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David,

I agree with the spin, but at the same time I do think we'll see the emergence of al-Qaeda 3.0 and although ISIS core has been psychologically and physically dislocated, malignant ISIS...

You can see the full article here without a subscription.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-says-resurgent-al-qaeda-plans-to-target-planes-and-airports/

Do you wonder if we're gradually...

An article from the Director of Strategic Planning for the National Counterterrorism Center.

The Fight So Far (NOV 2018)
...

More accurately, it is the author's "opinion" on why he thinks the report is wrong. He has his own political agenda that he readily admits to. The take away from the CSIS in my opinion is we won't be...

All wars are necessarily politicized, but President Bush took it to a new level when he justified invading Iraq partially on their non-existent support for al-Qaeda. We couldn't reverse course,...

A so-so article that suggests ISIL is gaining support in SE Asia because Al-Qaeda's support for the region has not been persistent.
...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/pentagon-given-new-authority-to-target-isis-in-afghanistan/

Pentagon Given New Authority to Target ISIS in Afghanistan



While this is good news, it...

A lot of factors need to be aligned for capacity building to work, both tangible and intangible. We focus too much on the tangible things we can count and convince ourselves we're making progress. ...

Thanks for sharing the link to the video, this is the fourth video I have seen of ISIS in combat, and it only adds to the assessment of the analysts quoted in the article. Again we're assessing...

That uncomfortable thought is certainly part of the reason. I would add that a unifying ideology is critical to bring together civilians (in this case from around the world) and turn them into a...

Video of Islamic State capabilities impresses military experts

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/20/263807/video-of-islamic-state-capabilities.html



Much more in the report, well worth the...

http://www.fpri.org/geopoliticus/2015/04/one-year-later-isis-overtakes-al-qaeda-whats-next



A few tables and graphs at the link showing the growth of ISIS influence and the decline of AQ's...

A negative development, at least in part due to our approach for targeting ISIL and an al-Nusra element planning to target western interests. Al-Nusra is affiliated with AQ, although there is some...

Bruce is clearly uninformed. Just because soft power efforts don't make headline news, doesn't mean they are a major effort. They would be less effective if they were advertised. Those pretending to...

I suspect there are thousands of Muslims in India and Bangladesh willing to support AQ. They already support other terrorist/insurgent/separatist movements in this region. AQ needs to win over just...

I think the AQ's evolving strategy, to include the associated two-arm strategy is showing a level of strategic maturity not seen before. I know there are many who think AQ can't establish a presence...

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/09/al_qaeda_opens_branc-print.php



Business should be good for this franchise since it is focused on of the most densely populated areas in the world...

It is important to clarify this statement to avoid confusion. Sunni populations is too broad a description to be useful, that is even broader than saying Americans think this or that. If you read...

Somewhat dated, but these excerpts from a RAND study are worth considering, and it helps clarify my point that we're looking at this through a Western bias that almost makes it impossible for us to...

As professionals it probably way past time to explore updating our lexicon.

Obviously Islam isn't a cause for economic problems, since the same economic problems impact other societies and states...

First off I think very few people in uniform default to all Muslims are evil terrorists, and I think more than half have actually read a fair amount of history on the topic. You and Bob can come...

Slapout can speak for himself, but i think you just left the ballpark completely with your comment about America not being a religion, so therefore the other side can't wage jihadists. First off the...

Actually Carl and Bob are both right. There must be a new political arrangement in the Middle East for any hope of a sustainable peace that will lessen, not erase, the appeal of radicalism. We also...

In many locations where there are conflicts a reasonable change in governance would do much to alleviate the hostility. In the deeply divided country of Iraq political changes are a must for any...

Only criticism of the current approach, no realistic recommendations for alternative approaches. For one that recommends we stop relying on history, you seem to be clinging to it, and conveniently...