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Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

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The Taliban flag on display in Kabul, Afghanistan
Brief Analysis
Iran Formalizes Ties with the Taliban
The two governments have been engaging for months on standard diplomatic issues, but the new embassy handover may prove more worrisome given that they are both rogue regimes capable of coordinating against U.S. interests in the region.
Mar 3, 2023
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
EJ
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
How Militia Digital Media Avoid Domain Seizure and Blocking
Outlets run by terrorist groups Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba continue to modify their domain names and social media brands to dodge shutdowns.
Mar 2, 2023
◆
  • Ranw Hassan
◆ Militia Spotlight
هيئة تحرير الشام
Articles & Testimony
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Imagined Communities in Its Proto-State
The jihadist group has been releasing upbeat online briefs about various locales under its control, seemingly aiming to unite residents in northwest Syria and soften its image abroad.
Mar 1, 2023
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
  • Sarah Cahn
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militia members in Syria
Articles & Testimony
Jihadi “Counterterrorism”: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State
An in-depth look at how the Syrian group has sought to differentiate itself from other jihadist terrorist organizations, but with only partial success despite a decade’s worth of political evolution.
Feb 2023
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Abu Fadak in Syria
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
How the Popular Mobilization Forces Exploited Syria's Earthquake
Now that Iraqi PMF groups can deploy to Syria with Baghdad's formal authorization, many cross-border militant activities may accelerate under the cover of earthquake relief.
Feb 27, 2023
◆
  • Erik Yavorsky
◆ Militia Spotlight
Taremiyah
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Jurf al-Sakhar Model: Militias Debate How to Carve Out a New Enclave North of Baghdad
Tactical disagreements among "resistance" leaders underline their competition for prime real estate and local partners near the capital.
Feb 20, 2023
◆
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Fires burn after the August 2020 port explosion in Beirut - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Washington Should Sanction Officials Obstructing the Beirut Port Investigation
Prosecuting those responsible for the disaster via an independent Lebanese judiciary would help safeguard public funds, contain corruption, enable reforms, and protect citizens.
Feb 17, 2023
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Brief Analysis
The Islamic State in 2023: Threat Levels and Repatriation Questions
The latest UN report on the terrorist organization highlights the need for more progress on addressing repatriation challenges, new financing methods, weapons proliferation, and threats to African stability, among other issues.
Feb 15, 2023
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
Burns Visit Libya
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Takeaways from William Burns’ Surprise Visit to Libya
Burns met with both Dbeibeh and Haftar, likely to discuss key U.S. concerns such as the Lockerbie case, energy security, and terrorism.
Feb 13, 2023
◆
  • Mohamed Eljarh
JT
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Iraq’s "Muqawama Government" Drives Out Prominent LGBTQ Advocate
Officials appear to be cracking down on freedom of speech and alternative lifestyles opposed by the self-styled militia "resistance."
Feb 10, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
U.S. President George W. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - source: U.S. government
Articles & Testimony
Musharraf’s Life Story Tracked Pakistan’s Struggle with the U.S.
The late leader’s funeral also shed light on the status of military-civil relations in Islamabad, where governments come and go but the military remains the most powerful party.
Feb 8, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
President Biden delivers the 2022 State of the Union address in Washington - source: U.S. government
Brief Analysis
The State of the Union and the Middle East
A compendium of what the past three U.S. presidents have said—and not said—about the region in their annual speeches before Congress.
Feb 8, 2023
◆
  • Eric Feely
Articles & Testimony
The EU Can, and Should, Designate the IRGC as a Terrorist Group
Legitimate policy debates aside, and contrary to recent statements by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Europe has more than enough legal authority and evidence to designate the organization.
Jan 30, 2023
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
Akram Kaabi meets Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Bogdanov in Moscow in December 2022
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Akram Kaabi’s Visit to Moscow and Its Aftermath
Russia now feels emboldened to openly host Iraqi "resistance" leaders with no government role—including designated terrorists—to discuss their shared interest in confronting the West and working together in Syria and Iraq.
Jan 27, 2023
◆
  • Erik Yavorsky
◆ Militia Spotlight
Articles & Testimony
The UNIFIL Follies Turn Deadly on the Israel-Lebanon Border
The recent murder of an Irish peacekeeper has once again exposed the international mission as a costly failure—one that should be drastically curtailed come renewal time this summer.
Jan 24, 2023
◆
  • David Schenker
TW Tanf hit
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Transnational Muqawama Show Disapproval Via Warithuun Attack on al-Tanf
With probable IRGC-QF acquiescence, a militia facade group struck U.S. targets in Syria to register its defiance against a possible extension of the U.S. presence in Iraq.
Jan 24, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Sudani CF
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Spokesmen Reflect on Sudani Inviting U.S. Forces to Remain
Asaib Ahl al-Haq is signaling pragmatism, while Kataib Hezbollah is contorting its arguments to allow it to play along, albeit without explicitly accepting a U.S. military presence.
Jan 17, 2023
◆
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Women and a child walk near Kabul, Afghanistan - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Repeating the Past or Following Precedent? Contextualising the Taliban 2.0’s Governance of Women
A twenty-first-century return to the group’s past gender apartheid is a distinct possibility, potentially threatening Afghan women’s rights, the survival of vulnerable ethnic groups, and the country’s broader security and prosperity.
Jan 12, 2023
◆
  • Gina Vale
  • Devorah Margolin
  • Farkhondeh Akbari
Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), walk together near Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province - source: Reuters
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Turkish Drone Strikes and Building Concerns About Washington in Syria’s Autonomous Administration
Some U.S. allies believe the Biden administration has been noticeably muted regarding Turkey's escalations in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Jan 11, 2023
◆
  • Baraa Sabri
Iraqi cabinet
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Muqawama Lauds "Resistance Government" in Iraq
Pro-militia parliamentarians and journalists have become increasingly open about what they expect the Sudani government's role to be: a cover for the muqawama.
Jan 11, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight

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Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

The Washington Institute's Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence serves as Washington's premier center for the study of international terrorism.

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Featured experts

Matthew Levitt
Matthew Levitt
Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Senior Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.
Devorah Margolin
Devorah Margolin
Devorah Margolin is the Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Aaron Zelin
Aaron Y. Zelin
Aaron Y. Zelin is the Gloria and Ken Levy Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy where his research focuses on Sunni Arab jihadi groups in North Africa and Syria as well as the trend of foreign fighting and online jihadism.
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