AQIM's Blueprint for Securing Control of Northern Mali
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From Operation Serval to Barkhane
same year, Hollande sent French troops to From Operation Serval the Central African Republic (CAR) to curb ethno-religious warfare. During a visit to to Barkhane three African nations in the summer of 2014, the French president announced Understanding France’s Operation Barkhane, a reorganization of Increased Involvement in troops in the region into a counter-terrorism Africa in the Context of force of 3,000 soldiers. In light of this, what is one to make Françafrique and Post- of Hollande’s promise to break with colonialism tradition concerning France’s African policy? To what extent has he actively Carmen Cuesta Roca pursued the fulfillment of this promise, and does continued French involvement in Africa constitute success or failure in this rançois Hollande did not enter office regard? France has a complex relationship amid expectations that he would with Africa, and these ties cannot be easily become a foreign policy president. F cut. This paper does not seek to provide a His 2012 presidential campaign carefully critique of President Hollande’s policy focused on domestic issues. Much like toward France’s former African colonies. Nicolas Sarkozy and many of his Rather, it uses the current president’s predecessors, Hollande had declared, “I will decisions and behavior to explain why break away from Françafrique by proposing a France will not be able to distance itself relationship based on equality, trust, and 1 from its former colonies anytime soon. solidarity.” After his election on May 6, It is first necessary to outline a brief 2012, Hollande took steps to fulfill this history of France’s involvement in Africa, promise. -
Terrorist Tactics and Strategies Compiled and Selected by Judith Tinnes
PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 12, Issue 5 Bibliography: Terrorist Tactics and Strategies Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes [Bibliographic Series of Perspectives on Terrorism - BSPT-JT-2018-6] Abstract This bibliography contains journal articles, book chapters, books, edited volumes, theses, grey literature, bibliographies and other resources on terrorist tactics and strategies (such as the planning of attacks, targeting, decision making, and successful or failed plots). Though focusing on recent literature, the bibliography is not restricted to a particular time period and covers publications up to September 2018. The literature has been retrieved by manually browsing more than 200 core and periphery sources in the field of Terrorism Studies. Additionally, full-text and reference retrieval systems have been employed to broaden the search. Keywords: bibliography; resources; literature; terrorism; tactics, strategies, planning, plots, attacks, targeting, decision making NB: All websites were last visited on 16.09.2018. - See also Note for the Reader at the end of this literature list. Bibliographies and other Resources Al-Khalidi, Ashraf; Renahan, Thomas (Eds.) (2015, May-): Daesh Daily: An Update On ISIS Activities. URL: http://www.daeshdaily.com Atkins, Stephen E. (2011): Annotated Bibliography. In: Stephen E. Atkins (Ed.): The 9/11 Encyclopedia. (Vol. 1). (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 481-508. Bergen, Peter et al. (2016-): Terrorism in America after 9/11. (New America In-Depth Report). URL: https:// www.newamerica.org/in-depth/terrorism-in-america Bowie, Neil G. (2017, August): Terrorism Events Data: An Inventory of Databases and Data Sets, 1968-2017. Perspectives on Terrorism, 11(4), 50-72. URL: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/ customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2017/issue-4/0620174-terrorism-events-data-an-inventory-of- databases-and-data-sets-1968-2017-by-neil-g.-bowie.pdf Bowie, Neil G.; Schmid, Alex P. -
Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: Analysing the Interplay Between Online and Offline Worlds
Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: Analysing the Interplay Between Online and Offline Worlds Presented by Saimum Parvez Doctoral Candidate Govt. and IR Research Question RQs: How do online and offline interactions influence an individual towards violent extremism in Bangladesh? How do the online and offline contents produced by the violent extremists in Bangladesh construct the narrative that justifies violent Jihad? 2 Holey Artisan Twenty people, most of them foreigners, have been Attack killed in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh by Islamic State. Most of the suspected Holey Artisan attackers were from well-off families and attended English medium private institutions. NIBRAS ISLAM • Turkish Hope School • Monash University • A soccer player, music fan • 22 years old Holey Artisan Attack ROHAN IMTIAZ • Scholastica School • Monash University • Son of a ruling party leader Najibullah Ansari VE in Bangladesh • Although militant groups have been present in Bangladesh since the 1990s and the country experienced a serious surge in attacks in 2005-6, the situation began to take a turn for the worst in mid-2013. • Various transnational terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), claimed responsibility for ghastly attacks upon religious and ethnic minorities, foreigners, liberal activists, authors and publishers. • The attack on 1 July, 2016 by a group of youths connected to the IS on a café in the upscale neighbourhood of the capital Dhaka sent a shockwave through the country and drew international attention. • Very few evidence-based discussions about who are these violent extremists and what is driving Bangladeshis to militancy. -
The Islamic State Khorasan Province: a High- Stakes Political Blame-Game? Saurav Sarkar Research Associate, CAPS
CAPS In Focus 25 November 2020 www.capsindia.org 37/20 The Islamic State Khorasan Province: A high- stakes political blame-game? Saurav Sarkar Research Associate, CAPS Keywords: Taliban, ISKP, Afghan government, Haqqani Network, Terrorism The signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement in ISKP is a proxy of the Afghan government to defame the Taliban and spoil the peace process. February 2020 and the subsequent intra-Afghan There is not much merit to any of these talks were supposed to bring in some respite arguments and they are all largely driven by from the violence plaguing Afghanistan since the political agendas. However, these conflicting last two decades, at least in the short-term. narratives make progress towards peace difficult Unfortunately, there has not been much progress and sidelines emerging security threats. in the intra-Afghan talks nor in implementing the terms of the agreement. Amidst these political Breaking Down Conflicting Narratives in developments the Islamic State Khorasan recent ISKP attacks Province (ISKP) has emerged, unsurprisingly, as One of the most prolific and gruesome attacks a wildcard bent on unleashing carnage on the this year was the attack on the Gurudwara Har peace process by attacking multiple sensitive Rai Sahib in Kabul killing mostly Sikh targets. worshippers in March. A couple of weeks after The situation is further compounded by the the attack the leader of ISKP, Aslam Farooqi (a narratives promoted by opposing sides – the Pakistani national), was arrested by Afghan Afghan government and the Taliban (and their forces. After Farooqi’s arrest Afghan officials external supporters) – regarding attacks claimed were insinuating that the attack was conducted by or attributed to ISKP. -
Operation Serval. Analyzing the French Strategy Against Jihadists in Mali
ASPJ Africa & Francophonie - 3rd Quarter 2015 Operation Serval Analyzing the French Strategy against Jihadists in Mali LT COL STÉPHANE SPET, FRENCH AIR FORCE* imilar to the events that occurred two years earlier in Benghazi, the crews of the four Mirage 2000Ds that took off on the evening of 11 January 2013 from Chad inbound for Kona in central Mali knew that they were about to conduct a mis- sion that needed to stop the jihadist offensive to secure Bamako, the capital of Mali, and its population. This time, they were not alone because French special forces Swere already on the battlefield, ready to bring their firepower to bear. French military forces intended to prevent jihadist fighters from creating a caliphate in Mali. They also knew that suppressing any jihadist activity there would be another challenge—a more political one intended to remove the arrows from the jihadists’ hands. By answering the call for assistance from the Malian president to prevent jihadists from raiding Bamako and creating a radical Islamist state, French president François Hollande consented to engage his country in the Sahel to fight jihadists. Within a week, Operation Serval had put together a joint force that stopped the jihadist offensive and retook the initiative. Within two months, the French-led coalition had liberated the en- tire Malian territory after destruction of jihadist strongholds in the Adrar des Ifoghas by displaying a strategy that surprised both the coalition’s enemies and its allies. On 31 July 2014, this first chapter of the war on terror in the Sahel officially closed with a victory and the attainment of all objectives at that time. -
Redalyc.GLOBAL THREAT FORECAST
Revista UNISCI ISSN: 2386-9453 [email protected] Universidad Complutense de Madrid España Gunaratna, Rohan GLOBAL THREAT FORECAST Revista UNISCI, núm. 43, enero-junio, 2017, pp. 105-115 Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=76749542007 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Revista UNISCI / UNISCI Journal, Nº 43 (Enero/January 2017) GLOBAL THREAT FORECAST Rohan Gunaratna 1 International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research Abstract : Three significant developments will characterize the global threat landscape in 2017. First, it is likely that the so-called Islamic State (IS) will transform itself from a caliphate-building entity into a global terrorist movement in a similar manner as Al Qaeda (AQ). Second, the death of either the IS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi or AQ leader Ayman al Zawahiri, may lead to collaboration or possible unification of the most powerful terrorist groups. IS, AQ and their associates will compensate for their losses in the physical space by expanding further into cyber space Keywords: Islamic State, Al Qaeda, Global terrorism, Foreign Fighters, Cyber space Título en Castellano: Un Pronóstico sobre el Terrorismo Global Resumen: La amenaza global en 2017 viene caracterizada por tres desarrollos significativos. El primero, es probable que el Estado Islámico(EI) se transforme de ser una entidad que constructora de un Callifato a un movimiento terrorista global, lo mismo que Al Qaeda (AQ). -
Chapter 15: Africa - World’S First Busiest Drone Operational Proving Ground - Where Counter-Terrorism and Modernization Meet
Nichols, Ryan, Mumm, Lonstein, & Carter Chapter 15: Africa - World’s First Busiest Drone Operational Proving Ground - Where Counter-Terrorism and Modernization Meet Student Learning Objectives – Africa has become the drone investment -playground of many nations. The student will be introduced to activities of these geopolitical players (US, France, EU, Germany, Egypt and China) and the significance of their intentions. The history of drone investments / operations in Africa is directly a function of the growth of terrorist organizations and African economy. Africa – Overview Africa is a developing continent comprised of unstable states due to undeveloped economy, poor education, and unified government among the states. Africa’s leaders want to see their country develop and become a world leader. They look to their long-term allies to solve their issues. Radical Islam continues to spread and threaten the future of Africa. With the turbulence of state’s government, insurgence groups have joined forces with terrorist organizations affiliated with radical Islam. Radical Islamic extremists are a global security threat. Therefore, several countries fighting terror at home are also assisting Africa in the fight on terror. A priority goal of many African leaders is to defeat terrorism. They feel this can be achieved by stopping terrorist organizations membership growth. Conflict on land is not the only issue facing Africa, maritime security is a huge factor in Africa’s economic growth. Other countries willingly assist Africa in protecting their waterways to reap the benefits of trade and profit. There are high stakes for China, European Union, and United States to ensure Africa’s perimeter allows for safe passage of Commercial and Military vessels. -
Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum
COUNTER-TERRORISM REFERENCE CURRICULUM CTRC Academic Project Leads & Editors Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel, International Security Director Asia Pacific Foundation Visiting Teacher, London School of Economics & Political Science [email protected] & [email protected] Dr. Peter Forster, Associate Professor Penn State University [email protected] PfPC Reference Curriculum Lead Editors: Dr. David C. Emelifeonwu Senior Staff Officer, Educational Engagements Canadian Defence Academy Associate Professor Royal Military College of Canada Department of National Defence [email protected] Dr. Gary Rauchfuss Director, Records Management Training Program National Archives and Records Administration [email protected] Layout Coordinator / Distribution: Gabriella Lurwig-Gendarme NATO International Staff [email protected] Graphics & Printing — ISBN XXXX 2010-19 NATO COUNTER-TERRORISM REFERENCE CURRICULUM Published May 2020 2 FOREWORD “With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.” — Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Prize laureate NATO’s counter-terrorism efforts have been at the forefront of three consecutive NATO Summits, including the recent 2019 Leaders’ Meeting in London, with the clear political imperative for the Alliance to address a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality or religion. NATO’s determination and solidarity in fighting the evolving challenge posed by terrorism has constantly increased since the Alliance invoked its collective defence clause for the first time in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 on the United States of America. NATO has gained much experience in countering terrorism from its missions and operations. However, NATO cannot defeat terrorism on its own. Fortunately, we do not stand alone. -
PDF EU MONITOR: French Lessons in Africa
April 2020 1 EU MONITOR French lessons in Africa: An assessment of three key military capabilities for European defence Adrian Blazquez § The Sahel region is often known as the European southern border. This area is a hotbed of violence and instability where weak states are overwhelmed by a myriad of ethnic conflicts and the proliferation of extremist groups. Local governments are largely unable to control their borders. MarchMarch 2020 2018 2 Due to that, the trafficking of drugs, weapons and shortfalls in Operation Serval that have persisted during human smuggling networks abound while these countries, Barkhane.8 This is relevant from an EU approach given that especially Niger, have become the gateways for sub- the rest of the member states lack as well these military Saharan migration to reach North Africa and, eventually, means. The article examines both operations as they Europe.1 However, despite its relevance, the Sahel does not constitute an epitome of the challenge to be expected for garner much public attention. The EU’s interest in this Europe when it comes to maintain prolonged high-end region dates back to the 2000s, especially in relation to military operations (be it through the European Union, migrant flows.2 Nonetheless, it was in the 2010s when the NATO or ad hoc coalitions) in remote theatres. Finally, it growing instability, drove the International Community to highlights three capability gaps that the EU should strive to undertake a slew of initiatives, the first of them being in remedy in order to reach a certain level of strategic 2012, aimed at alleviating the situation. -
ONLINE JIHADIST PROPAGANDA 2019 in Review
ONLINE JIHADIST PROPAGANDA 2019 in review Public release Contents 1. Key findings ............................................................................................................... 3 2. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 5 3. Islamic State (IS): striving for post-state relevance .................................................. 6 3.1. Loss of territory in Syria leads to demonstration of force in peripheries ............... 6 3.2. IS falls back on guerrilla tactics ................................................................................ 9 3.3. IS synchronises its media campaigns to demonstrate an esprit de corps ............. 11 3.4. IS supporters emphasize the role of women and children ................................... 14 3.5. IS struggles to keep its footing online ................................................................... 15 4. Al-Qaeda (AQ): a network of local militancy and focused incrementalism ............ 18 4.1. Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) ......................................................... 20 4.2. Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahideen (al-Shabab) ...................................................... 22 4.3. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) ............................................................. 23 5. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extends its authority over Idlib .................................. 27 6. Running themes across jihadi groups .................................................................... -
France's War in Mali: Lessons for an Expeditionary Army
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and EDUCATION AND THE ARTS decisionmaking through research and analysis. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE This electronic document was made available from www.rand.org as a public service INFRASTRUCTURE AND of the RAND Corporation. TRANSPORTATION INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY Support RAND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Browse Reports & Bookstore TERRORISM AND Make a charitable contribution HOMELAND SECURITY For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND Corporation View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non- commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non-RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This report is part of the RAND Corporation research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. C O R P O R A T I O N France’s War in Mali Lessons for an Expeditionary Army Michael Shurkin Prepared for the United States Army Approved for public release; distribution unlimited For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/rr770 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. -
Reconstructing Local Orders in Mali: Historical Perspectives and Future Challenges
Local Orders Paper Series BROOKINGS PAPER 7 | July 2017 Reconstructing local orders in Mali: Historical perspectives and future challenges ANDREW LEBOVICH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first and foremost thank Vanda Felbab-Brown, Shadi Hamid, and Harold Trinkunas for their invitation to participate in the Local Orders Seminar in early 2016, which allowed for an early presentation of what would become this paper. I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to Shadi and particularly Vanda for their kindness and infinite patience with delays on my end and the exigencies of doctoral research and travel while writing and revising this paper. They have shown uncommon grace throughout this process, and repeatedly pushed me to write and present this material in a form more approachable and digestible for a non-academic readership. Their comments and edits, as well as those of the anonymous reviewers, have made this a significantly stronger paper than it would have otherwise been. Additional thanks are due to Bradley Porter for his own tireless organizational efforts, as well as to Anthony Yazaki for his expert editing of the penultimate version of this paper. This publication could not have been finished without their tireless efforts. Brookings recognizes that the value it provides to any supporter is in its absolute commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment, and the analysis and recommendations of the Institution’s scholars are not determined by any donation. Local Orders Paper Series ABOUT THE RECONSTITUTING LOCAL ORDERS PROJECT Led by Brookings Senior Fellows Vanda Felbab-Brown, Shadi Hamid, and Harold Trinkunas, the Brookings Seminar on Reconstituting Local Orders seeks to better understand how domestic political order breaks down and is reconstituted.