America’s top intelligence officials recently advised members of the United States Senate that al-Qa’ida’s newest affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusrah, is likely preparing jihadis to attack US interests. Given such, with respect to the State Department’s treatment of this terrorist group, prudence welcomes greater accuracy... - Read more...
“I have no problem with telling my story and answering your questions … You will hear things of al-Qa’ida that you never imagined,” al-Qa’ida cleric Suleiman Abu Ghaith advised FBI special agents as he waived his Miranda Rights ... - Read more...
Last week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain decided to recall their ambassadors from Doha. According to the three countries, fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member Qatar has threatened the stability and security of the region. ... - Read more...
On June 18, 2002, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of seven al-Qa’ida members, including six Saudis and a Sudanese national, on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks against vital installations in the Kingdom. ... - Read more...
Over at The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Watch Steve Merley recently reported appearances may be a bit deceiving when it comes to a major development in the Muslim world: Last week, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. - Read more...
Without question, the Obama administration’s interest in averting the “known unknown” of Iranian foreign policy being formulated by vociferously anti-American, radical religious ideologues with nuclear weapons at their disposal is reasonable. Still, it is nevertheless mystifying to watch the most overt feature of Tehran’s misbehavior — support for numerous militant Islamist groups labeled terrorist organizations by the US — receive very little attention from President Obama. ... - Read more...
Last month, Abd al-Rasul Sayyaf, an influential member of the Afghan parliament who changed his name to Abd al-Rab Rasul Sayyaf, announced his bid to become the next president of Afghanistan. Although Sayyaf is an important powerbroker and a key ally of current Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he is looked upon by the Afghan people with suspicion, and not without good reason. ... - Read more...
In November 1996, former al-Qa’ida member Jamal al-Fadl of Sudan participated in interviews with the FBI. While explaining al-Qa’ida’s structure and early history, two of the most interesting topics al-Fadl covered are essential to understanding the development of al-Qa’ida and the mindsets of its leaders and associates: First, al-Qa’ida’s religious authorities helped author a fatwa calling for attacks on US interests years before bin Laden issued his own such fatwa in 1996; secondly ... - Read more...
In April 1988, Afghan Jihad leader Abdallah Azzam, a mentor to a rising star in jihadi spheres named Usama bin Laden (aka Abu Abdallah), published a brief article in al-Jihad magazine titled “al-Qa’ida al-Subah” (“The Solid Base”). Consisting of a mere three pages of Arabic text, two-and-a-half decades later this material continues to shape the global security environment ... - Read more...