Publications
Publications
West Point CTC Sentinel: "A Beacon for Extremists: The Ansar al-Mujahideen Web Forum"
Last Updated (Friday, 05 March 2010 10:37) 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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Foreign Policy Magazine: "No, Madam Secretary: The System Is Not Working"
Last Updated (Monday, 18 January 2010 23:17) Written by Laith Alkhouri Monday, 28 December 2009 00:00
On December 28th, 2009, Foreign Policy magazine published an article by international terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann, titled "No, Madam Secretary: The System Is Not Working." Mr. Kohlmann discusses the way the current White House administration dealt with the failed terrorist Christmas plot perpetrated by Nigerian-national Umar Faruq Abdulmutalleb. Mr. Kohlmann argues that "the Obama administration must fundamentally rethink the U.S. approach to homeland security. There is very little reason to believe that -- even with the added security measures now in place -- the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would be capable of finding and stopping the next Abdulmutallab." The real solution, Mr. Kohlmann explains, is gathering intelligence, particularly any information that comes from the families of radicalized people , because "it is a problem of a small number of people working in groups of twos and threes. The real answer to this challenge is intelligence -- and recognizing the threat long before it ever reaches U.S. shores."
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Foreign Policy Magazine: "A Web of Lone Wolves"
Last Updated (Monday, 18 January 2010 22:40) Written by Laith Alkhouri Friday, 13 November 2009 00:00
On November 13th, 2009, Foreign Policy magazine published an article by international terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann, titled "A Web of Lone Wolves." Mr. Kohlmann highlights a chain of critical factors about today's "real online terrorism networks." This subject recently resurfaced when Major Malik Hasan carried out the massacre of Fort Hood in Texas--the biggest American military base. In this article, Mr. Kohlmann addresses the similarities between homegrown terrorists, and the influential role Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki carries in indoctrinating "lone wolves."
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Chart: "A Drought in Taliban Media"
Last Updated (Tuesday, 22 December 2009 07:16) Written by Evan Kohlmann Wednesday, 05 August 2009 08:50
The NEFA Foundation has released a new chart by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann titled, "Charting the Ongoing Drought in Taliban Media." The chart helps illustrate how, over the past few weeks, the number of daily communiqués and statements issued online by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) has been dramatically curtailed without any explanation from the Taliban. Though neither the U.S. government nor U.S. military have commented on the issue, the major dip in Taliban communications activity seems to have occurred directly following the Taliban capture of U.S. soldier Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl and the release of an Internet video of Bergdahl.
Chart: "Al-Qaida's Online Couriers: The Al-Fajr Media Center and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)"
Last Updated (Tuesday, 22 December 2009 07:17) Written by Evan Kohlmann Thursday, 30 April 2009 19:00
The NEFA Foundation has released a new interactive chart by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann titled, "Al-Qaida's Online Couriers: The Al-Fajr Media Center and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)." The chart maps out in detail the multi-step process by which multimedia recorded by mujahideen organizations in the field is distributed online--including the critical roles played by the pre-eminent Internet logistical service providers (namely Al-Fajr and the GIMF). As indicated by the chart, the Al-Fajr Media Center has official "contractual" partnerships with the As-Sahab Media Foundation, Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI), Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen), Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar al-Islam in Iraq, and the Islam Awazi Information Center (the media wing of the Turkestan Islamic Party). Conversely, at present, the GIMF boasts its own active service relationships with Jaish al-Islam and Tawheed wal-Jihad in the Gaza Strip, and the Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia.
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