In recent months, Nigeria’s infamous Islamist militant group Boko Haram has increased its attacks against the Nigerian government and its people. Instead of addressing Boko Haram’s attacks through a bold counterterrorism strategy, last weekend Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan announced plans to negotiate with the organization. Founded in 2002, Boko Haram attracted significant attention in 2009 when it initiated a violent uprising that resulted in the deaths of 700 people. Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf was shortly thereafter taken into custody and shot by security forces, and his body was displayed …
Earlier this week, Representative Peter King (R-NY), the ranking minority member on the House’s Committee on Counterterrorism, gave a public lecture at Heritage titled, “Keeping America Free, Safe And Prosperous: Counterterrorism in the Obama Administration“. In his speech, King highlighted our current problems with counterterrorism and the future of homeland security. Afterwards, he sat down with us for a short interview to discuss some of these issues in greater detail. He stressed the importance of understanding the enemy. As he said, “The enemy is Islamic terrorism. … [The Obama Administration …
Two weeks have passed since al-Shabab, the African subsidiary of al-Qaeda, murdered over 70 innocents in Kampala. Former Bush Administration speechwriter Marc A. Thiessen makes a convincing case that the Obama Administration must keep a sharp eye on Somalia and Yemen as an emerging terror threat to the U.S. Thiessen recounts recent adverse developments, including the July 11 Uganda bombings and the arrest of a northern Virginia man, Zachary Adam Chesser, charged with seeking to join foreign fighters in Somalia. Thiessen questions the Administration’s decision to order U.S. special operations …
Sunday’s terror attacks in Kampala, Uganda are now known to be the work of Somalia’s Al-Shabab [the Youth], a self-declared ally of Osama bin Laden and operating arm of al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa. Al-Shabab is increasingly being run by foreign fighters trained in Afghanistan. The group is also closely linked to Islamists in Yemen and to Yemini-American cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, the spiritual adviser to the Fort Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan. The venomous religious-ideological core of al-Shabab is readily apparent. As an Islamist organization, al-Shabab’s aims are to …
In a terrible final note to the first African World Cup games, two coordinated suicide bombings in the Ugandan capital of Kampala killed more than 70 Ugandans and foreigners on July 11 as they were watching the championship game of the World Cup at a restaurant and a rugby club. The senseless destruction of human life remains a central tenet of Islamist extremists, including al-Qaeda’s Somalia-based terror arm Al-Shabab. A spokesman for the terror group, Ali Mohamud Rage, said “Al-Shabab was behind the two bomb blasts in Uganda.” On learning …
It is being widely reported that the Director of National Intelligence has resigned. Much of the speculation over the resignation revolves around his role in directing counterterrorism operations. Regardless, of this speculation the conduct of global counterterrorism operations by the Obama administration is a legitimate concern. Thirty-one terrorist plots have been foiled since 9/11—two out of the last three in this administration have been by shear luck. The White House continues to deemphasize the threat of Islamist terrorism and the Long War against al Qaeda. It has also failed to …
An email purportedly written by Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad four years ago reveals that he was motivated to attack the U.S. partly by radical Islamist ideology. In the email, Shahzad questions democracy (which he refers to as “human made laws”) and favors an Islamic system of governance in which the state is ruled by Islamic law. He further criticizes U.S. policy for allowing Pakistan to be ruled by “dictatorship.” (Never mind that under former President Pervez Musharraf — who was leading Pakistan in 2006 — the Islamist political parties …
On September 11th, 2001, America changed. Since then the United States has been at war with violent Islamic extremists who plot and plan against us every day. We have sent American troops to Afghanistan and Iraq to defeat them in combat. Our intelligence and special operations forces have fanned out across the globe to disrupt terrorist networks and deny them safe havens. And we have cooperated with friends and allies to reinforce existing counterterrorism resources and build new coordinated capabilities. While these actions are necessary to defeat the jihadist threat …
Dr. Nile Gardiner is the Director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Today he commented on President Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt for the Daily Telegraph. Below is his commentary in its entirety: It’s never easy delivering a landmark speech before a foreign audience, and a potentially hostile one at that. Barack Obama gave a 56-minute address before a Muslim audience in Cairo that was well received and drew a standing ovation. He made some good points about the need for greater religious tolerance on the part …
President Obama’s speech was an attempt to create deeper understanding between America and Muslims throughout the world, but the feel-good impact of the speech is unlikely to last long or change opinions about America among those who object to U.S. policies in the Middle East and South Asia. His pledge to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam was welcomed by Muslim observers. He also emphasized the need for more tolerance and the safeguarding of diversity in Muslim-majority countries, a point that needs to be made more often and more loudly. …
