul, Claims Hotel Suicide Bombing

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new video recording and, separately, a text communiqué from Al-Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). During the video, an unidentified individual presented as the official ISI spokesman for the Nineveh province of...

NEFA Foundation: New Documents from Emerging Palestinian Al-Qaida Faction in Gaza Strip

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a communiqué and audio recording from an emerging branch of the Al-Qaida-aligned Fatah al-Islam movement based in the Gaza Strip. On January 12, 2008, the group issued a statement naming its local commander...

NEFA Exclusive: Further Responses from the Second Round of Q&A with al-Zawahiri

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has translated further excerpts from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri’s second round of answers to some of the hundreds of questions recently submitted on extremist web forums by Al-Qaida supporters and other interested parties. In response to various questions...

Second Bin Laden Audio Transcript: "A Message to the Islamic Nation"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of a May 18 audio recording from Al-Qaida Usama Bin Laden titled “A Message to the Islamic Nation.” During his speech, Bin Laden called upon Muslim youths—particularly those living in countries...

Media and Intel Community Caught by Apparent Al-Qaida Nuke Message "Prank"

By Evan Kohlmann

As of early this evening, ABC News and the Drudge Report are running a headline claiming that "al Qaeda operatives will post a new video on the Internet in the next 24 hours, calling for what one source said is...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Bin Laden's "Message to the Peoples of the West"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of a May 15, 2008 audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden, titled, “A Message to the People of the West from the Shaykh Usama Bin Laden: The Reasons for...

NEFA TerrorWatch: The Spillover Impact of the Iraqi Jihad in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

This week's episode of NEFA's TerrorWatch broadcast takes a closer look at Mohammed al-Thibaiti (a.k.a. Abu Sulaiman al-Otaibi), a Saudi Arabian national and a senior Al-Qaida lieutenant who was confirmed killed during recent clashes with the "crusaders and apostates" in...

Where's the Beef? Mystery Grows Surrounding Whereabouts of Adam Gadahn

By Evan Kohlmann

This afternoon, Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation has released the second audio recording of Usama Bin Laden in the space of only three days--this time, openly addressed "to the Islamic nation." But, perhaps what is most interesting about Bin Laden's latest...

NEFA TerrorWatch: New Insight into the 7/7 Bombings, Pakistan Terror Connections

By Evan Kohlmann

This week's edition of the NEFA Foundation's TerrorWatch cybercast takes an inside look at "Operation Theseus": a series of ongoing criminal investigations and trials in the United Kingdom involving a network of alleged accomplices in the July 7, 2005 suicide...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Reports "Martyrdom" of Senior Saudi Terrorist Abu Sulaiman al-Otaibi in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of new letter from Al-Qaida leader Mustafa Abu al-Yazid confirming the death of Al-Qaida lieutenant Abu Sulaiman al-Otaibi (a.k.a. Mohammed al-Thibaiti) during clashes with the "crusaders and apostates" in the Paktika province of...

NEFA Exclusive: Selected Responses From the Second Round of Q&A with Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri’s second round of answers to some of the hundreds of questions recently submitted on extremist web forums by Al-Qaida supporters and other interested parties. Exclusive English translations of selected...

NEFA Foundation Report: "Terrorists Behind Bars"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new report by Senior Analyst Josh Lefkowitz titled "Terrorists Behind Bars," which examines the myriad complexities the worldwide prison system must address when managing incarcerated extremists. While in prison, jihadists have caused officials fits...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida Loses Yet Another Sunni Insurgent Ally in Iraq Amid Allegations of "Threats" and "Blackmail"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Army of al-Mustafa (a.k.a. “Jaish al-Mustafa”)—a Sunni insurgent group which has claimed credit for at least three joint operations with Al-Qaida’s “Islamic State of Iraq” (ISI) since January 2008—has suddenly broken off relations with the ISI, accusing its local...

NEFA Foundation: Scenes from AQIM's "Martyr Abu Ibrahim Mustafa" Terrorist Training Camp in North Africa

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained video footage of lessons conducted by instructors from Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) at the "Martyr Abu Ibrahim Mustafa" terrorist training camp. This is the second such video recording released by the AQIM...

NEFA: Interview of Turkish Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) Fighter "Abu Yasir al-Turki"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated an interview of a Turkish Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) fighter. According to the IJU, Abu Yasir Al-Turki “left everything he had in Turkey, following the verse of Allah c.c. to do Jihad, migrated...

NEFA Foundation: The Impact of the Zarqawi Legacy in North Africa

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated video footage of a recent Al-Qaida suicide bombing in eastern Algeria targeting a local military barracks in the town of Dellys. The footage includes the "martyrdom" will of the bomber (a young teenager...

NEFA Foundation: Videos of Pakistan Terror Training Camp, UK Airline Bomb Plotters

By Evan Kohlmann

Two new items have been added to the NEFA Foundation online multimedia library: - Video footage of a terrorist training camp in northwestern Pakistan run by the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU). The video shows the production and testing of explosives,...

Al-Shabaab Welcomes U.S. Terror Designation, Threatens New Campaign of "Praiseworthy Terrorism"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué released on April 5, 2008 by the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia. The statement welcomed the recognition of Shabaab as an international terrorist organization by the U.S. government: "As we...

NEFA: Al-Qaida Faction "Jund al-Yaman Brigades" Claims String of Terror Attacks in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of a purported communiqué from the “Jund al-Yaman Brigades” of the “Al-Qaidat ul-Jihad Organization in the Arabian Peninsula” dated April 7, 2008. The statement claimed credit for several recent terrorist attacks...

NEFA "Target America" Report on the Transatlantic Liquid Bomb Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

Concurrent with the start of the trial of eight alleged conspirators in the United Kingdom, the NEFA Foundation has released the fifteenth installment in its "Target: America" series, examining the 2006 plot to detonate liquid explosives on board several commercial...

NEFA Foundation: Complete Transcript of New Zawahiri Q&A Responses

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a new 90-minute audio recording released today of Al-Qaida's Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. During the audio recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri responded to many of the hundreds of questions recently submitted on extremist...

NEFA Foundation: Video of German Suicide Bomber in Afghanistan Cuneyt Ciftci

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained footage documenting the first suicide attack carried out by a German national of Turkish origin in Afghanistan. The March 3rd attack targeted the Sebari military compound near Khost, along the restive Afghan-Pakistani border. Cuneyt Ciftci...

NEFA Report: Muthanna al-Hanooti & "Life for Relief & Development"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new "Spot Report" in the wake of the March 26, 2008 indictment of Muthanna al-Hanooti, the long-time public relations coordinator for Life for Relief and Development (LRD), a charitable organization based in Southfield, Michigan....

Ayman al-Zawahiri: "Charge towards your targets… Let us hit their interests everywhere.”

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a new audio recording from Al-Qaida’s Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, titled “A Call to Help Our People in Gaza.” During his speech, Zawahiri called upon Muslims everywhere to “attack the interests...

NEFA Foundation: Second Bin Laden Audio Transcript - "The Way for the Salvation of Palestine"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of the latest audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden, titled, "The Way for the Salvation of Palestine." During his speech, Bin Laden insisted that control of Palestine shall only...

An Iraqi Insurgent Tell-All: Al-Qaida Is To Blame For "Killing Sunnis" And "Demolishing Their Homes, Mosques, and Their Hospitals"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a recent interview with a senior military commander of the Hamas al-Iraq insurgent group in the restive Diyala province of Iraq. During the interview, the unnamed Hamas commander sharply condemned the "criminal...

NEFA Foundation: New Bin Laden Audio Transcript and "Target America" Report

By Evan Kohlmann

An English-language transcript of Usama Bin Laden's latest audio recording (released late this afternoon), titled "May Our Others Be Bereaved Of Us if We Fail to Help Our Prophet", is now available on the NEFA Foundation website. During his speech,...

NEFA Chart: "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq 2008"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released a new chart that I have created mapping the complex network of Sunni insurgent groups fighting in Iraq. The chart includes representations for the four dominant insurgent umbrella groups--Al-Qaida's Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), the...

NEFA Foundation: Report on Jihadi Resurgence in Pakistan, Expert Report from Hassan Abu-Jihaad Case

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released two new reports on its website. First, a report by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco and NEFA Director of Analysis and Research Ronald Sandee titled "Developments in the Jihadi Resurgence in Pakistan: January 2008." The...

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Ayman al-Zawahiri's "Elegy" on Abu al-Laith al-Liby

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a new video recording released today of Al-Qaida's Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri mourning the recent death of Abu al-Laith al-Liby during a U.S. air strike in northern Pakistan. In his video...

NEFA Foundation: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Widens Growing Rift Between Al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and transcribed a copy of an audio recording released on February 13 of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI). In his audio statement, al-Baghdadi was sharply critical of the...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims Recent Terror Attacks in North Africa, Responds to "Martyrdom" of Commander Abu al-Laith al-Liby in Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained copies of three communiqués issued by "Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb" claiming responsibility for recent terror attacks in Algeria and Mauritania, and responding to the reported "martyrdom" of Libyan Al-Qaida commander Abu al-Laith al-Liby...

NEFA Foundation: Video of Abu al-Laith al-Liby Supervising a Terrorist Training Camp in 2005

By Evan Kohlmann

A new video is available from the NEFA Foundation website featuring footage of senior Al-Qaida commander Abu al-Laith al-Liby supervising an Al-Qaida terrorist training camp somewhere along the Pakistani-Afghan border in approximately 2005. On January 31, the Al-Fajr Media Center...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Fajr Media Center Announcement of "Martyrdom" of Al-Qaida Commander Abu Laith al-Liby

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation website is now offering a complete English translation of the Al-Fajr Media Center statement announcing the "martyrdom" of senior Al-Qaida commander Shaykh Abu al-Laith al-Liby "along with a group of his brothers on the earth of Muslim...

NEFA Foundation: Al-Qaida's ISI Reponds to Ongoing Events in Mosul

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of recent communique issued by the Nineveh province branch of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI). In the statement, the ISI denied responsibility for a deadly explosion on January 23 in the Zanjili...

NEFA Exclusive: Follow-up Interview with Taliban Spokesman in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

On January 25, 2008, NEFA Foundation Investigator Claudio Franco conducted a telephone interview with Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. During the interview, Mujahid discussed the recent suicide bombing of the Serena hotel in Kabul, noting that the attack was an attempt...

Abu al-Laith al-Liby: Al-Qaida Loses a Guiding Light

By Evan Kohlmann

He may not be Usama Bin Laden or Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri--and he may not be a household name--but Abu al-Laith al-Liby was certainly among Al-Qaida's most senior military commanders, and his reported death now leaves Al-Qaida and the Taliban with...

New NEFA Foundation "Target America" Report: "The Fort Dix Plot"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the thirteenth installment in its "Target: America" series, examining the foiled 2007 plot to attack the U.S. Army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Initiated by a "homegrown" cell that was, in the words of...

NEFA Exclusive: New Interview with Taliban Spokesman Zahidullah Mujahid

By Evan Kohlmann

On January 4, 2008, NEFA Foundation Investigator Claudio Franco conducted a telephone interview with Taliban spokesman Zahidullah Mujahid. During the interview, Mujahid strongly denied any suggestion that Taliban elements in either Pakistan or Afghanistan were behind the recent assassination of...

"Al-Qaida's MySpace": How Suicide Bombers Are Being Recruited Online

By Evan Kohlmann

This morning, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point released the second issue of its Sentinel journal, including my new piece on "Al-Qaida's MySpace"--which tracks a growing number of case studies in which users on extremist Internet forums such as...

U.S. v. Muntasser et al - The Evidence Behind the Convictions

By Evan Kohlmann

In what can only be described as a major victory for the U.S. Department of Justice, a Massachusetts jury today returned guilty verdicts on seven of eight criminal charges filed against three defendants in federal district court--convicting Emaddedine Muntasser, Muhamed...

NEFA Foundation: Online Q&A with a Fighter from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI)

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of an online question-and-answer session conducted (on January 4) over the Paltalk chat network with a fighter from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI). During the interview, the ISI fighter discussed the varying...

NEFA Foundation: IAI Claims Recent Clashes with Al-Qaida in Samarra, "Liberating" Ten Iraqi Hostages

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a recent communiqué issued by the prominent Sunni insurgent organization known as the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI). According to the statement, "After a call from our supporters and brothers in Samarra...

NEFA Foundation: AQIM Claims Suicide Bombing East of Algiers

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated the latest communiqué issued by "the Al-Qaida Network in the Islamic Maghreb" (formerly known as the Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat, GSPC) claiming responsibility for yesterday's suicide bombing attack on a police...

NEFA Foundation: Bin Laden, al-Baghdadi Audio Transcripts

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation is now offering a complete English transcript of the latest audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden, titled "The Way to Frustrate the Conspiracies." During his speech, Bin Laden called upon insurgent groups who have resisted...

NEFA Foundation: Taliban Dismisses Mansour Dadullah as Top Military Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communiqué from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) announcing the sudden dismissal of Mansour Dadullah as their top military commander. According to the statement, "Mansour Dadullah has refused to obey...

NEFA Foundation: "Al-Qaida Network in the Islamic Maghreb" Claims "Victories in Algeria and Mauritania"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated the latest communiqué issued by "the Al-Qaida Network in the Islamic Maghreb" (formerly known as the Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat, GSPC) claiming responsibility for recent terrorist attacks in Algeria and neighboring...

Reports: Imminent Statement Expected from Al-Qaida's Mustafa Abu Yazid Claiming Credit for Bhutto Assassination

By Evan Kohlmann

There are now widespread reports suggesting that an imminent official statement is expected from Egyptian Al-Qaida spokesman Mustafa Abu Yazid claiming responsibility for the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Earlier today, Al-Qaida issued a separate statement from...

[UPDATED] NEFA Foundation: New IMU Video, Statements from the Taliban and Mullah Omar, Updated "Target:America" Report

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar in which he appeals to "Muslims to help their Mujahedeen brothers" and "do Jihad" because it is "clear" that the "invaders will never withdraw their...

NEFA Foundation: "The Secrets of History: Zarqawi As I Knew Him"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated the first three episodes from a new series published by Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq", titled "The Secrets of History: Zarqawi As I Knew Him." Written by a member of Al-Qaida's Shariah Committee...

Ansar al-Sunnah Acknowledges Relationship with Ansar al-Islam, Reverts to Using Ansar al-Islam Name

By Evan Kohlmann

In recent days, the leader of the Ansar al-Sunnah Army (JAAS)--Commander Abu Abdullah al-Shafi--has issued a fairly remarkable communique that has received little public attention. Ansar al-Sunnah is one of Iraq's most prominent insurgent groups, and has worked more closely...

Suicide Bombings in Algiers: A Risky Strategy for the AQIM

By Evan Kohlmann

The Christian Science Monitor has published a new article by Jill Carroll analyzing the significance of Tuesday's dramatic suicide bomb attacks in the capital of Algeria. For the benefit of CT Blog readers, I am posting my complete, unedited comments...

NEFA Foundation: English Transcript of Dec. 4 Audio Statement from Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated the latest audio statement released by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq." During his message, Abu Omar declared the formation of a new armed unit--the Al-Sadeeq Brigade--and the...

Hamas Distances Itself From Zawahiri, But Threatens "Covert and Visible Action" Against Western Nations Who "Hinder Our Resistance Actions"

By Evan Kohlmann

On December 4, the Izzadeen al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement) published the transcript of an English-language question-and-answer session conducted over e-mail with one of its spokesman known as "Abu Obaida." During the public interview, Abu...

New NEFA Report: "The Influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Netherlands"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new NEFA Foundation report is now available authored by NEFA Director of Analysis and Research Ronald Sandee and titled "The Influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Netherlands." A former senior analyst in the Dutch Defense Intelligence Service, Mr....

NEFA Series "Target America": The New York City Subway Poison Gas Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has released the twelfth in its "Target America" series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United States since 9/11--this time focusing on the plot by a Bahrain-based cell to launch a cyanide gas...

NEFA Foundation: Complete Transcript of Latest UBL Audio Recording, "Message to the Peoples of Europe"

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of the new audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden, titled "A Message to the Peoples of Europe." During his speech, Bin Laden acknowledged being "responsible for 9/11", but strongly criticized the...

New NEFA Foundation Report: "The Madrid Indictment: Steps Toward Countering the Global Jihad Movement"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is available for download from the NEFA Foundation website by Senior Investigator Douglas Farah and titled "The Madrid Indictment: Steps Toward Countering the Global Jihad Movement." The report is based primarily upon facts revealed during the...

Al-Fajr Media Center: "We’ll Do It Again: Annapolis Shall Not Rescue Their Metropolis."

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of a new communique from the Al-Fajr Media Center--Al-Qaida's official online logistical network--titled, "We'll Do It Again: Annapolis Shall Not Rescue Their Metropolis, Written by a Soldier in the Army Aiming...

Surprise, Surprise: Yet More Evidence that the Majority of Foreign Fighters in Iraq Come from Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

Almost since the beginning of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq in late 2003, there has been an ongoing public debate about the significance and origins of foreign-born jihadists who have traveled to Iraq intent upon joining Al-Qaida and killing Americans...

New NEFA Report: “The 1993 Philadelphia Meeting: A Roadmap for Future Muslim Brotherhood Actions in the U.S.”

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is available for download from the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation website authored by NEFA Senior Analyst Josh Lefkowitz and titled “The 1993 Philadelphia Meeting: A Roadmap for Future Muslim Brotherhood Actions in the U.S.” In...

New Report from NEFA Foundation - "A Taliban Resurgence: The Destabilization of Kabul?"

By Evan Kohlmann

An exclusive new report is available for download from the NEFA Foundation website by NEFA Senior Investigator Claudio Franco, titled "A Taliban Resurgence: The Destabilization of Kabul?" Although the defeat of the Taliban regime in 2001 seemed complete and virtually...

Defense Attorney Runs Afoul of Judge in Glasgow Terrorism Trial

By Evan Kohlmann

Those who have been following the development of "homegrown" terrorism trials in the U.S. and U.K. will no doubt be familiar with the case of Scottish student Mohammed Atif Siddique, who was recently found guilty by a jury at the...

Iraqi Insurgents Accuse Al-Qaida of "Horrific" and "Insidious" New Crimes Despite Calls for Unity From Bin Laden

By Evan Kohlmann

The Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)--one of the largest and most influential Sunni insurgent groups active in Iraq--has issued yet another stinging condemnation of Al-Qaida's network in Iraq from its media spokesman, Dr. Ali al-Naimi. According to Dr. al-Naimi, Al-Qaida...

The LIFG Joins Al-Qaida: Not Exactly "New News"

By Evan Kohlmann

As has been reported here and elsewhere, Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Media Foundation released a new audio recording early this morning featuring Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu al-Laith al-Liby. Abu al-Laith is a senior Al-Qaida military commander and likewise a key principle...

Top Taliban Military Commander: Focus on Global Jihad Operations Will Continue

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's official As-Sahab Media Foundation has released a new video interview with Mullah Mansour Dadullah, who has served as the top military commander of the Taliban since his brother's death in May 2007. When asked whether he intended to persist...

New Report from NEFA Foundation: "The Muslim Brotherhood in the United States"

By Evan Kohlmann

An exclusive new report is now available for download from the NEFA Foundation website focusing on "The Muslim Brotherhood in the United States" by NEFA Senior Investigator Douglas Farah, NEFA Director of Research Ron Sandee, and NEFA Senior Analyst Josh...

Al-Qaida Distributors Accuse Al-Jazeera of Distorting Bin Laden's Message on Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's official online distribution network responsible for disseminating messages from Usama Bin Laden--known as the "Al-Fajr Media Center"--has issued a new statement strongly criticizing the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera satellite television network, which it has accused of "deceitfully manipulating" the latest audio...

New Report from NEFA Foundation: "The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new analytical report is now available for download from the NEFA Foundation website focusing on the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), authored by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann (with NEFA Senior Analyst Josh Lefkowitz). This document is based upon...

NEFA: Iraqi Insurgents Blame Online Antics by Al-Qaida Supporters for Harming "Obelisk" Network

By Evan Kohlmann

Over the past year, prominent Internet chat forums which underpin the terrorist communications network known as "Obelisk" have increasingly become the stage for bitter infighting between Al-Qaida and other competing Islamic extremist groups, including the Palestinian Hamas movement, the Islamic...

NEFA Foundation: 1920 Revolution Brigades Accuses Al-Qaida of Stoking Infighting Among Iraqi Insurgents

By Evan Kohlmann

The 1920 Revolution Brigades -- a prominent Sunni militant group linked to the Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood -- has issued an irate response to recent criticisms by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and other spokesmen for Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq." In its...

NBC: Insurgent groups condemn al-Qaida tactics

By Evan Kohlmann

Rich Gardella and the NBC News Investigative Unit have picked up on my recent postings here on the CTBlog about the growing infighting pitting Sunni insurgents (including avowed jihadists) against Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq": "In a development experts call...

Khawaarij and Jihad: Is Al-Qaida's Network in Iraq Doomed to the Fate of the GIA?

By Evan Kohlmann

Over the past six months, there has been a remarkable twist in the larger war on terrorism that has received only middling public attention. For arguably the first time since the contemporary "war on terrorism" began in 2001, the tension...

The Sunni Insurgency Has Become a "Disaster": An Estranged Former Ally Lashes Out, Accusing Al-Qaida of Torture and Murder in Diyala

By Evan Kohlmann

In a rather stunning development, the Iraqi Islamic militant faction known as Asaeb al-Iraq al-Jihadiya (a.k.a. "the Iraqi Jihad Union") has issued a new statement dated October 5 suddenly accusing Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" of deliberately killing its fighters...

Iraqi Insurgent Faction Breaks Silence, Accusing Al-Qaida of Fanaticism, Torture, and Murder

By Evan Kohlmann

A breakaway Sunni insurgent faction from the 1920 Revolution Brigades known as "Hamas in Iraq" has issued a formal response to recent allegations by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq." In an official communiqué dated...

UPDATE: Al-Qaida Admits "Martyrdom" of Abu Usama al-Tunisi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

I've received many inquiries about my blog post from last Friday titled "A Tale of Two Tunisis? Questions About the Latest Al-Qaida Casualty in Iraq." In the post, I discussed last week's reported killing of Al-Qaida field commander Abu Usama...

Al-Qaida Continues Campaign of Accusations Against Fellow Sunni Insurgents in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Over the past two weeks, Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" has continued to escalate its campaign of public accusations blasting fellow Sunni insurgents for "deviating" from the path of legitimate jihad and working directly with U.S. military forces in Iraq....

A Tale of Two Tunisis? Questions About the Latest Al-Qaida Casualty in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

This morning, the Pentagon conducted a press briefing with Brigadier General Joseph Anderson, the Chief of Staff of Multinational Corps-Iraq. In a video linkup from Camp Liberty in Baghdad, General Anderson addressed a number of issues--chief among them, the reported...

New Al-Qaida Transcripts, Terrorism Legal Documents Now Available

By Evan Kohlmann

In recent weeks, Al-Qaida-led terrorist franchises based in Afghanistan and Iraq have released several new recordings of speeches by senior Al-Qaida leaders--including both Usama Bin Laden and the commander of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" known as "Abu Omar al-Baghdadi."...

Internal and External Threats to the Jihad Media War

By Evan Kohlmann

Several Sunni insurgent factions fighting in Iraq have recently released official communiqués addressing brewing conflicts over the jihad media war--including divisions that exist within the mujahideen community itself. On August 29, the Mujahideen Army issued a statement accusing their "dear...

Operation Niche: The Conviction of Mohammed Atif Siddique

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, a Scottish jury at the High Court in Glasgow returned a verdict convicting Mohammed Atif Siddique--a 21-year old homegrown extremist thought intent on becoming a suicide bomber--of a series of terrorist offenses, including the possession and distribution of terrorist...

NEFA Series "Target America": KSM's Transatlantic Shoe Bomb Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the eleventh in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

NEFA Foundation: A Look Inside a Secret Taliban Training Camp

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained exclusive video footage of a secret Taliban training camp located just north of the Afghan capital Kabul, excerpts of which were aired today by NBC News. The recording was made by NEFA consultant Claudio Franco,...

NEFA Foundation: Selected Government Exhibits from U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation

By Evan Kohlmann

As has been frequently discussed in recent weeks on this blog, U.S. federal prosecutors in the criminal trial against the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) and its top officials are releasing dozens of exhibits that provide unprecedented insight into the dizzying...

NEFA Series "Target America": KSM's West Coast Airline Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the tenth in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

New Report from NEFA Foundation: "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is available for download from the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation website, titled "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq." This 31-page document is intended to offer readers a clearer understanding of the changing dynamics behind...

NEFA Series "Target America": The Columbus Mall Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the ninth in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

Yet Another Group of British Homegrown Jihadists Sentenced to Jail

By Evan Kohlmann

In yet another landmark legal case in the United Kingdom regarding Internet-based terrorism, a judge in London has sentenced a group of five British-born youngsters to a total of 13 years in prison for conspiring to use the web in...

NEFA Series "Target America": KSM's Terror Plot to Collapse the Brooklyn Bridge

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the eighth in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

NEFA Series "Target America": Hamas' Military Operations in North America

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the seventh in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

NEFA Series "Target America": Irhaby007's American Connections

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the sixth in a series of reports examining the multitude of threats directed at the United...

NEFA Conference Slides: "The Internet as a Forum for Conflict Between the Brotherhood and Competing Salafi-Jihadists"

By Evan Kohlmann

My colleagues Doug Farah and Jeff Breinholt have written two excellent posts on points raised during discussions at a recent international conference on the Muslim Brotherhood hosted by the NEFA Foundation in Florence, Italy. I would concur with Doug that...

Transcript: Weltwoche Interview with Taliban Commander Mansoor Dadullah

By Evan Kohlmann

My colleague Urs Gehriger from Die Weltwoche in Switzerland has forwarded me the English transcript of a new video interview of the Taliban's top military commander Mansoor Dadullah obtained exclusively by Weltwoche with the help of journalist Sami Yousafzai. The...

"Terrorist 007" Pleads Guilty in UK Crown Court

By Evan Kohlmann

Today, after British Crown Prosecutors finished wrapping up their lengthy case against three defendants from London accused of using the Internet to facilitate acts of terrorism in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, two of those defendants -- Younis...

New from the NEFA "Target America" Series: "The PATH Tunnel Plot"

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the fifth in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the...

1920 Brigades Issue Frantic Denials of Any Role in U.S.-led Attacks on Diyala

By Evan Kohlmann

The 1920 Revolution Brigades--a prominent Sunni insurgent faction in Iraq which has come into recent conflict with Al-Qaida--have issued a series of frantic statements denying any role in the ongoing U.S.-led security operation in the restive Diyala province. Various press...

New from the NEFA "Target: America" Series: "The East Coast Buildings Plot"

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the fourth in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the...

NEFA Series "Target America": The Illinois Shopping Mall Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the third in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the...

The IAI Steps Up (and Backs Down) in its War With Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

Those who closely follow the internal workings of the insurgency in Iraq may already be aware of the unexpected truce offer tendered last week by the dominant Sunni insurgent group known as the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) to Al-Qaida's...

New Series of Reports From the NEFA Foundation - "Target: America"

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the first in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the...

English transcript: Al-Qaida Threatens Lebanon Over Fatah al-Islam

By Evan Kohlmann

On May 25, 2007, copies of a new video recording were publicly distributed over password-protected Al-Qaida Internet websites after being authenticated by the pre-eminent Al-Fajr Media Center. The seven-minute recording contains a speech by a masked individual identifying himself only...

The Same Old Threats from the American Face of Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

The As-Sahab Media Foundation has released a new video today of most wanted American Al-Qaida operative Adam Gadahn, titled "Legitimate Demands". In a fairly brief recorded message lasting less than eight minutes, Gadahn issues a familiar set of accusations against...

Focus on Al-Qaida in North Africa: New Video, Transcript, and Report Available

By Evan Kohlmann

On May 9 and 10, Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)--formerly known as the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat--issued two significant new video releases, including a recorded speech from AQIM leader Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud and footage...

Al-Qaida Leader in Afghanistan Begs for Cash Donations

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new As-Sahab Media Foundation video broadcast yesterday on Al-Jazeera, the declared leader of Al-Qaida's forces in Afghanistan Shaykh Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. "Shaykh Saeed") signals that the Taliban are suffering from a serious cash crunch. An unidentified interviewer...

Video: The Last Words of Mullah Dadullah

By Evan Kohlmann

English-subtitled video excerpts are now available for download of two exclusive interviews of former Taliban military commander Mullah Dadullah obtained by the NEFA Foundation. During the two interviews--secretly filmed in April and May of this year--Dadullah repeatedly states that American...

Fatah al-Islam: Al-Qaida or Not? An Inside Look

By Evan Kohlmann

The explosion of violence this week in the northern, predominantly Sunni Lebanese city of Tripoli has refocused attention on the elusive Fatah al-Islam extremist movement based there, and has led to rampant speculation over the group's actual motives. While some...

Inside Iraq, Ansar al-Sunnah Chooses Sides... with Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

The growing conflict between Al-Qaida's forces in Iraq and other Sunni Islamist insurgents opposed to Al-Qaida's ruthless agenda continues to evolve--with yet another major armed faction choosing sides in the bitter ongoing confrontation: the notorious Ansar al-Sunnah Army (JAS). For...

Dead Taliban Leader Was Training U.S. Recruits

By Evan Kohlmann

On May 10, 2007, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation was able to secure access to an exclusive interview with Taliban military commander Mullah Dadullah--only 24 hours before Dadullah was killed by Afghan and NATO military forces. During what...

NPR: Rift Appears Among Iraq Insurgent Groups

By Evan Kohlmann

Mary Louise Kelly from NPR was kind enough to interview me today on the emerging splits between Al-Qaida and the Sunni insurgency in Iraq--and most particularly, on the recent emergence of the Reform and Jihad Front (RJF). "There is a...

Exclusive: Interview with a Foreign Fighter from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

On April 27, 2007, the administrators of a radical Arabic-language chat room on the Paltalk online network announced a special live question-and-answer session with Abu Adam al-Maqdisi, a Palestinian national fighting with Al-Qaida’s “Islamic State of Iraq.” In advertisements posted...

More Cracks Emerging in Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the recent and very public rift between the Sunni Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) and Al-Qaida's "Islamic State", yet more cracks are suddenly beginning to show in the unified jihadist coalition that Al-Qaida has been trying...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Dead? Don't Count Your Chickens Just Yet...

By Evan Kohlmann

Sources at the Iraqi Interior Ministry and the Prime Minister's office are reporting that Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (also known to some as "Abu Ayyub al-Masri") has been killed in factional fighting between Al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgent fighters near the...

Al-Qaida in Algeria Denies Killing of "Deputy Commander"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb--formerly known as the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--has issued a new statement acknowledging the death of one of its prominent fighters--Samir Saioud (a.k.a. "Abu Musab")--but nonetheless insisting that Saioud was not...

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State" Claims Suicide Bombing in Baghdad's Green Zone

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State" has issued an official communique today claiming responsibility for yesterday's suicide bomb attack on Iraqi parliamentarians in the heavily-fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. According to the statement, Al-Qaida fighters had carefully studied their target...

Complete Text: The Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) Attacks Al-Qaida, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi

By Evan Kohlmann

The complete English translation of the April 5 letter from the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) about its relationship with Al-Qaida is now available from Globalterroralert.com. The IAI issued the statement in response to recent accusations made by Al-Qaida's "Islamic...

Text: Al-Qaida Claims Suicide Attacks in Algeria, Possible Links in Morocco

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--now known as "Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb"--has issued a statement today claiming responsibility for dramatic suicide bombings in the capital of Algeria. The statement identified the bombers (with accompanying photographs)...

Are the Tides Turning for Al-Qaida in Iraq? Signs of an Ugly Rift with the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

For months, there has been vigorous ongoing debate over the current state of Al-Qaida and its "Islamic State" in Iraq--its popularity, its brutality, and its longterm sustainability. The discussion has grown more complex in recent weeks as other Sunni insurgent...

New "Martyr" Biographies from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Islamic State of Iraq (IAI) has released several new "Distinguished Martyr" biographies profiling noteworthy foreign fighters who have been killed waging a jihad against U.S. and Iraqi government forces. The "martyrs" include: Abu Turab al-Liby (from Libya), one of...

Interviews with Karim al-Mejjati and Participant in Abqaiq Refinery Attack

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia) has recently released the first new issue of its official magazine, Sawt al-Jihad ("Voice of Jihad"), in nearly two years. Among other articles, the magazine contains lengthy interviews with Badr al-Humaydi (one...

Now Available: Globalterroralert.com Video Cybercast #2

By Evan Kohlmann

The second edition of the Globalterroralert.com Video Cybercast is now available for download from Yahoo! Video, Google Video, and the Internet Archive. The cybercast covers an array of critical issues, including: Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri's blistering attack on the Palestinian Hamas...

Washington Post Misses the Mark on the Askariya Mosque Bombing

By Evan Kohlmann

Today's Washington Post features an article by Thomas Ricks (titled "Shrine bombing as war's turning point debated"), suggesting "many Iraq experts" are in disagreement with the "Bush administration" assessment that the February 2006 Askariya mosque bombing in Samarra was a...

Al-Qaida Escalates Campaign of Violence in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb--formerly known as the GSPC--has continued to escalate its latest campaign of violence in Algeria. In the past two weeks, the group has released an unprecedented flood of communiqués claiming responsibility for a flurry of...

Accused Terror Financier Boasted Of Access to U.S. Military Briefings in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

A federal grand jury in Missouri has issued a formal indictment against five officials from the local offices of an Islamic charity, charging them with violating U.S. trade laws and also fraudulently diverting thousands of dollars from a U.S. government...

Inaugural Video Cybercast

By Evan Kohlmann

The inaugural edition of the Globalterroralert.com Video Cybercast is now available for download from Yahoo! Video, Google Video, and the Internet Archive. The cybercast covers an array of critical issues, including: last week's suicide bomb blast on Bagram Air Base...

Adam Gadahn: Myths and Facts

By Evan Kohlmann

For those who have not seen it yet, I highly encourage readers to take a look at my colleague Raffi Khatchadourian's piece published in January in the New Yorker, "Azzam the American: The making of an Al Qaeda homegrown." Raffi...

Salon.com: "The Iraq insurgency for beginners"

By Evan Kohlmann

Kevin Berger over at Salon.com was gracious enough to interview me for a new piece published online today, titled "The Iraq insurgency for beginners." We discussed in great detail the infrastructure of the insurgency, how and why the U.S. is...

Complete Text: "Bin Laden and the Oil Weapon" (from Al-Qaida's Sawt al-Jihad #30)

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia) has recently released the first new issue of its official magazine, Sawt al-Jihad ("Voice of Jihad"), in nearly two years. Among other subjects, Sawt al-Jihad #30 addresses the aftermath of the Abqaiq...

New Video: Al-Qaida's "Convoy of Martyrs" in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The propaganda video "Convoy of Martyrs" that was produced by Al-Qaida's "Mujahideen Shura Council" (the precursor to the current "Islamic State of Iraq") in late 2006 has finally been publicly released. The video includes interviews with many foreign jihadists fighting...

As-Sahab Video of Suicide Bombing in Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's central media wing, known as the As-Sahab Media Foundation, has released a new video depicting a recent suicide car bombing attack in Afghanistan. The video includes a recorded "martyrdom" will by the bomber, footage of the creation of the...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Officially Denies Capture of Top Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

In a statement issued today, Al-Qaida's "Islamic State in Iraq" has officially denied claims made yesterday by the Iraqi government that it has captured the wounded leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq. The Iraqi government and U.S. military have identified the...

New "Martyr" Stories From Al-Qaida's Network in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" and its supporters have distributed a new series of biographies detailing the lives of prominent fighters who have been killed while fighting U.S. and Iraqi government forces over the past three years. The stories include...

Recent Videos of IED Attacks by GSPC/Al-Qaida in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

I have posted new download links to recent videos of bombing attacks released by the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--now known as "Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb." The videos include the December 10, 2006 roadside IED...

GSPC (now "Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb") Claims "Battle of Shaykh Abul Baraa Ahmad"

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--now known as "Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb"--claimed responsibility for a series of six car bomb attacks targeting "apostate police stations" in Tizi Ouazu and Boumerdas, "destroying 5 fortresses for...

Palestinian Militants Declare Solidarity With Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

On February 2, the Salahudeen Brigades in Palestine--an Islamic militant faction associated with the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC)--released a new statement on behalf of commander "Abu Abir" (a.k.a. Mohammed Abdul Aal). In the communique, Abu Abir directly endorsed Al-Qaida's "Islamic...

GSPC in Algeria Announces New Name: "Al-Qaida in the Land of the Islamic Maghrib"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) has issued a new statement today officially announcing a change in name for the group to "Al-Qaida in the Land of the Islamic Maghrib." According to the statement, the decision to...

European Jihadists Recruited for Action in Somalia

By Evan Kohlmann

Ever since Usama Bin Laden first endorsed the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in their jihad against the internationally-backed Somali government early last July, European counterterrorism services have been carefully watching as homegrown militants living in the West have sought to...

Apparent Signs of Renewed Friction Between Sunni Insurgents

By Evan Kohlmann

A new communiqué issued by Sunni insurgents in Iraq appears to indicate continuing rifts between moderates and extremists concerning participation in the political process with the Iraqi government. On January 10, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (a.k.a. JAAMI) blasted purported...

Video: Purported Chemical Rocket Attack on U.S. Base in Samarra, Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

On Tuesday, January 9, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (a.k.a. JAAMI) issued a video recording purportedly depicting a rocket attack on a U.S. base in Samarra using a warhead containing a homemade chemical weapon. The U.S. military has no reports...

Speech from GSPC Commander in Algeria: "We are Coming"

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--the dominant Al-Qaida sub-group active in North Africa--has released a new videotaped speech of its leader Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud dated January 3 and titled, "We are Coming." Directing his first message...

Bosnia Suicide Bomb Plotters Found Guilty (UPDATED)

By Evan Kohlmann

(*UPDATE*) News of the conviction has been officially confirmed by the Bosnian court. According to eyewitness reports from Sarajevo, the Supreme Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina has found three defendants--Mirsad Bektašević, Abdulkadir Cesur and Bajro Ikanović--guilty on terrorism charges in a landmark...

Mixed Feelings from Sunni Insurgents on Execution of Saddam Hussein

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on December 30, only one prominent Sunni insurgent organization--the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (JAAMI)--has issued any statement acknowledging or responding to Saddam's demise. JAAMI and its armed wing,...

NYTimes: "The Ever-Mutating Iraq Insurgency"

By Evan Kohlmann

Building upon my recent report discussing the evolving infrastructure of Sunni insurgent groups in Iraq, the New York Times has graciously produced their own representation of my findings in today's Week In Review section. "In the last three months, as...

New Report/Chart: "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: 2006"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is now available for download from Globalterroralert.com titled "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: 2006." The report details the evolving structure of Iraq's Sunni-led insurgency and includes a chart laying out the various relationships between these...

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" Urges Immediate Support for Somali Islamists

By Evan Kohlmann

In a statement issued yesterday, the Al-Qaida-led "Islamic State of Iraq" urged Muslims around the world to stand behind the retreating Islamic Courts militia in Somalia--including with "money, weapons, and men." According to the statement from Al-Qaida's "Islamic State": "...Major...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Announces "Mighty Raid on the Soldiers of the Crusaders and the Apostates"

By Evan Kohlmann

In response to yesterday's audio message from Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, commander (or "emir") of the Al-Qaida-led "Islamic State of Iraq", Al-Qaida and its Iraqi insurgent coalition partners have announced the start of a "Mighty Raid on the Soldiers of the...

Sunni-Shiite Sectarian Conflict Moves into Cyberspace

By Evan Kohlmann

Reflecting the ongoing downward spiral of relations between Sunni and Shiite Muslims--not only in Iraq but across the entire Middle East--Sunni militants have announced a campaign to attack certain Shia websites that they have accused of besmirching the honor of...

GSPC Claims Credit for Terror Attack on Western Contractors in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

In a written communique released today and deemed to be authentic, the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) has claimed responsibility for an ambush yesterday on a bus carrying foreign contractors working for the multinational construction conglomerate Brown...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Responds to Baker-Hamilton Report, Congratulates Somali Islamists

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, the "Islamic State of Iraq"--an Al-Qaida-dominated umbrella coalition of extremist Sunni insurgents in Iraq--issued several policy statements regarding ongoing events outside of Iraq. Responding to this week's release of the findings of the Iraq Study Group (ISG), the Al-Qaida...

Update: Chechen Mujahideen Confirm Killing of Abu Hafs al-Urdani

By Evan Kohlmann

The Chechen mujahideen have issued a terse formal statement today through their media arm, Sawt al-Qoqaz ("Voice of Chechnya"), confirming the killing of notorious Jordanian jihadist Abu Hafs al-Urdani in Dagestan. According to the statement, "on Sunday, a fierce battle...

Alleged Jordanian Zarqawi Associate Reported Killed by Russian Forces in the Caucasus

By Evan Kohlmann

Representatives of Russian security forces in the Caucasus are now claiming that they have killed the top foreign mujahideen leader active in the region--Jordanian national and alleged Zarqawi associate Abu Hafs al-Urdani--following a four-hour shoot-out in the Dagestani town...

Report: Iraq-Based Jihadists Seek to Expand War to North Africa

By Evan Kohlmann

According to reports in Arab media, personnel from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) visited the Moroccan city of Rabat last week to investigate an apparent increase in the number of Moroccan mujahideen volunteers traveling to Iraq in order to...

Saudi Arabian Prison Escapees Reported Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Less than one week ago, reports began to filter in from Al-Qaida supporters claiming that two wanted Saudi Arabian terror suspects -- Abdelaziz al-Massud and Abdelaziz al-Falaj -- had been killed in clashes with security forces in neighboring Iraq. Though...

Much Political Bluster, but Few Concrete Solutions on How to Rebuild Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, President Bush met and responded to questions from the newly-formed, bi-partisan Iraq Study Group (chaired by James Baker III). The last year has seen a marked deterioration in the situation inside Iraq and the notion behind this sudden soul...

Fatah, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Threaten Terror Attacks on America in Apparent Policy Shift

By Evan Kohlmann

In a credible communique posted this morning along with other mujahideen press releases, the Palestinian Fatah faction and its affiliate the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade have signed a joint statement with other Palestinian militants threatening to launch terrorist attacks on America...

Controversy Grows Over Supposed Unity of Iraqi Mujahideen as Al-Qaida Announces Founding of Sunni Islamic State

By Evan Kohlmann

The Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC)--the Al-Qaida umbrella group for extremist mujahideen factions operating in Iraq--has attempted to make history today by announcing the foundation of a Sunni Islamic state out of the remnants of Iraq. In a video statement, an...

Exclusive - The 9/11 Suicide Wills Unmasked: "Eid al-Fitr at Tarnak Farms"

By Evan Kohlmann

In late 2001 or early 2002, the U.S. government was able to recover a video recording from a suspected Al-Qaida facility in Afghanistan. The video, which contains no sound, is divided into two principle sections: first, a speech given by...

Major Iraqi Al-Qaida Merger Rumored in the Works

By Evan Kohlmann

As-yet unsubstantiated reports have begun circulating on radical Arabic-language Internet chat forums that a major effort is now underway to bring the notorious Ansar al-Sunnah Army in Iraq officially under the umbrella of Al-Qaida's Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). Active since...

Foreign Affairs: "The Real Online Terrorist Threat"

By Evan Kohlmann

I have published a piece in the September/October edition of Foreign Affairs titled "The Real Online Terrorist Threat" analyzing the increasingly complex world of modern cyberterrorism. The article includes new revelations concerning a number of case studies, including that of...

Official Press Releases on London Airline Bomb Plot Charges

By Evan Kohlmann

In addition to a statement given by Susan Hemming, the head of the U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Counterterrorism Unit, CPS has also released details on those charged today in relation to an Al-Qaida-linked terrorist plot aimed at detonating improvised...

NEFA Report - "The Jihadists of Pakistan: Jaish-e-Muhammad (JEM), Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM), and Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP)"

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is available for download from the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation website titled, "The Jihadists of Pakistan: Jaish-e-Muhammad (JEM), Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM), and Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP)." The document is based upon an expert witness report that...

The LeT/Jamaat-ud-Dawa Presence in the United Kingdom

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, in response to reports in the Washington Post and the New York Times implicating Pakistani earthquake relief funds in the latest airliner bomb plot in Great Britain, Abdullah Muntazir--a prominent spokesman for the Islamic militant organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa (a.k.a. Lashkar-e-Taiba)--denied...

Did LeT Earthquake Relief Money Fund the London Airline Plot?

By Evan Kohlmann

An article in today's New York Times suggests that Pakistani investigators have found a possible financial link between those arrested this week in connection with a would-be terrorist plot targeting U.S. airliners and a Pakistani militant group that, until just...

Intel Doc: Ramzi Yousef and Liquid Bombs

By Evan Kohlmann

Following up on my post from yesterday about past Al-Qaida-linked attempts at fielding liquid explosives against commercial aircraft, I am making available excerpts from the original 1995 Philippine intelligence document referenced in my post, care of the Nine Eleven Finding...

Al-Qaida's Use of "Liquid Bombs" Targeting Airliners

By Evan Kohlmann

Though for some, news of a reported Al-Qaida plot to down multiple commercial airliners with liquid explosives may sound exotic and unusual, in fact, U.S. authorities have been aware of such a threat from Al-Qaida affiliates for over a decade....

Anti-Israeli Cyberterrorist Attacks Planned for Tomorrow

By Evan Kohlmann

Participants on key Arabic-language Al-Qaida chat forums on the Internet have announced their intent to launch collective cyberterrorist attacks tomorrow, August 10, aimed at interrupting or denying service to other pro-Israeli websites--namely the "Internet Haganah" cyberterror watchdog site run by...

New Terrorist Videos/Translations of Communiques Available

By Evan Kohlmann

Needless to say, Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have released quite a voluminous amount of propaganda material lately, and I'm finally getting around to adding some of the most noteworthy recent videos and communiques to my website. Already available this...

Zawahiri's New Message: A Landmark Call for Unity or A Tempest in a Teapot?

By Evan Kohlmann

Many observers of the recent violence in Lebanon wondered if and when Sunni Muslims -- particularly Al-Qaida -- might respond sympathetically to their Shiite brethren among Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Some have quickly jumped at the news of a new...

MSNBC: "American greases al-Qaida media machine"

By Evan Kohlmann

I have published a new piece on MSNBC.com profiling Adam Gadahn (a.k.a. Azzam al-Amriki), the American Al-Qaida operative who once again re-surfaced last week in the martyrdom video of 7/7 suicide bomber Shehzad Tanweer. In addition, the MSNBC story also...

Al-Qaida Suffers Further Casualties in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of several high-profile attacks by Al-Qaida operatives on U.S. military helicopters in central Iraq in April and May, supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's movement have announced the "martyrdom" of numerous members of Al-Qaida's Aeisha Brigade (which specializes...

Iraqi Insurgent Group Announces "Martyrdom" of Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

The Al-Fatihin Army--an influential breakaway faction of the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) that alone claims between 10-15 military operations daily--has announced the "martyrdom" of its top commander "Abu Abdel Rahman" in clashes with the "infidels and apostates" in the...

Media Continues to Spread Misinformation about Zarqawi Successor

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday's audio recording released by Usama Bin Laden on the Internet caused a flurry of reactions in media circles, particularly focused on Bin Laden's discussion of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's role within Al-Qaida and the identity of his successor at the...

Al-Qaida Publicists Angrily Reject Hoax Communique on U.S. Soldiers

By Evan Kohlmann

For some time, speculation has been rife about how various Al-Qaida affiliates and Iraqi insurgent groups manage to so precisely coordinate the distribution of their propaganda on Arabic-language Internet chat forums on a daily basis. Clearly, there is a logical...

Media Falls for Apparent Al-Qaida Hoax Message

By Evan Kohlmann

This morning, various media outlets began reporting that Al-Qaida had issued a statement claiming that newly designated Al-Qaida commander in Iraq Abu Hamza al-Muhajir had personally executed two U.S. soldiers kidnapped from a traffic checkpoint in Al-Yousifiya several days ago....

New Chart: "Remaining Al-Qaida Leadership Figures in Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

Remaining Al-Qaida in Iraq leadership figures. Care of Globalterroralert.com and the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation, a new chart is available for download highlighting remaining Al-Qaida leadership figures thought active in Iraq following the death last week of...

Dissension in the Ranks over Al-Qaida's New Chief in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Since the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on June 8, the U.S. military has been aggressively engaging the news media regarding the airstrike that killed Zarqawi and his potential successors as chief of Al-Qaida. Within days of Zarqawi's passing, the...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Names Official Successor to Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

This morning, the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) released an authentic statement on behalf of Al-Qaida in Iraq announcing that Al-Qaida's Shura Council had agreed upon a successor to the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi: a shadowy figure named Abu Hamza al-Muhajir....

More Reactions to the Death of Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida commanders around the world and prominent Iraqi insurgent factions have continued to issue responses to the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, including the following: - June 8 statement from Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, commander of the Algerian Salafist Group...

The First Revenge Battle in Zarqawi's Name

By Evan Kohlmann

Today, the Mujahideen Shura Council--an insurgent umbrella organization headed by Al-Qaida in Iraq--issued a communique detailing the first apparent revenge battle carried out in the name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, targeting a U.S. military convoy in the city of Ramadi....

CATS Paper: "The Afghan-Bosnian Mujahideen Network in Europe."

By Evan Kohlmann

Last month, I presented a research paper at a conference in Stockholm organized by the Swedish Emergency Management Agency and other co-sponsors--including the Swedish National Defence College's Center for Assymetric Threat Studies (CATS). Our CTBlog colleague Dr. Magnus Ranstorp--former director...

The Rise and Fall of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

[This entry will continue to be updated throughout the day] Twenty-four hours after the U.S. military announced the death of most wanted Al-Qaida leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, reactions continue to pour in from all sections of the jihadi...

The Patchwork Insurgent Network Behind Recent Clashes in Ramadi

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, the U.S. military conceded that the deteriorating situation in the restive Sunni Iraqi town of Ramadi required a "significant number" of additional coalition troops to be dispatched as reinforcements. According to the military, there has been intense, nearly constant...

New Reports of Al-Qaida's Foreign Fighters Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Over the past two months, despite a tightening of security on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border, reports continue to stream out of Iraq and neighboring regions concerning foreign fighters recently killed in clashes between Al-Qaida and U.S. forces. Among...

Interview with Co-Founder of Al-Qaida's anti-Shiite Omar Corps in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

In April 2006, credible representatives of mujahideen fighting in Iraq released a new audiotape recorded by an individual identifying himself as “Abu Anas al-Maqdisi” (likely of Palestinian origin). According to the tape, “this production took place somewhere inside Iraq after...

The Inside Story of Al-Qaida's First Terrorist Training Camp in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

In April 2006, credible representatives of mujahideen fighting in Iraq released a 2-hour audiotape recorded by an individual identifying himself as “Abu Mohammed al-Salmani.” The purpose of the audiotape was to document the early history of Al-Qaida’s movement in Iraq...

Sunni Iraqi Insurgents Deny Reported Friction With Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

The Al-Fatihin Army--a breakaway faction of the prominent insurgent group known as the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)--has issued a new statement denying that there has been any recent friction between Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida movement and other Sunni insurgents...

Why is the Bank of New York Collecting Donations for a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization?

By Evan Kohlmann

As my colleague Victor Comras has written about below, this week, the U.S. State Department finally took the step of naming the Pakistani organizations Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Idara al-Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK) as banned derivatives of the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity...

Zawahiri Tape Transcript: "To the People of Pakistan"

By Evan Kohlmann

Perhaps the most interesting part of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri's newly-released video recording comes early in the introduction: a claim that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction has executed no less than 800 suicide bombing attacks in Iraq over the last three...

Notes on the New Zarqawi Video

By Evan Kohlmann

In the last few weeks, the sudden silence from Al-Qaida in Iraq gave rise to a wave of wild speculation over the whereabouts and condition of most wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Comments from the son of Dr. Abdullah...

Video of Pro-Suicide Bombing Rally in New York City

By Evan Kohlmann

On April 17, 2006, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) suicide bomber killed nine Israelis in an attack on a restaurant in Tel Aviv. Three days later--thanks to ongoing surveillance of extremist communication networks--NEFA investigators were on hand to videotape a...

Washington Post Live Chat on Terrorist Web Chatter

By Evan Kohlmann

The Washington Post has invited me to participate in another live online question and answer session on their website to address reader questions about terrorist web chatter. The session will begin at 11:00am eastern time tomorrow (Wednesday, April 19) and...

Prominent Jihad Forum Announces Arrest of Web Administrator

By Evan Kohlmann

The Al-Hesbah network media forum has released their sixth official public statement announcing the arrest of a chief web administrator known as Abu Musab al-Mohtaseb. According to the document, "He was arrested... for spreading truth� The crusaders realized the importance...

Al-Qaida Cell Claims Rocket Attack in Israel

By Evan Kohlmann

A previously unknown group calling itself "Al-Qaida's Committee in Palestine" has claimed responsibility for an alleged rocket attack on a "strategic target" in Israel. According to a statement from the group, "The operation was kept in secret until now in...

Iraqi Insurgents Call for Resurrection of Popular Internet Jihad Forum

By Evan Kohlmann

The Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)--a prominent Sunni insurgent faction based in central Iraq--has released a statement citing the importance of "jihadi media" work. According to the statement, "the Al-Hesbah network forum... strengthens the mujahideen and includes uplifting and delightful...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Denies Being Infiltrated in Purported Internet Sting

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula has issued a new communiqu� dismissing the recent arrests of alleged Al-Qaida operatives by Saudi security forces and denying rumors posted on Mohammed al-Massari's Internet website that the popular Al-Hesbah discussion forum was used...

"Countering the 'New Dayton': A Shift in Strategy for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq."

By Evan Kohlmann

A new strategy paper is now available for download from Globalterroralert.com titled "Countering the 'New Dayton': A Shift in Strategy for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq." The paper analyzes Zarqawi's recent decision to form a joint alliance with other Iraqi...

New Statements from the GSPC in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida-affiliate group active in North Africa--has released two new communiqu�s on the subject of Muslim prisoners recently released by the Algerian government under an amnesty deal and, separately, the republication...

New "Martyr" Biographies from Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida's faction--now a leading force within the so-called Iraqi "Mujahideen Shura Council" (MSC)--has released several new biographies of fallen Al-Qaida members killed during past clashes with U.S. and Iraqi government forces, including: Abu Fares al-Ansari (a former...

Chart: Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

A new analytical chart is available for download from Globalterroralert.com titled, "Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq: March 2006." The document helps decipher the complex web of groups at the heart of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq and the larger...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Resurfaces with Martyrdom Video of Abqaiq Mastermind Fahd al-Farraj

By Evan Kohlmann

On March 15, Al-Qaida�s Committee in the Arabian Peninsula released the first edition of a new video series titled �Blood that will never be forgotten� commemorating its �martyred� operatives in Saudi Arabia. This first edition, subtitled �The Battle of Al-Yarmuk...

The State of Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia, Connections to Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

After over six months of deafening silence, Al-Qaida's lurking cells in Saudi Arabia have once again managed to resurrect themselves in a failed bid to unleash suicide car bombs on a major oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia. Virtually all...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Issues Rules on Attacking Oil Facilities

By Evan Kohlmann

In response to their failed suicide bombing attack last week on a Saudi oil refinery in Buqayq, Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula has issued a 63-page booklet, titled "The Laws of Targeting Petroleum-Related Interests and a Review of the...

Al-Qaida Mourns Slain Saudi Insurgent Commander in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq have released the biography of 25-year old Saudi mujahideen commander Khallad al-Najdi (a.k.a. Khaled al-Mani), a former resident of Riyadh, killed in clashes with coalition forces during mid-January 2006. According to...

Al-Qaida Claims Attack on Saudi Oil Refinery

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula has issued an authenticated statement claiming responsibility for yesterday's failed suicide bombing attack on a major Saudi oil refinery in the eastern town of Buqayq on behalf of its "Brigade of Shaykh Usama Bin...

Video of Anti-Denmark Protest in London

By Evan Kohlmann

The January 2006 republication of cartoons from Denmark lampooning the Prophet Mohammed has caused a growing wave of bitter anger and violence to spread throughout the Muslim world--and likewise among well-organized groups of extremists living in Western nations. On February...

Weaknesses in CFIUS Review Process Reported to Congress Last Year

By Evan Kohlmann

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is meeting now receive a public briefing on the Executive Branch review of the DP World purchase of the six US ports (on C-SPAN). It looks like the Government Accountability Office hit the bulleye...

GSPC Confirms Death of Senior Official in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affliate group active in North Africa--has confirmed the death of a senior GSPC official Shaykh Ahmad Abul Baraa (a.k.a. Ahmad Zarabib) during a January 17 clash with Algerian military...

New "Martyr" Biographies from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida's faction--now a leading force within the so-called Iraqi "Mujahideen Shura Council"--has released several new biographies of fallen Al-Qaida members killed during past clashes with U.S. and Iraqi government forces, including: Al-Hazbar al-Nahdi (Saudi Arabia), Abu Abdullah...

American Al-Qaida Operative Surfaces Again in Bin Laden Video Release

By Evan Kohlmann

As wire agencies are now reporting, Al-Qaida's As-Sahab Productions unit has released a full-length visual presentation of Usama Bin Laden's latest audio recording first broadcast on Arab satellite television last month. Interestingly, one of the versions of the UBL audio...

Another Protest Led by Danish Imam Ahmed Abu Laban

By Evan Kohlmann

In recent days, a number of my colleagues--most notably Lorenzo Vidino--have helped reveal the deceptive behavior of the supposedly moderate Danish Imam Ahmed Abu Laban, who helped deepen anger in the Muslim world over a recent series of cartoons depicting...

Abu Hamza al-Masri Convicted in the UK

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu Hamza al-Masri, the notorious hook-handed cleric formerly based in the Finsbury Park Mosque in London--and connected with a host of infamous terrorists (including Lionel Dumont, Zacarias Moussaoui, Djamal Beghal, and Richard Reid)--has today been found guilty in a UK...

"We Want Blood on the Streets of England"

By Evan Kohlmann

Despite intense press coverage of the latest Denmark cartoon controversy, many observers have deftly ignored the larger implications of the outcry from conservative Muslim circles at the perceived blasphemy of the Prophet Mohammed. Those implications are quite clear to me...

Mujahideen Army Calls Upon Fighters to Attack Denmark and Norway

By Evan Kohlmann

The Mujahideen Army in Iraq--a prominent Sunni insurgent group--has released a new communique threatening to attack Denmark and Norway over a series of recent cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed. According to the statement:��We, along with the rest of the world,...

Denmark: The Next Terrorist Target?

By Evan Kohlmann

Last September, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten caused an uproar when it published a series of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that were deemed blasphemous by many conservative Muslims. One of the cartoons depicted Mohammed with his eyes blacked out, carrying...

Report: "The Role of Islamic Charities in International Terrorist Recruitment and Financing"

By Evan Kohlmann

This week, I presented a paper on behalf of the Danish Institute of International Studies at an international development conference organized by Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen. My report, titled "The Role of Islamic Charities in International Terrorist...

Oops! Now you see it, now you don't...

By Evan Kohlmann

Last week, I reported on a stunning U.S. Predator airstrike on a village in northwestern Pakistan that allegedly killed former Al-Qaida training camp manager Abu Khabab al-Masri (a.k.a. Midhat Mursi). Abu Khabab had long been a top priority for...

Bin Laden emerges from obscurity

By Evan Kohlmann

After over a year of deafening silence, Al-Qaeda�s top commander Osama Bin Laden has once again emerged from obscurity with a new audio recording broadcast on Al-Jazeera, boasting of Al-Qaeda�s role in recent terrorist bombings in Europe and promising to...

Excerpts from Zawahiri's Latest Audio Recording

By Evan Kohlmann

On January 18, credible Al-Qaida chat forums on the Internet began to announce that Al-Qaida�s As-Sahab Media Wing was due to release a new audio recording of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. Yesterday afternoon, these chat forums posted copies of a 17-minute...

Abu Khabab al-Masri: A Master of Terror

By Evan Kohlmann

According to a growing number of media reports, a recent U.S. airstrike on a Pakistani border village has likely killed a senior Egyptian Al-Qaida commander named Midhat Mursi (a.k.a. Abu Khabab al-Masri). Since the late 1980s, Abu Khabab has...

Debunking the "Death" of Usama Bin Laden

By Evan Kohlmann

Various terrorism analysts and political commentators have recently made a series of outlandish claims in international media outlets concerning the would-be "death" of Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden. On January 9, Michael Ledeen announced to the world, "according to Iranians...

Scoffing at Allegations of Ties to Saddam, Zarqawi's Al-Qaida Claims Link to Egyptian Islamic Jihad Elite

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a new edition in its "Distinguished Martyrs" series, on this occasion profiling an Egyptian and two Palestinians from Jordan who were killed together during a battle with U.S. military forces in...

Dr. Ely Karmon: "Who Bombed Northern Israel?"

By Evan Kohlmann

My esteemed colleague Dr. Ely Karmon, Senior Research Scholar at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzlyia, has written a new paper this month on Al-Qaida's recent expansion of terrorist activities directly targeting the state of Israel. I draw the attention...

Coming Soon: An Update from the Frontline in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

I'm pleased to announce that Bill Roggio -- whose detailed knowledge and scholarly grasp of U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's Anbar province goes far beyond most of the conventional talking-head "experts" -- has kindly agreed to an exclusive interview with...

Jordanian Zarqawi Ally Resurfaces in Chechnya

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new communique dated January 2, Abu Hafs al-Urdani--a top Jordanian mujahideen commander in Chechnya who has been linked by the U.S. State Department to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network in Iraq--has resurfaced after months of public silence to...

A Chilling Final Threat from Abu Musab al-Suri: "O' Sleeper Cells, Wake Up Now!"

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu al-Tawab al-Shami--the official spokesman of most wanted Al-Qaida terrorist training camp manager Abu Musab al-Suri (a.k.a. Omar Abdel Hakim, Mustafa Setmariam Nasar)--has confirmed the latter's capture by coalition forces sometime in September 2005. Abu al-Tawab has also made available...

Zarqawi Fulfills Promise, Launches Rockets at Northern Israel

By Evan Kohlmann

In an apparent bid to fulfill a previous vow to strike directly at the "Jewish state", Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has claimed responsibility for a Grad rocket attack on civilian communities in northern Israel. According to a...

Secret Wiretaps Damaging, Worrisome

By Evan Kohlmann

Adding on the comments of my colleague Victor Comras below, I've also had a chance to weigh in on the issue of secret NSA wiretaps authorized by the Bush administration, care of MSNBC's Hardblogger website. Bypassing the authority of the...

Senior Al-Qaida Operative Reportedly Captured in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

In yet another blow to the floundering Al-Qaida military apparatus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, local security forces have captured Mohammed al-Suwailmi--a most wanted terrorist operative who was incorrectly reported killed in clashes in the eastern Saudi city of...

GSPC Claims Bomb Attack on Algerian Naval Vessels

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--has released a new communique claiming credit for a December 22 twin bombing attack on Algerian naval vessels in the port of Dellys east...

Yemeni Al-Qaida Operative "Martyred" in Iraq After Failed Effort to Travel to Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released yet a new edition in its ongoing "Distinguished Martyrs" propaganda series, this time paying homage to "Abu Tarek al-Yemeni" (originally from Yemen). Allegedly, Abu Tarek attended several Al-Qaida terrorist training camps...

Target: White House

By Evan Kohlmann

My colleague James Meek at the New York Daily News has published an interesting piece on senior Al-Qaida leader Abu Faraj al-Libi (described by some as the successor to 9/11-mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed) who was captured in Pakistan last spring. ...

GSPC in Algeria Mourns Death of Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida Commander in Chechnya

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida-affiliate group active in North Africa--has issued a statement on behalf of its leader Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud mourning the loss of slain Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida commander Abu Omar al-Saif...

Al-Qaida and Iran: Friends or Foes?

By Evan Kohlmann

Recently, a number of commentators and politicians have accused the Iranian government of cooperating with Al-Qaida and helping to support its international terrorist network. One such notable example is Congressman Curt Weldon who, on pages 94-95 of his newly-released book...

Al-Qaida Identifies Suicide Bomber in Iraq as Saudi Trained in Afghanistan, Chechnya

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq (led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) has released a new edition of its "Distinguished Martyrs" series commemorating a Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida operative known as "Saif al-Ummah"--the veteran of mujahideen combat tours in both Afghanistan and Chechnya--who carried...

Interview with Top GSPC Commander in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida-affiliate group active in North Africa--has released a recent interview with the GSPC's top commander Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud. During the interview, Wadoud declared, "we congratulate all the beloved courageous...

Al-Qaida Celebrates Oct. 2005 Hotel Bombings in Iraq as the "Battle of Badr al-Baghdad"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq (led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) has released new documents and a video recording commemorating the October 24, 2005 suicide car bombings in Baghdad targeting the Sheraton Ishtar and Meridian Palestine Hotels--an attack known by Al-Qaida as...

MSNBC: "Trail of Terror: The Jihad in Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

On Sunday, December 11 at 9pm EST, MSNBC will be premiering a new documentary by NBC's Lisa Myers, "Trail of Terror: The Jihad in Iraq." The documentary focuses on foreign fighters who have joined the Iraqi jihad from as far...

Al-Qaida in Iraq's "Distinguished Martyrs" Series

By Evan Kohlmann

Rather than allow us to squabble needlessly over the importance and origins of slain Al-Qaida terrorist operatives in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's media representatives have begun issuing "official" biographies of such men, featuring detailed personal narratives. The eulogized "martyrs" include...

Zarqawi's Anti-Election Pamphlets Hint at Growing Tensions with Mainstream Sunni Iraqis

By Evan Kohlmann

I have obtained copies of pamphlets allegedly being distributed by Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--strenuously urging Iraqi Sunnis to abstain from participation in the upcoming national elections scheduled for December 15. The pamphlets reflect a surprising...

Reports: Senior Saudi Al-Qaida Member Sets Off Suicide Blast in Dagestan

By Evan Kohlmann

According to various reports from credible mujahideen sources, Abu Omar Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Saif (a.k.a. Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Saif al-Jaber)--a top tier Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida commander in Chechnya and personal military advisor to Shamil Basayev--has been killed during...

Special Report - Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia: 2002-2003

By Evan Kohlmann

An occasional report prepared on behalf of the NEFA Foundation is now available for download analyzing the origins and structure of Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula during its first two years of operation, 2002-2003. The report focuses on the...

U.S. General: "96 percent" of Iraq's Suicide Bombers are Foreigners

By Evan Kohlmann

(care of the Associated Press)"U.S. and Iraqi operations along the Syrian border have resulted in a significant drop in suicide bombings to only 23 attacks in November, the lowest level in seven months, a U.S. general said. But Maj. Gen....

"In Lebanon, Arab fighters are ready to die in Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

(care of Reuters)"On a quiet autumn night, a mosque loudspeaker shatters the silence in this poor Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. 'With all pride and grace, we announce to you the martyrdom of our mujahideen brothers Mohamed Ahmed al-Kurdi and...

Reuven Paz, JC Brisard Weigh in on Iraq's Foreign Fighters

By Evan Kohlmann

My blog posts last week on Iraq's foreign fighters have generated very positive and thoughtful responses from other colleagues in this field, including Dr. Reuven Paz and Jean-Charles Brisard. Dr. Paz is the author of an academic report earlier this...

Apparent Zarqawi Clone in Morocco Threatens Suicide Attacks on "Infidel Colonizers" and "Apostate Rulers"

By Evan Kohlmann

A previously unknown group calling itself the "Tawheed wal-Jihad Islamic Movement" has issued a new communiqu� threatening to wage jihad against the King of Morocco and his secular, pro-Western government. According to the statement, "Let the perverted king know that...

Religious "Charities" Fund Terror Operations by Iraqi Insurgents

By Evan Kohlmann

(MNF-IRAQ.COM): "Acting on multiple intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens, Coalition forces raided a suspected Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist safe house in Abu Ghurayb, west of Baghdad, Oct. 23. Captured during the raid was Ahmad Ni�mah Khudayyir Abbas (aka. Abu...

Pakistani Convicted of Aiding Post-9/11 Al-Qaida Terror Plot in U.S.

By Evan Kohlmann

Several weeks ago, I testified as an expert witness in my capacity as an independent counterterrorism analyst on behalf of federal prosecutors in the Uzair Paracha case. My expert testimony largely focused on the history, ideology, and leadership of Al-Qaida...

Al-Qaida Denies Death of Zarqawi, Narrates Battle in Mosul

By Evan Kohlmann

This morning--after days of silence on the issue--Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq has issued a communique vigorously denying that its Jordanian commander Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a raid by U.S. military forces last week on a house in Mosul. ...

Al-Qaida Takes Casualties in Iraq -- But Apparently Not Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Despite recent reports to the contrary, Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq has suffered numerous casualties during recent combat operations in northern and western Iraq -- including both native and foreign fighters. As I hinted at in my previous post on Iraq's...

New Zarqawi Translations/Video Available from Globalterroralert.com

By Evan Kohlmann

Despite a few delays due to ongoing projects I've been working on, I finally got a chance to post a round-up of recent significant statements and video clips released by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in central Iraq. As I...

Thousands Rally Against Zarqawi in Jordan

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have miscalculated in his recent bid to attack Western hotels in Amman, Jordan. The suicide bombings--which killed many innocent Arab bystanders, including guests at a wedding party--have generated an ugly reaction among many ordinary Jordanians. This...

Washington Post Misses the Mark on Foreign Fighters in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

In yesterday's Washington Post, Jonathan Finer authored an article examining the role of foreign fighters in ongoing military operations in western Iraq. Throughout the piece, Finer implies that few foreign fighters have been actually involved in the Iraqi conflict, and...

Iraq's National Security Advisor: Most Al-Qaida Suicide Bombers are Saudi Nationals Crossing Through Syria

By Evan Kohlmann

In a meeting with journalists in Cairo, Iraq's National Security Advisor Muwafaq al-Rubaie confirmed there is not "the least doubt that nine out of 10 of the suicide bombers who carry out suicide bombing operations among Iraqi citizens ... are...

Zarqawi's Al-Qaida Faction Offers More Details Behind Amman Suicide Blasts

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a third communique claiming responsibility for Thursday's suicide bombing attacks at three Western hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman. In its latest message, Al-Qaida identified the four bombers as all Iraqi...

Zarqawi's Al-Qaida Faction Claims Amman Blasts, Promises More Attacks in Jordan

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly suicide bombing attacks yesterday in the Jordanian capital Amman. In an initial statement posted early this morning, Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq announced...

Private Investigation Leads to Swiss Cyberterror Arrests

By Evan Kohlmann

As a result of a month-long private cyberterrorism investigation conducted by Globalterroralert.com and reported on exclusively in the Swiss journal Die Weltwoche, Swiss police in Geneva have announced the arrest of two North Africans in connection with the fraudulent use...

Yemeni Al-Qaida Recruit Reportedly Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Supporters of Al-Qaida and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the Arabian Peninsula have released the biography, martyrdom will, and audio recordings of an Al-Qaida recruit from Yemen recently killed in a suicidal assault on U.S. military personnel in central Iraq. An...

Stirrings of Life from Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

After months of inactivity following the elimination of numerous senior Al-Qaida leaders in Saudi Arabia, local militants loyal to Usama Bin Laden are once again showing signs of life in the Saudi kingdom. On October 13, an organization calling itself...

Warning from GAO: Little Evidence of Progress in Fight Against Extremism in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

Last month, the GAO issued a new report on the efforts of U.S. government agencies "to address Islamic extremism." Two of the specific tasks allocated to the GAO as part of this report were to determine "what efforts the Saudi...

"Al-Qaida's Jihad in Palestine" Distributes Flyers in Gaza Strip

By Evan Kohlmann

An organization calling itself "Al-Qaida's Jihad in Palestine" has reportedly been distributing leaflets from the Salahudeen al-Ayyubi Mosque in the Gaza Strip on the occasion of Ramadan. One document--urging Muslims to "restore the era of the first Islamic empire"--described how...

New Statements from Al-Qaida in Iraq/Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued several new strategic communiqu�s concerning Al-Qaida's ongoing battle with its American, Saudi, and Shiite enemies. The statements included a message from the chief of Al-Qaida's Military Wing in Iraq, Abu...

GSPC: "Defeating Evil America" Will Bring Peace to Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new communique dated September 27, the top commander of the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud has addressed an Algerian government amnesty proposal for Islamic militants willing to lay down their arms. ...

New Chart: "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Leadership Network in Iraq"

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of the recent death of Abu Azzam al-Iraqi, I have created a new chart (available c/o the NEFA Foundation) depicting the known leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida network in Iraq. This document is meant to serve...

More "Mythical" Foreign Fighters Reported Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction have announced the deaths of two more supposedly "mythical" foreign fighters in Iraq. On September 25, Abu Muaz al-Kuwaiti--a former soldier in the Kuwaiti Army--was reported killed during a "boating accident" while engaged...

The Real "Number 2" of Al-Qaida in Iraq Speaks Out

By Evan Kohlmann

Following in the heels of my blog posts (here and here) and this week's Newsweek story on the subject, Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has published a letter dated October 1, 2005 from the "real" Deputy Commander of...

Abu Azzam al-Iraqi: In His Own Words

By Evan Kohlmann

Given the controversy that has erupted--and in an attempt to shed more light on the precise role of Abu Azzam al-Iraqi within Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--I am now making available a transcript of comments that Abu Azzam made during an...

Top U.S. Military Intel Officer: Zarqawi "Hijacked" Insurgency

By Evan Kohlmann

Today's Washington Post carries a long overdue concession from U.S. military intelligence: that "Saddamists" and former regime officials play little--if any--role in the ongoing Sunni insurgency in central Iraq. In fact, according to Army Major General Richard Zahner:"I think what...

"Abu Azzam": Is He Really Al-Qaida's No. 2 in Iraq?

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, U.S. military officials made statements to the press reporting the death of Abu Azzam al-Iraqi (a.k.a. Abdullah Najim Abdullah Mohamed Al-Jawari), whom they described as the "No. 2 official" in Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq and the "top deputy" to...

First Signs of Daylight in Battle with Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Only days after Al-Qaida announced the completion of its latest campaign of violence aimed at avenging alleged "massacres" of Sunni Muslims in Tel Afar by the U.S. and Iraqi government, there are growing indications that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his...

Newly Designated Terrorist Worked as Saudi Diplomat in Albania (UPDATED)

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, as my colleague Doug Farah noted below, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Dr. Abdul Lateef Saleh pursuant to Executive Order 13224 for providing support to Usama bin Laden and al Qaida. According to the Treasury, Saleh is "closely associated...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Responds to Counterterrorism Raids in Dammam

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Saudi Arabia has released a new communiqu� and audio recording in response to recent armed clashes that took place in the eastern city of Dammam between Saudi police and wanted Al-Qaida members beginning on Sept. 4. ...

Purported Terror Threat by "Al-Qaida in Northern Europe"

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new communiqu� verified as authentic by the same online authority responsible for distributing credible material from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a group calling itself "Al-Qaida's Committee in Northern Europe" has issued a threat to carry out additional suicide bombing...

Iraqi Insurgents Claim Chemical Weapon Attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

At least two different Iraqi insurgent groups thought allied with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction have claimed responsibility for recent attacks allegedly involving chemical weapons on U.S. and Iraqi forces in the cities of Baghdad and Al-Madain. On September 13,...

Poll: Islamic Militants Support Expansion of Jihad in Iraq to Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

An informal poll conducted by the notorious Muntada al-Ansar webforum indicates that a large number of militant Islamists are enthusiastically in favor of immediately expanding Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's current jihad in Iraq to the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--where many...

New Terror Threats from the GSPC in Algeria

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa and Europe--has issued a flurry of new statements--calling for, among other things, the assassination of Algerian "collaborators" in France and joint attacks on...

Zawahiri Claims London Blasts in Al-Qaida's Name, Threatens More Attacks in "Enemy Territory"

By Evan Kohlmann

Qatar's Al-Jazeera television network has aired footage today of a videotape purportedly from Al-Qaida's Al-Sahab Media Wing in which London 7/7 suicide bomber Mohammed Sadiq Khan explains his reasons for the July attacks on the British capital. Usama Bin Laden's...

Algerian "Junior Osama Bin Laden" Resurfaces in Bosnia-Herzegovina

By Evan Kohlmann

An Algerian terrorist commander once thought to head a transnational sleeper cell network that included would-be Al-Qaida Millenium bomber Ahmed Ressam has resurfaced in Bosnia-Herzegovina, vehemently denying allegations recently presented to the Bosnian Supreme Court in Sarajevo that his foreign...

Zarqawi Claims Attack on U.S. Warships in Jordanian Port of Aqaba

By Evan Kohlmann

[*UPDATED*] Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued two new statements claiming responsibility for a failed August 19 Katyusha rocket attack on two U.S. warships docked in the Jordanian port of Aqaba. According to the...

Al-Qaida's Network in Iraq Goes (Temporarily) Silent

By Evan Kohlmann

For the first time in weeks (if not months), Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has failed to release a single claim of responsibility for ongoing operations in the Sunni Triangle in a given day. Claims for...

Report: Senior Al-Qaida Commander in Saudi Arabia Killed in Clashes with Saudi Security Forces

By Evan Kohlmann

A multi-pronged counterterrorism offensive by Saudi security forces appears to have eliminated the leader of Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia and an active Al-Qaida cell near the Saudi capital Riyadh thought to have been planning imminent attacks on Western targets in...

Jihadists Find Convenient Base in Bosnia

By Evan Kohlmann

While the attention of the world community is locked on Iraq and Afghanistan, an old foe may be once again stirring to life in central Bosnia-Herzegovina. High-ranking foreign terrorist operatives previously responsible for attempted attacks in the United States (including...

Saudi Al-Qaida Members Reported Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Two young Saudi Al-Qaida recruits have been reported killed in recent suicide bomb attacks near the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Allegedly, one of the men, 20-year old Mansour al-Hameed (a.k.a. "Abul-Hajer", "Abu Azzam") was responsible for a July 27 suicide bombing...

Purported Palestinian Al-Qaida Faction Swears Oath of Allegiance to Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammed Umar

By Evan Kohlmann

A previously unknown group calling itself the "Al-Qaida-Palestine Frontier Jihad Brigades"--responsible for at least one rocket attack on Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip--has issued a detailed political platform and has sworn a bayat (oath of allegiance) to Taliban leader...

New Statements/Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has continued to issue numerous communiques and videos claiming military operations across the Sunni Triangle of Iraq, including Tel Afar, Samarra, Mosul, and the troubled town of Haditha--where Al-Qaida...

Former London cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed Arrested in Beirut

By Evan Kohlmann

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, the eccentric leader of the radical Al-Muhajiroun Islamic movement formerly based in the UK, was arrested and questioned earlier today by Lebanese security forces en route to an interview with an Arab satellite news network in...

Key Militant Websites Temporarily Disabled by Hacker

By Evan Kohlmann

At least two popular websites used by Middle Eastern terrorist groups to disseminate video, communiques, and other propaganda were temporarily disabled early Saturday by a hacker calling him/herself "The Ghost XXXV." Visitors to the two militant forums were greeted with...

GSPC Leader Reflects on Murder of Algerian Diplomats in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--has released a new statement from its top commander Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud concerning the execution of two Algerian diplomats in Iraq by Al-Qaida...

Ansar al-Sunnah Claims Killing of 8 U.S. Marines

By Evan Kohlmann

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army in Iraq has claimed responsibility for an ambush leading to the murders of at least eight U.S. Marines in the northern surburbs of the western Iraqi city of Haditha. According to published communiqu�s, the attack took...

The Road Through Syria to Jihad in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new guide published on the Internet, an alleged former resident of the Iraqi-Syrian border region has explained in detail for potential foreign fighter recruits how they can enter Iraq and join in the jihad by traveling through neighboring...

Calls for American Blood at May Rally in London

By Evan Kohlmann

Last May, at the height of the Newsweek-Quran desecration fiasco, a group of Al-Qaida supporters and clerics held an anti-American rally in central London. The organizers included Shaykh Omar Bakri Mohammed (founder of the fanatical British Al-Muhajiroun movement) and Yasser...

Breaking News: Algerian Diplomatic Envoys Reportedly Executed by Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new communique posted within the past hour, the Military Wing of Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has announced the execution of two Algerian diplomats held hostage in Iraq following a decision two...

Report: Arab Fighters in Afghanistan Name New Egyptian Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

According to a July 26 report by an Afghan news network, Arab fighters in Afghanistan have chosen a new commander known as Abu Ikhlas al-Masri (from Egypt) to undertake administrative tasks in the Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan. According to...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Seizes Algerian Diplomats, GSPC Applauds Operation

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Algerian diplomats Ali Belaroussi and Azzedine Belkadi. In a statement released on July 23, Al-Qaida explained that the diplomats were taken hostage after...

Egyptian Group With Apparent Zarqawi Link Claims Responsibility for Sharm el-Sheikh Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new communique posted online and verified as authentic by sources close to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the "Egyptian Tawheed and Jihad Movement" has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombing attacks in the Sinai resort towns of Taba and Sharm...

London, Taba, and Sharm el-Sheikh

By Evan Kohlmann

For those who missed it on my website, last fall I posted a video online of a radical demonstration outside the Saudi Embassy in London led by Dr. Mohammed al-Massari. The protest had initially been intended to rally Islamic fundamentalists...

Where do Homegrown British Suicide Bombers Come From? Part II

By Evan Kohlmann

Not far from the Stockwell tube stop in south London--where British police earlier today shot and killed a suspected suicide bomber--lies the town of Brixton. Investigators have likewise found clothing in Brixton that they believe was abandoned by one of...

A Note of Caution on the So-Called "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades"

By Evan Kohlmann

Late last night, a purported entity known as "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades" issued a communique over the Internet claiming responsibility on behalf of Al-Qaida for yesterday's attempted series of renewed terror bombings in downtown London. The group--named after Al-Qaida's former...

NBC: Officials say backpacks, explosives used in 7/21 attacks identical to those of July 7 bombers

By Evan Kohlmann

"...NBC News has learned that British authorities told their U.S. counterparts that the backpacks used in Thursday's planned attacks [in London] and the explosives found in the backpacks are identical to those used in the July 7 attacks � evidence...

Known Al-Qaida Affiliate Applauds 7/7 in London, Urges More Terror Attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--has released a statement applauding the 7/7 suicide bomb attacks in London and calling for additional parallel terrorist operations. According to the document released...

U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Issues New Warning Citing Evidence of "Operational Planning" for Terrorist Attacks in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has issued a statement advising American citizens living in the Kingdom that it has "received indications of operational planning for a terrorist attack or attacks in the Kingdom." The statement conceded that U.S....

Al-Qaida Reports Martyrdom of Field Commander, Insists Operations are Being Personally Overseen by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by most wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued new communiques mourning the loss of Abu Saleh al-Iraqi al-Ansari (an Iraqi field commander who was killed recently near Baghdad) and affirming that "our Shaykh Abu...

GSPC in Algeria Details Recent Cross-Border Terror Attack in Mauritania

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a North African militant faction affiliated with Al-Qaida--has released the third edition of its official magazine, including further details about last month's cross-border terror attack on an army post manned by soldiers...

Al-Qaida: Green Zone Suicide Bombers Were Iraqis

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a new statement declaring that three Al-Qaida suicide bombers responsible for a failed attack on an Iraqi police station only 150 feet from the Green Zone were...

U.S. Treasury: Former White House Guest "Had a Close Relationship with Al-Qaida"

By Evan Kohlmann

There are new revelations today from the U.S. Treasury Department about the terrorist connections of former American Muslim Council (AMC) president and frequent White House guest Abdurahman Alamoudi. During the 1990s, Alamoudi became a well-known political personality in Washington D.C.,...

Al-Qaida Admits Capture of Baghdad Commander "Abu Abdel Aziz"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a new communiqu� conceding that an important Al-Qaida commander in Baghdad known as "Abu Abdel Aziz" was recently captured during a joint raid conducted by U.S. and...

Where do Homegrown British Suicide Bombers Come From?

By Evan Kohlmann

Related: Spokesman for UK Cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed Endorses Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as "Brilliant" (audio) In early July 2002, while conducting research in London with a longtime colleague (Tamar Tesler of the Investigative Project), I explored the back streets of...

Alleged London Bombings Suspect Threatens to Use Dirty Bombs Against America

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is now available for download from Globalterroralert.com profiling Al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Suri (a.k.a. Mustafa Setmariam Nasar), rumored as a possible culprit in last week's deadly terror bombings in central London. In December 2004, al-Suri issued a...

Spokesman for UK Islamic Extremist Group Praises Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as "Brilliant"

By Evan Kohlmann

Globalterroralert has obtained an original audio recording of a lecture given by "Abu Ratib", a spokesman for the radical British Al-Muhajiroun movement (a.k.a. "Ahlus Sunnah waal Jamaah"), led by Shaykh Omar Bakri Mohammed. During his January 2005 speech, Abu Ratib...

Report: Radical Kuwaiti Imams Drowned Out in Pro-American Protests by Local Worshippers

By Evan Kohlmann

From the Al-Siyasah newspaper (received June 6):"The Imam of al-Jabiriyah preached against the Americans and the Worshippers shouted 'O' Allah, make America stronger!""The Al-Siyasah newspaper has received news that several mosques in Kuwait have begun to exhibit a new phenomenon...

Noted Al-Qaida Ideologue Speaks Out on London Attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

The Global Islamic Media Front has published a letter from Saif al-Islam al-Athari, a noted online pundit and Al-Qaida supporter. Though al-Athari is not an official representative of any specific organization, he is widely considered to be a knowledgeable source...

"Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades" Claims London Terror Attacks in New Internet Statement

By Evan Kohlmann

A purported Al-Qaida affiliate group calling itself the "Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades - European Division" has claimed responsibility for the "blessed battle of London" in a statement published on an Internet website. According to the statement:"Several of the mujahideen from...

Potential Link Between London and Madrid through Wanted Moroccan

By Evan Kohlmann

An earlier unconfirmed press story published in the Wall Street Journal (as seen below) reports that "British police have asked their European counterparts for information" about Moroccan national Mohamed Guerbouzi (a.k.a. Abu Aissa)--an influential military commander with the Al-Qaida-affiliated Moroccan...

Internet Claim for London Terror Attack Likely Hoax

By Evan Kohlmann

In the wake of a series of apparent terrorist bombings in London this morning, an entity calling itself "Al-Qaida's Secret Organization" has taken credit for the coordinated attack in a claim posted on an Internet website. However, there is evidence...

Zarqawi Executes Egyptian Ambassador

By Evan Kohlmann

Following an execution order issued by Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq, followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi have murdered Egyptian Ambassador Ihab el-Sherif who was held captive after being kidnapped on a Baghdad street several days ago. El-Sherif's "confession" was recorded and...

Message from Zarqawi to Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia: Join Bin Laden and "Greet Paradise"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a communique dated July 2 "saluting the mujahideen in Saudi Arabia." The statement thanks Islamic militants in Saudi Arabia for contributing their "men, prayers, and money" to the jihad in...

Al-Qaida Claims Kidnapping of Egyptian Ambassador in Baghdad and Promises New Audio Message from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

In a communique dated Tuesday, July 5, Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Egyptian Ambassador in Baghdad Ihab el-Sherif. According to the statement, Ambassador el-Sherif was "kidnapped by our mujahideen and he is under the...

Profiles of Saudi Islamic Militants Killed in Iraq: 2004-2005

By Evan Kohlmann

A new report is now available for download from Globalterroralert.com profiling some of the numerous foreign fighters from Saudi Arabia who have been recently killed during combat operations in central and northern Iraq, including many suicide bombers from Al-Qaida's...

Most Wanted Saudi Al-Qaida Suspects Reported Killed in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

This from Asharq al-Awsat..."An official source from the Saudi Ministry of Interior confirmed that there is no evidence or concrete information regarding the deaths of any of the 36 most wanted terrorists. The statement was made in response to announcements...

Delusion and Disaster in Central Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

This evening, President George Bush will present his own view of the ongoing Iraqi insurgency in a televised address to the nation--during which he will reportedly encourage the American public to be patient in expecting further progress and an eventual...

Three Iraqi Insurgent Factions Announce Merging of Operations

By Evan Kohlmann

Is the Iraqi insurgency really in its "last throes"? Not if you ask the insurgents... three Islamic militant factions in Iraq--including the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI), the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, and the Mujahideen Army--have issued a purported statement announcing...

Zarqawi Announces "Martyrdom" of Top Saudi Al-Qaida Leader in Al-Qaim, Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

*UPDATED* (2:30pm EST) - A purported communique from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi posted online by the head of Al-Qaida's Media Wing in Iraq claims that Shaykh Abdullah al-Rashood--a top wanted leader of Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia--has been killed in recent fighting...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Claims April Attack on Airport in Al-Qaseem

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula has taken responsibility for an alleged sabotage attack in late April on helicopters parked at an airport in Al-Qaseem, Saudi Arabia. According to a statement dated June 11, Al-Qaida claimed that its operatives breached...

Zarqawi Denies the Arrests of His Lieutenants, Declares the Formation of an All-Iraqi Suicide Squad

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has officially denied recent claims that assistants loyal to Zarqawi have been arrested in Mosul and in Madrid, Spain. The statements came in the wake of an announcement last...

Saudis Dominant Among Foreign Fighters in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

According to data compiled by Globalterroralert.com since June 2003, over 50% of known casualties among foreign fighters in Iraq are Saudi Arabian nationals. A total of 300 foreign fighters were included in the study, including 165 men from various locations...

The Michigan Jihad: The Case of Ahmad and Musa Jibril

By Evan Kohlmann

A father-son Islamist duo convicted of fraud charges in Michigan have resurfaced in the media, evidently as a result of a 10-page document filed by prosecutors in preparation for an upcoming sentencing hearing. According to that document, the men were...

Lodi Terror Case Draws Attention to Alleged Al-Qaida Training Camps in Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a Pakistani-American father and son living in California after the son admitted to attending an alleged Al-Qaida training camp in Pakistan. According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, the younger...

$50,000 Reward Announced for Ansar al-Sunnah Commander in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Government Communications Directorate of the Republic of Iraq: (Click to view photo of Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i, c/o Globalterroralert.com)"$50,000 Dollar Reward Announced For Ansar al Sunna Terrorist Leader Abu Abdullah Al-Shafi�i""The Iraqi government announced a reward of $50,000...

Capture of Zarqawi Bombmaker Reported in Mosul

By Evan Kohlmann

This news from the Government Communications Directorate of the Republic of Iraq:"Security Forces conducted a raid in Mosul May 13 resulting in the capture of Salim Yussef Ghafif Huseyn, aka Abu Daoud. Abu Daoud is the chief facilitator of...

Chart: The Network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

A new leadership chart is available for download focusing on the Iraq-based network of known operatives loyal to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia. Though much more expansive than previous efforts, this chart is based upon similar products...

New Statements from Al-Qaida in Iraq/Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released numerous communiques since May 1, 2005, including the following: Click to view English translations c/o Globalterroralert.com:- May 1 Al-Qaida statement titled "A Dialogue of Bullets"- May 1 declaration...

Iraqi Gov't Press Release on Arrest of Zarqawi Aide "Abul Abbas" (a.k.a. Ammar Adnan al-Zubaydi)

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Government Communications Directorate of the Republic of Iraq:"The Iraqi security forces in Iraq have arrested the terrorist Ammar Adnan Mohammed Hamza Al-Zubaydi, also known as "Abul-Abbas," and he is considered one of the closest people to [Abu...

Iraqi Security Forces Capture Alleged Zarqawi Network Financier in Mosul

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Government Communications Directorate of the Republic of Iraq:"Security Forces captured Amar Farid Abd-al Qadir 'Ashur al-Jaburi, aka Abu Fateh, a financier for the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi associated terrorist network in Mosul April 15th. Security Forces continue to...

New Videos from Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq/Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released the following video footage since April 27, 2005, featuring ongoing insurgent operations targeting coalition military and Iraqi security forces: Click to view video c/o Globalterroralert.com- Apr. 27 video...

The Jihad in Iraq: An Engine for International Terrorism

By Evan Kohlmann

Following the relative success of the January 30, 2005 national elections in Baghdad, many Western observers looked forward optimistically to a future Iraq marked by democracy and freedom--rather than televised executions and horrific suicide bombings. As Iraqi voters triumphantly waved...

A Profile of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) - Pakistan

By Evan Kohlmann

The United Nations has finally announced the designation of the Pakistani terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba [LET] (a.k.a. "The Army of Medina", "The Army of the Pure and Righteous") under UN resolution 1267 for connections to Al-Qaida, the Taliban, and Usama Bin...

Death of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) Member Reported in the Caucasus

By Evan Kohlmann

Reliable sources close to Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) Movement in London have reported the death of senior EIJ commander Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi (a.k.a. Abu Sahl) during combat operations against the Russian army in Chechnya, south Caucasus. Al-Hennawi,...

Text of Letter to Zarqawi Allegedly Intercepted by U.S. Military in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

The U.S. military has announced the alleged interception of a private letter intended for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al-Qaida's leader in Iraq. According to the American government, the letter was sent by a man calling himself "Abu Asim al-Yemeni al-Qusaymi", a...

The Conviction of Ali al-Timimi

By Evan Kohlmann

After days of deliberations, jurors have finally returned with a guilty verdict in the case of would-be "Islamic scholar" Ali al-Timimi in Alexandria, Virginia. Timimi is a prominent advocate of a puritanical and often extremist form of fundamentalist Islam known...

Al-Qaida Commander Ibn-ul-Khattab on Babar Ahmad/Azzam.com

By Evan Kohlmann

In light of the decision by the British "Peace and Progress" party to name Londoner Babar Ahmad (a.k.a. Abu Ibrahim al-Brittani)--currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. to face terrorism charges--as its protest candidate in upcoming national elections, I am re-posting...

New Videos from Zarqawi/Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released the following video footage since April 16 of artillery launches, roadside bombs, and suicide car bombings on U.S. military forces stationed in Iraq. In at least one suicide...

Iraqi Security Forces Capture Alleged Zarqawi Lieutenants in Ramadi

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Government Communications Directorate of the Republic of Iraq:"Security forces captured another so-called Tanzim Qa`idat al-Jihad Fi Bilad Al-Rafidayn (QJBR) Amir [commander]. Hamza Ali Ahmed al-Widmizyar, also known as Abu Majid was captured in a raid in Ramadi...

Oops! A Breach in Security for Al-Qaida Online Reveals New Zarqawi Website

By Evan Kohlmann

Several weeks ago, credible representatives of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq announced that they would soon be opening their own Al-Qaida website on the Internet, featuring propaganda materials, communiques, video clips, and audio recordings. Finally, late last...

The Evidence Behind the London Ricin Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

Despite damning evidence and the violent murder of a British constable, four of five men accused of plotting to spread ricin and other poisons throughout downtown London have been acquitted by a court in the United Kingdom. When British counterterrorism...

Iraqi Islamic Extremist Groups Cooperating with Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

The Al-Rijjal Brigade--an Iraqi insurgent group led by "Abu Abdullah al-Qurashi"--has announced that it has officially sworn allegiance to Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Separately, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army has issued a statement claiming responsibility for a...

Saudi National Named as Alleged Al-Qaida Suicide Bomber in Al-Qaim

By Evan Kohlmann

Sources in the Arabian Peninsula are now claiming that one of the four Al-Qaida suicide bombers who attacked a U.S. base in the western Iraqi town of Al-Qaim on April 11 was Saudi national Hadi bin Mubarak al-Qahtani. According to...

Banks as Targets of International Terrorism

By Evan Kohlmann

A new audio excerpt is available for download from Globalterroralert.com of Shaykh Abdullah el-Faisal (an Islamic cleric and supporter of Usama Bin Laden convicted in the United Kingdom of inciting his followers to kill Jews) speaking on the subject of...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Suicide Car Bomb Attacks in Al-Qaim

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued three claims of responsibility for a series of ambushes and suicide car bombings targeting the local U.S. military headquarters in the city of Al-Qaim, near Iraq's western...

Federal Indictment Unsealed Against Trio Accused of Targeting Citigroup, NYSE for terror attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

(Associated Press): Three men have been indicted on charges they plotted to attack financial institutions in New York, New Jersey and Washington. A four-count indictment unsealed Tuesday accuses Dhiran Barot, Nadeem Tarmohammed and Qaisar Shaffi of scouting the New York...

Al-Qaida Releases Video of April 8 Suicide Car Bombing North of Baghdad

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released video footage of an April 8, 2005 suicide car bombing attack on a U.S. convoy north of Baghdad. According to an Al-Qaida communique accompanying the video, "three Humvees were...

New Statements from Al-Qaida/Zarqawi in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

English translations of the following recent communiques issued by Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq (led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) are now available for download from Globalterroralert.com: - Apr. 8 claim for roadside bombing attack on U.S. convoy in Taji- Apr. 9...

Video: British-born Mujahideen Were Ordered to Kill Americans in Bosnia

By Evan Kohlmann

For those interested in Al-Qaida's role in the Balkans, a new video is available for download from Globalterroralert.com. The video contains audio excerpts recorded in 1997 of British foreign mujahideen veterans discussing their orders to kill American troops enforcing the...

New Communiques from Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

English translations of several recent communiques issued by Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq (led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) are now available for download from Globalterroralert.com: - Apr. 1 response to alleged arrest of American Zarqawi aide- Apr. 3 statement claiming April...

CFR Backgrounder: Does the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood have ties to terrorism?

By Evan Kohlmann

NOTE: This link is being provided for informational purposes only and I am not necessarily endorsing the viewpoint of CFR or other analysts quoted herein. I consider the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to be non-violent but still a fairly radical organization...

Al-Qaida Releases Video of "Battle of Abu Anas al-Shami" at Abu Ghraib Prison

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released video footage allegedly depicting a coordinated insurgent attack on Abu Ghraib prison (west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad) that began late last Saturday. Click to view video c/o...

5 Foreign Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Raid on Samarra

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Iraqi Government Communications Directorate..."Troops from the Ministry of Interior conducted a raid east of Samarra on April 1. The raid resulted in the killing of five foreign terrorists and the capturing of two other terrorists. The raid...

Al-Qaida Claims "Battle of Abu Anas al-Shami" at Abu Ghraib Prison West of Baghdad

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued numerous claims of responsibility for a two-day prolonged insurgent offensive on Abu Ghraib prison west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The offensive--dubbed the "Battle of Abu Anas...

New Video Footage from Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by most wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released video footage of several recent attacks in Sunni central Iraq, including a mortar attack on a U.S. base in Baqubah and a roadside bomb attack on an...

Iraqi Security Forces Claim Capture of Foreign Terrorists

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Iraqi Government Communications Directorate: "Acting on a tip from local Iraqi citizens, Security Forces in Iraq have detained Shakara Kheel, 38 years old, Pakistan nationality, in the community of Munirah. During extensive interviews with Kheel, Security Forces...

Video of Al-Qaida Roadside Bombing Attack Near Fallujah

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released video footage of a roadside bomb attack targeting a U.S. Humvee in Al-Saqlawiya (near Fallujah), west of Baghdad. The group also took credit for numerous other recent...

Final Report on Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction

By Evan Kohlmann

http://www.wmd.gov/reportREPORT TO THE PRESIDENT, MARCH 31, 2005 DOWNLOAD ENTIRE REPORT IN PDF FORMAT (3.3 MB)...

New Videos from the Ansar al-Sunnah Army and the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army in Iraq has released a new full-length propaganda film titled "Purification of the Soul." Among other items of note, the video features extensive, previously-unseen footage of Ansar al-Sunnah insurgent training camps in Iraq, ambush attacks on...

Iraqi Raid on Insurgent Training Camp Leads to Capture of Suspected Algerian Terrorist

By Evan Kohlmann

This from the Iraqi Government Communications Directorate: "[Ministry of Interior] Special Police Commandos Killed 85 Terrorists, Arrested one Algerian.""The MOI's Special Police Commandos conducted a successful raid on a terrorist training camp in Samarra which killed 85 terrorists and led...

GSPC Commander in Algeria Hails Al-Qaida in New Video

By Evan Kohlmann

In a new video released by the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--GSPC commander Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud has sworn that Allah will "destroy America" and further sent greetings to...

Suspected Terror Training Camps Surface in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Evidence has emerged over the past six months revealing the existence of Al-Qaida-style terrorist training camps at unidentified locations inside Iraq run by suspected local disciples of Usama Bin Laden, such as the Ansar al-Sunnah Army and the Islamic Army...

New Statements from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida Network in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued numerous statements over the past week, including statements from the Security Wing Commander and Deputy Commander of Al-Qaida and an additional message of encouragement to Al-Qaida's Committee in Saudi Arabia. Click...

Car Bombing in Qatar - A Response to Orders from Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia?

By Evan Kohlmann

DOHA (Reuters) - A car bomb killed one Briton and wounded at least 12 people on Saturday at a theater frequented by Westerners in Qatar, the command center for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq which began exactly two years ago. ...

New Videos from the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

[*UPDATED*] The Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) has released three videos of recent roadside bomb attacks on U.S. forces near Baghdad. The first attack on a supposed CIA convoy in Al-Yousifiya (south of Baghdad) on March 17 allegedly killed two...

Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Issues New Message to Zarqawi, Calls for Attacks in the Gulf

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in the Arabian Peninsula has issued a new audio statement on behalf of its commander, Saleh bin Mohammed al-Aoofi (a.k.a. Abu Abdullah), to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the mujahideen fighting in Iraq alongside him. Among other points, al-Aoofi...

Hotel Bombing in Baghdad and Update on Capture/Deaths of Zarqawi Associates

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday's devastating suicide bomb attack on the Al-Sadeer Hotel in Baghdad was followed by a flurry of communications by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq. The attack was hailed by at least five separate authentic statements from the group,...

New Statements and Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released a new statement on behalf of the group's military chief Abu Usaid al-Iraqi urging followers to "gather their swords" and "hit the necks" of "infidel leaders." Separately, the group has also...

Spy Agencies Fear Some Applicants Are Terrorists

By Evan Kohlmann

I will be a guest on Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" program on MSNBC at 8:30pm EST tonight to discuss an article published today in the L.A. Times discussing potential terrorist moles seeking to gain access to U.S. intelligence agencies. "U.S. counterintelligence...

Algerian GSPC Renounces Former Leader, Peace Overtures by Algerian Government

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a regional Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--has disavowed their former top commander Hassan Hattab (a.k.a. Abu Hamza) after he surrendered to the Algerian government in exchange for limited amnesty. According...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Bloody Suicide Bomb Attack in Hillah

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Commitee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has finally taken credit for Monday's bloody suicide bomb attack in Hillah on a registration center for Iraqi police and national guard recruits that killed over 115 people. Click to view English...

Convicted Terrorists Send Advice to Brethren From Within U.S. Prisons

By Evan Kohlmann

NBC News has done an intriguing story on how, "from inside America�s most secure prisons, 1993 World Trade Center bomber Mohamed Salameh wrote letters to a Spanish terror cell and to Arabic newspapers praising Osama bin Laden and suicide bombers,...

Top Zarqawi Henchman Identified in New Statement from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Jihad Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a new statement signed by "Abu Abdelrahman al-Iraqi", identified as Zarqawi's "Deputy Commander" in Iraq. In his communique, Abu Abdelrahman declares, "May Allah bless you, O� soldiers of Allah and...

New Statements and Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued several new statements and video recordings claiming credit for various bomb attacks on U.S. forces in central Iraq and for the assassination of local Iraqi government officials. - Feb. 26 claim...

Al-Qaida Claims New Attacks on Americans in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several statements and a video recording claiming credit for a new round of ambushes, bombings, and suicide attacks in Baghdad, Fallujah, Mosul, and Tel Afar. Al-Qaida's Media Wing has further accused...

Clues to Abu Ali's Al-Qaida Contacts in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

The latest USDOJ filing in the case of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali offers tantalizing clues as to the alleged identity of his Al-Qaida contacts in Saudi Arabia. According to the document:"Between in or around September 2002 and on or about...

Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Rocket Attack on U.S. Base

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released a new video recording allegedly depicting a February 21 rocket attack on a U.S. base near Fallujah known as "The Farm." While previous Al-Qaida videos from Iraq have largely focused on...

Kuwaiti Al-Qaida Emissary Reported Killed in the Caucasus

By Evan Kohlmann

Islamic militants fighting in the Caucasus have reported the death of Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti, a prominent military commander in the Islamic Army of the Caucasus (led by Shamil Basayev). Russian sources have alleged that Abu Omar served as a key...

Saudi Islamic Charity in Oregon Indicted for Alleged Fraud

By Evan Kohlmann

A federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon has returned a three-count indictment against the local branch of the Saudi Arabian Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation and two of its officers on charges of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government. If convicted, the...

New Statements and Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several new communiqu�s and video clips, including a detailed description of the recent assassination of an Iraqi army officer, additional military operations claimed by Al-Qaida's "Abdelaziz al-Muqrin Brigade", and an official...

More Contradictions from Missouri Terror Charity

By Evan Kohlmann

Attorneys on behalf of the Columbia, Missouri-based Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA-USA) have released a new statement accusing the Associated Press of publishing a "misleading" report and insisting that IARA-USA is "separate and completely unrelated" to the Islamic African Relief...

Purported Claim of Responsibility in Hariri Assassination

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Jazeerah has aired a videotaped claim of responsibility from a previously unknown group calling itself "Al-Nusrat wal Jihad i Bilad al-Shami" ("The Organization for Victory and Jihad in the Levant"). The video takes credit for today's violent car bombing assassination...

New Insurgent Videos from Iraq's Sunni Triangle

By Evan Kohlmann

Various anti-coalition mujahideen factions--including the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI)--have released videos of recent military operations in the restive Sunni Triangle. In the town of Salman Pak south of Baghdad, militants are seen ambushing Iraqi police officers and then hijacking...

Al-Qaida Claims Iraqi Election Day Suicide Bomber

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released a video and a statement claiming responsibility for the Jan. 30 suicide bomb attack on the Badr Kobra polling station in Baghdad during Iraq's recent national elections. According to Al-Qaida, the...

New Videos from the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

The Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI)--a group that has conducted recent joint missions with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq--has released several new videos of ongoing military operations. The videos depict a downed French-built drone aircraft, several Iraqi soldiers...

Breaking: 2 Delta Flights Declare In-Flight Emergencies, Land under Guard at JFK

By Evan Kohlmann

News wires are now reporting that two Delta Air Lines flights, #81 and #119, inbound from Europe and Asia to JFK International Airport have declared in-flight emergencies and have landed under guard in New York. Reportedly, the emergencies were sparked...

Al-Qaida Attacks "CIA Convoy" in Baghdad

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued new statements claiming responsibility for attacks on Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad and a purported suicide bombing targeting a "CIA convoy" on the Baghdad airport road. Several recent claims of military operations...

Al-Qaida Defends Poor Showing on Iraqi Election Day

By Evan Kohlmann

With all the hoopla over the Iraq hostage photo hoax, I nearly forgot to post a link to this. Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several new statements in response to the results of Iraqi election day. ...

Alleged Photo of U.S. Soldier Held in Iraq Appears to be a Hoax

By Evan Kohlmann

Update: I will be a guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC at 8:15PM EST tonight to discuss the apparent hostage photo hoax. The mainstream media has jumped on the purported story of "John Adam" -- a U.S. soldier...

Interview with Algerian GSPC Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

The online magazine Al-Faath has published a two-part interview with the chairman of the Media Wing of the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa. According to Abu Omar Abdul Bir,...

Iraqis Begin Historic Vote Amid Attacks

By Evan Kohlmann

9:15am (Baghdad time): [Associated Press] ...Iraqis voted Sunday in their country's first free election in a half-century, as insurgents made good on threats of violence with a suicide bombing at a polling station and mortar attacks in several cities. Police...

Ansar al-Sunnah Army Steps up Campaign Against Iraqi Elections

By Evan Kohlmann

Following in close succession to similar statements from Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq and other militant groups, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army has issued two final "ultimatums" to the Iraqi people regarding the upcoming democratic national elections. The statements make clear that...

Al-Qaida Issues Final Warning Before Iraqi Elections

By Evan Kohlmann

After claiming responsibility for dozens of recent suicide attacks, roadside bombings, and ambushes across central and northern Iraq, Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a final warning on the eve of the Iraqi elections: "take care not...

The Foreign Mujahideen "Martyrs" of Iraq: '03-'04

By Evan Kohlmann

During 2003-2004, hundreds--perhaps thousands--of foreign fighters from across the Middle East, Asia, and even Europe traveled to Iraq to join Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other militants in a jihad against the U.S. and its coalition allies. These men include both...

Al-Qaida Affiliates Respond to Zarqawi's Call

By Evan Kohlmann

Apparently, the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi audio recording released last week featuring greetings to various terrorist leaders around the world did not go unnoticed. The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) has issued a written statement on behalf of...

Questions Concerning Arrest of "Top" Zarqawi Lieutenant in Baghdad

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, Iraqi security forces announced the January 15 arrest of an alleged senior lieutenant of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The suspected bomber in custody, identified as Sami Mohammed Ali Said Jaaf � also known as Abu Omar Kurdi � was described...

Audio: Zarqawi Declares War on Iraqi Democratic Elections

By Evan Kohlmann

A new 48 minute-long audio recording of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was distributed late yesterday by Zarqawi's media representative, Abu Maysarah al-Iraqi. The recording simply echoes many similar statements that have been issued by Al-Qaida in Iraq over the past month...

Update on the New Zarqawi Audio and Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Yesterday, most wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--leader of Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--issued yet another lengthy audio statement urging his followers to continue the jihad no matter what the obstacles. One part of the recording which I find very interesting--yet has...

FBI Seeking Information on Four Suspects (updated link, 1/20)

By Evan Kohlmann

The FBI (news - web sites) notified Boston area law enforcement Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005 to be on the lookout for four Chinese nationals described as possible terror suspects who may be headed to the area. HERE is an updated...

Terrorist-linked Islamic Charities Responsible for Funneling More than $1 Million in Aid to Central Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Though great strides have been made in the war against terrorist financing in the past four years, loopholes continue to exist whereby alleged terror front organizations are able to funnel money and �humanitarian aid� to combat zones in the Middle...

Reports of Possible Dirty Bomb in Boston (updated link)

By Evan Kohlmann

Boston terror threat probedBy Tom Farmer and Michele McPheeWednesday, January 19, 2005 Federal and state authorities are investigating a nuclear terrorist threat against Boston after a man calling from Mexico told California police that he smuggled two Iraqis and four...

Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) Disavows Upcoming Elections, Orders Attacks to Stop Them

By Evan Kohlmann

Following similar recent threats from Ansar al-Sunnah and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction (among others), the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) has issued its own January 13 written statement disavowing any involvement in the Iraqi elections and ridiculing the implementation...

Dutch Intel Report: "Saudi Influences in the Netherlands"

By Evan Kohlmann

http://www.minbzk.nl/contents/pages/10887/saudiinfluencesinthenetherlands.pdf For those of you "in the know", this report has apparently circulated before in a Dutch-language edition--but as of January 6, 2005, the Netherlands Interior Ministry has made an updated English version available to the public.Saudi Influences in the...

Danish Gov't Report: "Recruitment of Islamist Terrorists in Europe--Trends and Perspectives"

By Evan Kohlmann

Michael Taarnby, a social anthropologist and researcher in Denmark, has just completed his final 57-page report on "Recruitment of Islamist Terrorists in Europe: Trends and Perspectives" for the Danish Ministry of Justice and the Police Intelligence Agency (PET). Taarnby concludes...

"Kuwaiti Mujahideen" Claim Attacks on Foreigners, Army Base

By Evan Kohlmann

The "Media Wing of the Kuwaiti Mujahideen" has issued a statement claiming responsibility for an alleged attack on a Kuwaiti military base and the (purported) subsequent murders of three Americans and a South Korean national in the Umm al-Haiman district. ...

Al-Qaida Targets Iraqi Government and Elections

By Evan Kohlmann

In the run-up to the much anticipated Iraqi national elections, Al-Qaida's local outfit--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has dramatically increased its targeting of influential Iraqi government officials, potential candidates in the election, and anyone else associated with the electoral process. The...

Persisting Inadequacies in Saudi Arabia's Counterterrorism Efforts Highlighted by Latest Attackers in Riyadh

By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of a recent Usama Bin Laden audiotape urging Al-Qaida's militants in Saudi Arabia to rise and strike against the Saudi regime, Saudi security was forced into a bloody street battle on Dec. 30 in the capital Riyadh...

Latest Wave of Suicide Bombings in Iraq Claimed by Al-Qaida Affiliates

By Evan Kohlmann

Sadly, the beginning of this new year has not brought any greater sense of peace to troubled Sunni central Iraq, where a wave of suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices, and artillery attacks have targeted everyone from U.S. and Iraqi soldiers...

Missed Opportunities? The December 1994 Air France Hijacking

By Evan Kohlmann

Missed Opportunities? The December 1994 Air France Hijacking A decade ago, the notion that international terrorists were intent on hijacking commercial aircraft and suicide-crashing them into buildings would have seem a bit far-fetched to many in the Western world. Traditional...

Mosul suicide bomber was Saudi medical student: report

By Evan Kohlmann

Mosul suicide bomber was Saudi medical student: report (AP)3 January 2005 [ANSAR AL-SUNNAH VIDEO REFERENCED: http://www.globalterroralert.com/video/1204/ansarsunnah-mosul3.wmv] CAIRO - The suicide bomber who killed 22 people when he blew himself up in a US mess hall in Mosul, Iraqi, was a...

WaPo: "Bitter religious fighting over mosque plays right into al-Qaeda's hands"

By Evan Kohlmann

Flashpoint Exclusive: Captive Pakistani Intel Officer Threatens to Reveal "Secret Game" Behind Afghan Conflict

By Evan Kohlmann

Flashpoint Partners Exclusive: Video of Times Square Bomber with Pakistani Taliban Commander

By Evan Kohlmann

Turkish Jihadists in Waziristan Respond to Charges Against Gaza Flotilla Charity IHH

By Evan Kohlmann

More Documentation on Gaza Flotilla Charity IHH

By Evan Kohlmann

Shooting the Messenger: A Look at the Facts on the Turkish Aid Group IHH

By Evan Kohlmann

Jamaican Cleric Shaykh Abdullah al-Faisal Alleged To Have Inspired Times Square Suspect

By Evan Kohlmann

Slideshow: "The Times Square Bomb Plot Videos"

By Evan Kohlmann

"Jihobbyists" No More: English-Speaking Western Jihadists Coming of Age

By Evan Kohlmann

West Point CTC Sentinel: "A Beacon for Extremists: The Ansar al-Mujahideen Web Forum"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Denies Suffering Losses During Raids, Threatens Response "On Land, Sea, and Air"

By Evan Kohlmann

"Vanguards of Khorasan" Interview with Jordanian CIA Bomber "Abu Dujanah al-Khorasani"

By Evan Kohlmann

Why Did the Bush Administration Send Hardcore Terrorists Back to Al-Qaida?

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida in Yemen Claims Responsibility for Christmas Day Airline Terror Plot

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida in Yemen Responds to Airstrikes with New Threats

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida in Yemen: Target Airports/Airplanes With Small Explosives

By Evan Kohlmann

ForeignPolicy.com: "No, Madam Secretary: The System Is Not Working"

By Evan Kohlmann

TIME Magazine: Should the U.S. Destroy Jihadist Websites?

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Zawahiri Hails KSM, Ramzi Yousef, and Others Held in U.S. Prisons

By Evan Kohlmann

Former Taliban Minister: "Two Million Martyrs" to Defend UBL

By Evan Kohlmann

The Taliban vs. The Treadmaster: Aftermath of a Taliban Takeover in Nuristan

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida Confirms "Martyrdom" of Former Guantanamo Detainee in Yemen

By Evan Kohlmann

The Taliban Reaction: "Regarding Obama’s New Strategy"

By Evan Kohlmann

Chechen Mujahideen Claim Russia Train Bombing

By Evan Kohlmann

Video: The "Martyrdom" of "Abu Safiyya" in Afghanistan (a.k.a. German national Javaid Siddiqi)

By Evan Kohlmann

More Jihadi Endorsements for Ft. Hood Shooter Maj. Malik Hasan

By Evan Kohlmann

Images: Rockets Prepared by the Tawheed wal-Jihad Movement in Gaza

By Evan Kohlmann

Chechen Mujahideen Claim Sabotage Bombing of Russian Natural Gas Storage Facility

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq": "A Letter to the Knights of Baghdad"

By Evan Kohlmann

Shabaab al-Mujahideen Threatens the UN World Food Programme (WFP)

By Evan Kohlmann

Text: Afghan Taliban Release Eid al-Adha Message from Mullah Omar

By Evan Kohlmann

NEFA Foundation (video): "The Wanat-Kamdesh Battle"

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Mustafa Abu al-Yazid Blames Blackwater for Peshawar Bombings

By Evan Kohlmann

NEFA Foundation: Interview with Spokesman for Pakistani Al-Qaida

By Evan Kohlmann

A Yardstick to How Radical Anwar Al-Awlaki is: Former Bin Laden Mentor Condemns Ft. Hood Massacre as "Irrational" and "Unjustified"

By Evan Kohlmann

ForeignPolicy.com: A Web of Lone Wolves (Ft. Hood)

By Evan Kohlmann

NEFA: Ft. Hood Cleric Awlaki Urged Muslims to "Fight Against Government Armies" in July '09

By Evan Kohlmann

Afghan Taliban Celebrate Massacre at Ft. Hood

By Evan Kohlmann

Transcript: The Post-Baitullah Pakistani Taliban Leadership Greets the World

By Evan Kohlmann

Video: American Al-Qaida Spokesman Urged "Shooting Spree" at U.S. Military Base in 2006

By Evan Kohlmann