Security Remains Elusive in Somalia
Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked group operating out of Somalia, has reportedly lost one of its most visible fighters, Omar Hammani, an American born and raised in… Read More
Doctors Without Borders: Unprecedented Departure from Somalia
Violent attacks against humanitarian aid workers in Somalia—and tolerance of the violence by Somali civilian leadership—is forcing Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières—MSF) to end… Read More
Al-Qaeda Hub: East Africa
Four U.S. embassies in sub-Saharan Africa—in Burundi, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Rwanda—remain closed this week in addition to the embassy closures in the Middle East and… Read More
SecurityNews
Central al-Qaeda May Be Wounded but Terrorist Threat Remains
On March 12 the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a report on the “Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community.” The report stated… Read More
News
The U.S. Should Ignore U.N. Inquiry Into Drone Strikes
Airstrikes carried out by U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly referred to as drones) have been criticized for several years by international human rights activists, including… Read More
Somaliland: Proof That Democracy in the Horn of Africa Is Possible
Today, citizens of Somaliland head to the polls to elect their local municipal council representatives. While the dysfunctional Somalia gets most of the attention in… Read More
Somalia: New President, Same Challenges
Yesterday, Somalia’s newly appointed parliament voted Hassan Sheikh Mohamud into office as the country’s new president. A political amateur and academic from central Somalia, Mohamud… Read More
A Somali Maritime Force? Think Again
Earlier this week, Somalia’s prime minister and presidential hopeful Abdiweli Mohamed Ali announced that his government seeks to establish a marine task force to stop… Read More
Somaliland Continues to Strive for Recognition
Amid the lawless bloodbath that is Somalia, the northern state of Somaliland remains a rare example of functioning democracy in the Muslim world. Unlike the… Read More
Somalia: Terrorism Is a Symptom of State Failure
The African Union’s mission to Somalia (AMISOM) is having marginal success in pushing the terrorist organization al-Shabaab out of its occupied territory. Al-Shabaab militants have… Read More
Al-Shabaab Targets Kenya
Last Monday, a shopping center in downtown Nairobi erupted into chaos when a bomb exploded, killing at least one person and injuring dozens. While the… Read More
London Somalia Conference: The First Step to Addressing a Crisis Is Acknowledging It
Today world leaders met in London for a conference addressing the ongoing crisis in Somalia. The one-day event included deliberations on the failed state’s governance… Read More
Somalia Hostage Rescue: Military Valor No Substitute for Foreign Policy
On Wednesday, the United States took the most aggressive military action in Somalia since the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. Three months ago, two foreign… Read More
Worse Than Somali Pirates: Disappointment in Burma
After watching as Burma released a mere handful of political prisoners—between 11 and 30, according to various reports, all of whom had very little time… Read More
Suicide Blast in Somalia Raising Concerns at Home
Following a devastating suicide blast earlier in the week in Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu, leaders from the regional terror group al Shabaab issued a… Read More
Al-Shabab’s Return to Mogadishu Signifies a Change in Strategy
When al-Shabab withdrew its frontline forces from Mogadishu last August, the terrorist group vowed to launch a wave of asymmetric attacks against the Transitional Federal… Read More
Awlaki’s Death: What Does It Mean for the Horn of Africa?
Earlier today, President Obama confirmed the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born Islamist radical and an important leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)…. Read More
President Ali Abdullah Saleh Returns to Yemen—Can’t Take a Hint
President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s return to Yemen on Friday after four months in Saudi Arabia has sparked renewed violence after protestors launched demonstrations against the… Read More
Somaliland: A Reliable Partner in Combating Piracy
Piracy off the Horn of Africa increases every year due to constant instability in the region. In 2008, 111 vessels were attacked. Since the beginning… Read More
The Whack a Mole Game in Libya Has Begun
Multiple news outlets are reporting that Libya has declared an immediate cease-fire in response to the United Nations resolution authorizing “all necessary measures” to stop… Read More
Another Challenge for the Administration: Piracy in the Gulf of Aden
With chaos erupting in North Africa and the Middle East, it’s easy to forget the many challenges the U.S. faces in the region. On Monday,… Read More
Bravo Zulu to South Korean Commandos
Bravo Zulu is navy parlance for “job well done.” South Korea’s naval commandos certainly earned that accolade by successfully rescuing all 21 hostages held aboard… Read More
SecurityNews
Shifting al-Qaeda Alliances Prove Ominous for US Interests
The recent attempts to explode packages aboard U.S.-bound airliners, linked to elements within the terrorist organization al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), underscore the perpetual… Read More
Guest Blogger: al-Shabaab Arrests Underscore Domestic Radicalization Threat
On August 5, more than a dozen Somali-Americans, variously located across several states, were arrested on charges related to providing material support to the terrorist… Read More
Not-So-Friendly Skies
On Monday evening, Dutch authorities detained Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi (of Detroit) and Hezem al Murisi when their United Airlines flight from Chicago landed… Read More
Terror Watch in Somalia: No Signs of Success
Two weeks have passed since al-Shabab, the African subsidiary of al-Qaeda, murdered over 70 innocents in Kampala. Former Bush Administration speechwriter Marc A. Thiessen makes… Read More
Somalia’s al-Shabab and the Long War on Terrorism
Sunday’s terror attacks in Kampala, Uganda are now known to be the work of Somalia’s Al-Shabab [the Youth], a self-declared ally of Osama bin Laden… Read More
Stopping Piracy Matters
After the American Revolution, ships that were deemed too costly to maintain were sold as merchant ships. Swords had been beaten into plowshares, cannons had… Read More
Don’t Let Somalia Become a Black Hole for U.S. Counter-Terrorism Funding
Back in January, President Obama said that he has no intention of sending U.S. troops into terrorist havens. However, in addition to working with regional… Read More
Modern Piracy Endangering Global Commerce and Security
While Blackbeard may be long dead, the days of piracy and the threats posed by it did not end in the 17th century. Today, piracy… Read More
