Publications

(Washington Post) In Frenzy over al-Qaeda Threat against Letterman, the Real Danger was in the Coverage

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 22 November 2011 23:38

Ten years ago, before the attacks of Sept. 11, Americans didn't pay much attention to threats emanating from Islamic extremists. Now, we're paying attention, but, with the help of round-the-clock news coverage, often hearing the messages that matter least. Take, for instance, the recent tidal surge of reports over the threats against David Letterman. In the aftermath of that frenzy, we invited terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann to offer his take on how reports on jihadist chatter have started to take on a life of their own, with the most buzz being generated by whatever seems the silliest. What's less silly, Kohlmann points out, is that more online jihadists have started to realize just how easy it is to use Western news organizations for their own purposes. In this environment, Kohlmann says, "reasoned analysis of al-Qaeda's remaining viability as a terrorist organization risks being lost in the fog, whereas wild rumors about Osama bin Laden's attempts to poison America's cocaine supply receive instantaneous top billing." Read the rest of Kohlmann's essay...

Flashpoint Senior Partner Evan Kohlmann Testifies Before House Homeland Security Committee

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 22 November 2011 23:31

On May 25, 2011, Flashpoint Senior Partner Evan Kohlmann testified before the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing entitled, "Threats to the American Homeland after Killing Bin Laden: An Assessment." In his testimony, Kohlmann wrote, "Were we still stuck in October 2001," the killing of Usama Bin Laden "might be the end of the narrative for Bin Laden's jihadi movement. However, much has indeed changed in the world since those early days of the battle against Al-Qaida. The gaps in Al-Qaida's central leadership created by the deaths of former luminaries like Abu Hafs al-Masri and Abu Laith al-Liby have been filled by new younger figures like Abu Yahya al-Liby. With the blessings of Bin Laden and Ayman al- Zawahiri, regional Al-Qaida leaderships have emerged in critical locations such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and North Africa. Meanwhile, a new generation of homegrown 'lone wolf'-style jihadists has emerged (including many U.S. and European nationals) who may lack the military skills to plan the next 9/11, but whose passion for violence and bloodshed can nonetheless have deadly consequences."

West Point CTC Sentinel: "Al-Qa`ida’s Yemeni Expatriate Faction in Pakistan"

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 22 November 2011 23:25

Ever since Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up a transatlantic commercial airliner on Christmas Day 2009, public attention has been firmly fixed on al-Qa`ida’s latest regional franchise based in Yemen—a focus that has only increased in intensity following a subsequent cargo bomb plot thwarted in late 2010. Unbeknownst to many Americans, there is another prolific and deadly Yemeni terrorist network within al-Qa`ida that is operating far beyond the confines of the Arabian Peninsula. This network includes skilled bomb makers, martyrdom operatives, and senior commanders tightly ensconced with al-Qa`ida’s top leadership in the rugged terrain on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. During the past year, these individuals have demonstrated their remarkable ingenuity, tech-savvy, and deadly precision. They have been linked to some of the most serious attacks to take place in the Afghan-Pakistani region, including the dramatic suicide bombing in late December 2009 that killed seven agents from the Central Intelligence Agency and a Jordanian intelligence officer at an Afghan forward operating base near the border with Pakistan.

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

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Last Updated (Sunday, 06 November 2011 10:20) Written by Laith Alkhouri Friday, 05 March 2010 10:31

The February 2010 edition of the "Sentinel" Journal, published by the Counter Terrorism Center at West Point, features a new article written by Evan Kohlmann on the subject of the Ansar al-Mujahideen web forum, and the linked problem of English-speaking jihadists on the Internet. According to the article,"During the last decade, a virtual revolution has quietly taken place in the world of international terrorism. The tradition hubs of logistical activity--radical mosques, bookstores, and guesthouses--have been strictly monitored by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. As a result, in a strategy pioneered by eager cyber-savvy youth such as London resident Younis Tsouli (known as 'Irhaby 007'), aspiring terrorists have taken to the Internet in force, employing jihadist-themed social networking forums as a new base for propaganda, communications, and even recruitment. It was only in retrospect, years after this phenomenon began, that governments recognized the degree to which al-Qa'ida's leadership was aware of the existence of these social networking forums--and the extent of their interest in using them to harness the power of the web. Although official scrutiny initially focused on Arabic-language websites with clear connections to al-Qa'ida, recent events have forced a reappraisal of this relatively limited approach... It is increasingly second and third-tier extremist social networking forums managed by unaffiliated fringe activists--many of them offering dedicated English-language chat rooms--that appear to play pivotal roles in the indoctrination and radicalization of some of today's most notorious aspiring terrorists. This is a significant shift that has yet to be fully understood, as it could herald in a new generation of English-speaking or Westernized violent extremists."

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