Department of Defense continues to downplay Taliban and Al Qaeda threat in Afghanistan
The U.S. military continues to recycle stale estimates of Al Qaeda’s strength in Afghanistan, and elevate the Islamic State as a greater threat.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio
Afghan Taliban brokers ceasefire between Pakistan and TTP
The Haqqani Network, an integral part of the Taliban whose leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the Taliban’s deputy emir and minister of the interior, is reported to have facilitated the negotiations.
Generation Jihad Ep. 70 — An Israel Update
Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Vice President for Research Jonathan Schanzer and Long War Journal’s Joe Truzman to discuss some of the latest and most pressing news from Israel — including the death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.
Generation Jihad Ep. 69 — An Afghanistan Update
Host Bill Roggio briefs listeners on some of the latest news related to Afghanistan — including a few buried headlines you might have missed.
Generation Jihad Ep. 68 — Israel terror wave: 3 weeks. 4 attacks. 13 dead. Here’s what we know.
In just under three weeks, the most recent string of terrorism to strike Israel has so far included four high-profile attacks that left 13 dead and many more injured across Israel — including in heavily-populated civilian areas like Be’er Sheba and Tel Aviv. Just yesterday, a terrorist opened fire on civilians enjoying an evening out on Tel Aviv’s famous Dizengoff Street, known for its bustling nightlife. We’re approaching almost one-year since the 2021 Gaza Conflict. Is any of this related? Who is responsible? Are these lone-wolf attacks? Have any jihadi groups claimed responsibility? Should we believe them? To make sense of what’s happening, host Bill Roggio is joined by Long War Journal’s Joe Truzman to unpack and analyze the latest information from a variety of sources.
Generation Jihad Ep. 67 — Meanwhile in Africa
Host Bill Roggio is joined by two Long War Journal regulars, Caleb Weiss and Andrew Tobin, to give listeners an update on what’s happening on the ground in Africa from the Sahel — including that more than 400 Malians have been slaughtered in under one month — to “elections” and Shabaab attacks in Somalia.
Generation Jihad Ep. 66 — Negotiating with Terrorists
Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss America’s inability, or refusal, to understand its enemies and adversaries. In particular: how the Islamic Republic of Iran’s continued brazenness in targeting American security interests — including its latest missile attack in Iraq just days ago — cannot deter the United States from continuing to engage in nuclear negotiations (vis-a-vis the Russians, no less) with the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror.
Generation Jihad Ep. 65 — CDR Salamander on the Ukraine War
Host Bill Roggio is joined by Commander Salamander, a retired U.S. Navy Commander. Since 2003, like Bill, Sal has been closely tracking and analyzing military issues on his “Commander Salamander” blog and is widely seen as a trailblazer in the arena. The two discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine following Putin’s invasion.
Generation Jihad Ep. 64 — Minority Report: Ukraine
Bill Roggio provides an update on the current situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, including a clear-eyed and sober analysis of what’s actually happening on the ground. Bill reminds listeners that the West must understand the enemy and how — if we want to help Ukraine — we must be honest about its predicament.
Generation Jihad Ep. 63 — Know Thine Frenemy
Host Bill Roggio is joined by Hussain Haqqani, South and Central Asia Director at the Hudson Institute and Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the U.S., for an update on Pakistan — from the Taliban’s victory in resurrecting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Pakistani state’s hospitality for jihadis and possible future scenarios for Pakistan, its neighbors, and the region.
U.S. offers $10 million reward for leader of Islamic State Khorasan Province
Sanaullah Ghafar, who is also known as Shabab al-Muhajir, has been identified as an “ambitious new leader” of the Islamic State Khorasan Province. His challenge is to hold off the vastly superior Taliban, which controls Afghanistan.
Generation Jihad Ep. 61 — The State of the Jihad
Bill Roggio is joined by Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator of the United Nations Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, to discuss the findings from his team’s latest report on the statuses of ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Generation Jihad Ep. 60 — Iran’s global terrorism strategy
Bill Roggio is joined by FDD’s Senior Vice President for Research Jonathan Schanzer to have a wide-ranging discussion about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s role as the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror — ranging from its illicit nuclear program to its destabilization of the region via its proxy terrorist groups.
Ep. 59 — After Qurayshi: The State of the Islamic State
Yesterday, the U.S. conducted a raid in Syria that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Host Bill Roggio is joined by Craig Whiteside to unpack the raid and discuss what might happen next within ISIS — including what Qurayshi’s succession might look like. Powered by RedCircle Take a look around […]
The Dynamic Terrorism Landscape and What It Means for America
On Feb. 2, Bill Roggio testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security at a hearing titled, “The Dynamic Terrorism Landscape and What It Means for America.” His testimony focused on the state of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, state sponsors of terrorism such as Iran and Pakistan, and the growing threat of global jihadism.
Pakistani Taliban emir says his group “is a branch of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”
TTP emir Noor Wali Mehsud said that his group “is a branch of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” while traveling throughout Pakistan’s northern areas.
In fight against Islamic State, the Taliban holds major advantage
The Taliban has the advantage in all of the key areas, save one. The Taliban has state sponsors, terrorist allies, regional support, a marked superiority in weapons and numbers, and controls all of Afghanistan. ISKP can only match the Taliban in one area, and this the will to fight and persevere.
Top Haqqani Network leader named Taliban governor of Logar
Haji Mali Khan was a top Haqqani Network and Taliban leader when he was detained by the U.S. in 2011. He was freed in 2019 in exchange for a U.S. and an Australian professor who were kidnapped in Kabul in 2016.
Taliban appoints Kabul Attack Network commander as provincial governor
Qari Baryal led an element of the Kabul Attack Network, which attacked Coalition and Afghan forces, as well as civilians, in an around Kabul. He is closely allied with Al Qaeda and has received financial support from Iran.
Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) consolidates power in tribal areas
With increased muscle, backing and resources, the TTP – which sent thousands of fighters into Afghanistan to help the Afghan Taliban conquer the country over the summer – can now refocus its efforts on its insurgency in order to overthrow the Pakistani state.
Sirajuddin Haqqani’s Ministry of Interior has begun issuing Afghan passports
With control of the Ministry of Interior, Sirajuddin now has the power to issue passports to Al Qaeda operatives and their allies, all in the name of the government of Afghanistan.
Influential Taliban commanders appointed to key positions in new regime
The Taliban appointed former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir as a deputy minister of defense, while Ibrahim Sadr, who has worked closely with Iran in the past, was named a deputy minister of the interior for security.
Taliban lionizes Haqqani commander who celebrated ties to Al Qaeda, held American hostage
Mullah Sangeen Zadran, a senior Taliban and Haqqani Network leader, was intricately linked to Al Qaeda. he viewed the two groups as inseparable “brothers.” The U.S. killed Sangeen and an Al Qaeda bomb maker in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2013.
Osama bin Laden’s security chief triumphantly returns to hometown in Afghanistan
The video of Dr. Amin al Haq is evidence that Al Qaeda commanders now feel secure enough to appear publicly in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
After fall of Kabul, resistance to Taliban emerges in Panjshir
Prospects for this resistance, lead by Amrullah Saleh, are dim. He has a formidable task ahead of him and his prospects are bleak. The Taliban will seek to crush this last bastion of resistance.
Taliban encircling Afghan capital Kabul, prepping final assault through east
The Taliban took control of the provinces of Paktika, Paktia, Faryab, Laghman, and Kunar today, as well as Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan’s second largest city. It is consolidating its control of the east in preparation for its final assault on Kabul.
Taliban overrun Herat City, Qala-i-Naw
Herat City is the Taliban’s biggest victory since it began taking control of provincial capitals in late July. With the fall of Herat and Qala-i-Naw, the Taliban now fully controls the west.
Taliban seizes Afghan Army corps headquarters, 2 northern airports
The Taliban seeks to consolidate recent gains in Kunduz and Jawzjan provinces, and deny the Afghan military the ability to counterattack
Former headquarters of Northern Alliance falls under Taliban control
The north, where many Afghan power brokers are base, is now in a state of general collapse. Seven of the nine northern provincial capitals are under Taliban control.
Farah City, Pul-i-Khumri fall to the Taliban
Eight of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban in less than a week. The Taliban now fully controls four provinces; Farah, Jawzjan, Nimruz, and Takhar.