Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

Iraq’s "Muqawama Government" Drives Out Prominent LGBTQ Advocate

Officials appear to be cracking down on freedom of speech and alternative lifestyles opposed by the self-styled militia "resistance."

Feb 10, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Amir al-Kaabi
Michael Knights
Crispin Smith

◆ Militia Spotlight

U.S. President George W. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - source: U.S. government

Articles & Testimony

Musharraf’s Life Story Tracked Pakistan’s Struggle with the U.S.

The late leader’s funeral also shed light on the status of military-civil relations in Islamabad, where governments come and go but the military remains the most powerful party.

Feb 8, 2023

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Simon Henderson

President Biden delivers the 2022 State of the Union address in Washington - source: U.S. government

Brief Analysis

The State of the Union and the Middle East

A compendium of what the past three U.S. presidents have said—and not said—about the region in their annual speeches before Congress.

Feb 8, 2023

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Eric Feely

Articles & Testimony

The EU Can, and Should, Designate the IRGC as a Terrorist Group

Legitimate policy debates aside, and contrary to recent statements by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Europe has more than enough legal authority and evidence to designate the organization.

Jan 30, 2023

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Matthew Levitt

Akram Kaabi meets Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Bogdanov in Moscow in December 2022

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Akram Kaabi’s Visit to Moscow and Its Aftermath

Russia now feels emboldened to openly host Iraqi "resistance" leaders with no government role—including designated terrorists—to discuss their shared interest in confronting the West and working together in Syria and Iraq.

Jan 27, 2023

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Erik Yavorsky

◆ Militia Spotlight

Articles & Testimony

The UNIFIL Follies Turn Deadly on the Israel-Lebanon Border

The recent murder of an Irish peacekeeper has once again exposed the international mission as a costly failure—one that should be drastically curtailed come renewal time this summer.

Jan 24, 2023

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David Schenker

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Transnational Muqawama Show Disapproval Via Warithuun Attack on al-Tanf

With probable IRGC-QF acquiescence, a militia facade group struck U.S. targets in Syria to register its defiance against a possible extension of the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Jan 24, 2023

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Michael Knights
Hamdi Malik
Crispin Smith

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Militia Spokesmen Reflect on Sudani Inviting U.S. Forces to Remain

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is signaling pragmatism, while Kataib Hezbollah is contorting its arguments to allow it to play along, albeit without explicitly accepting a U.S. military presence.

Jan 17, 2023

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Ameer al-Kaabi
Michael Knights
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Women and a child walk near Kabul, Afghanistan - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Repeating the Past or Following Precedent? Contextualising the Taliban 2.0’s Governance of Women

A twenty-first-century return to the group’s past gender apartheid is a distinct possibility, potentially threatening Afghan women’s rights, the survival of vulnerable ethnic groups, and the country’s broader security and prosperity.

Jan 12, 2023

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Gina Vale
Devorah Margolin
Farkhondeh Akbari

Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), walk together near Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province - source: Reuters

Fikra Forum

Turkish Drone Strikes and Building Concerns About Washington in Syria’s Autonomous Administration

Some U.S. allies believe the Biden administration has been noticeably muted regarding Turkey's escalations in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Jan 11, 2023

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Baraa Sabri

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Muqawama Lauds "Resistance Government" in Iraq

Pro-militia parliamentarians and journalists have become increasingly open about what they expect the Sudani government's role to be: a cover for the muqawama.

Jan 11, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Crispin Smith

◆ Militia Spotlight

Video

Brief Analysis

A Survey of the 2023 Terrorism Threat Landscape

The head of America’s counterterrorism enterprise assesses which threats will demand the most attention over the next year, from racially motivated extremists in the homeland to ISIS and al-Qaeda offshoots in Africa.

Jan 10, 2023

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Christine Abizaid

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Hamas at 35

A look back at the group’s track record and unchanging core ideology shows why its gestures toward democracy and inclusivity should not be mistaken for true moderation.

Dec 21, 2022

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Devorah Margolin

Private Sean Rooney, an Irish soldier killed while serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon - source: Government of the Republic of Ireland

Brief Analysis

Expect More Violence If Hezbollah Isn’t Held Accountable for Murdering an Irish Soldier

Whether the group is pulling the trigger itself or inciting others to do so, its brazen disregard for Lebanese civil authority, international law, and Israeli redlines has reached a new low.

Dec 20, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar

U.S. and Algerian flags at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers - source: U.S. government

Brief Analysis

Bolstering U.S.-Algeria Relations Amid the Africa Leaders Summit

At a time when Algerian military cooperation with Russia is growing and African counterterrorism challenges are proliferating, Washington cannot afford to take the relationship for granted.

Dec 15, 2022

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Sabina Henneberg

A Lebanese protester holds a sign denouncing Iranian influence

Articles & Testimony

Iran Occupies Lebanon via Proxy, But the Lebanese Still Have Agency

Although not much can be done about disarming Hezbollah at the moment, any serious Western policy will need to focus on sanctioning the group’s domestic political enablers while engaging and protecting its Shia opponents.

Dec 13, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Human Rights Sanctions on Iran Need More Coordination and Creativity

Several countries have rapidly imposed new sanctions in response to the regime’s repression of peaceful protests, but they should do more to harmonize and expand these actions.

Dec 9, 2022

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Henry Rome

Photo showing 1983 terrorist attack at U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

Video

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah Turns 40: Implications of the Group’s Internal, Regional, and Strategic Shifts

Four experts assess Hezbollah's impact at home and abroad after decades of political maneuvering, military operations, and criminal activity.

Dec 2, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar
Matthew Levitt
Mona Fayad
Akeel Abbas

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

"Sudani Is a General Manager": How Militias View Iraq's New Prime Minister

Militia leaders have stated that his authority will be limited to technocratic and bureaucratic matters, while they will dictate the country's strategic direction and security decisions—including the future U.S. presence in Iraq.

Dec 1, 2022

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah and Kaf Celebrate Attacks on Americans

The militia's media channel has been praising past Iranian-aided terrorist acts that killed and wounded U.S. military personnel in Iraq—and linking them to current activities.

Nov 30, 2022

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Michael Knights
Aya Yousuf
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Supported by the

Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

The Washington Institute's Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence serves as Washington's premier center for the study of international terrorism.

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Featured experts

Matthew Levitt

Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.

Devorah Margolin

Devorah Margolin is the Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Aaron Y. Zelin

Aaron Y. Zelin is the Richard Borow Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy where his research focuses on Sunni Arab jihadi groups in North Africa and Syria as well as the trend of foreign fighting and online jihadism.

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Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

Featured experts

Regions & Countries

Issues

Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

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Featured experts