Is Iraq the “Central Front” in the War On Terror?

By Evan Kohlmann

When the Bush administration made the fateful decision in 2003 to open an active military frontline in Iraq, for many Al-Qaida supporters, the experience was not unlike witnessing the fulfillment of divine prophecy. Former White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke...

NEFA Foundation Report: "The July 21, 2005 London Transport Bombings - An In-Depth Look at the Planning, Execution, and Failure of the Attack"

By Evan Kohlmann

As the third anniversary of the botched 7/21 bombings approaches, the NEFA Foundation is releasing a PowerPoint briefing, authored by NEFA Senior Analyst Josh Lefkowitz, titled, "The July 21, 2005 London Transport Bombings: An In-Depth Look at the Planning, Execution,...

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 Kohlm