From the secular, Western perspective, acts of terror committed in
the name of Islam are very difficult to understand. Explanations
for these acts concentrate almost exclusively on economic, social,
and political factors. This article critiques the various approaches
used to explain the...
Telegram, an online instant messaging service popular among adherents of the Islamic State (IS), remains vital to the organization’s ecosystem of communications. The platform's functional affordances, paired with relatively lax enforcement of Telegram's terms of service (ToS), offers IS...
This paper analyzes al-Shabaab’s organized criminal activities, addresses the nexus of organized crime,
terrorism, and insurgency, and presents strategies to augment current approaches to marginalize the
terrorist group. Capitalizing on the weakness in the rule of law in Somalia and the...
As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) spreads across the Middle East and Africa, it continues to target the rich culture and history of the region. From the Nineveh Wall to Palmyra, ISIL has repeatedly drawn the ire of the international community through its indiscriminate...
On July 31, 2015, the Program on Extremism hosted a discussion on the threats and dynamics of the American and European foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) phenomenon. Director of CCHS Frank Cilluffo moderated a panel that included PoE Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino, Director of the International Centre...
The report consists of two parts. The first examines all cases of U.S. persons arrested, indicted, or convicted in the United States for IS-related activities. This section also looks at the cases of other Americans who, while not in the legal system, are known to have engaged in IS-inspired...
Until 2016, Twitter was the online platform of choice for English-language Islamic State (IS) sympathizers. As a result of Twitter’s counter-extremism policies - including content removal - there has been a decline in activity by IS supporters. This outcome may suggest the company’s efforts have...