FDD’s Long War Journal’s response to Zalmay Khalilzad’s Twitter thread
FDD’s Long War Journal responds to the former ambassador’s assertion that assessments of Afghanistan once again becoming a terrorist safe haven are false.
Author Archives: The LWJ Editors
Losing a war in Afghanistan
Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio, Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Donati, and FDD founder and president Clifford D. May discuss the dire situation in Afghanistan, how we got here, where we are going, and negotiations with the Taliban.
Podcast: The Rise of African Jihadism
Al Qaeda and ISIS have spawned such groups as Boko Haram and Al Shabaab that are spreading their influence across the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond. A recent study shows that African jihadists are increasingly attacking Western targets.
Podcast: Hezbollah’s Narco-Terror Nexus in Latin America
Iranian-backed Hezbollah is leveraging its growing global network to launder huge amounts of money, traffic weapons, and engage in a long list of illicit activities that are increasingly overlapping with the work of Latin American narcos.
Podcast: Sifting through Osama bin Laden’s terrorist treasure trove
The editors of FDD’s Long War Journal were featured as guests on the debut episode of a new podcast from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) titled Foreign Podicy to discuss Osama bin Laden’s files.
Understanding al Qaeda through the massive trove of Osama bin Laden’s files
On Nov. 17, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and FDD’s Long War Journal held an event to discuss the findings from the recently released documents from Osama bin Laden’s compound.
Taliban controls or contests 70 districts in Afghanistan
A New York Times map, based on data provided by The Long War Journal, shows the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. President Obama’s decision to keep 5,500 troop in country past 2017 will not be enough to turn the tide.
Nigerian military claims killing of Boko Haram leader’s ‘impersonator’
The Nigerian military reported that an impersonator of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been killed. It remains to be seen what this means for the group.
Boko Haram extends its grip in northeastern Nigeria
Continuing its campaign in northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram appears to have won its battle with Nigeria’s armed forces for control of Bama, a city of over a quarter million in Borno state.
2 bombings in northern Nigerian city of Kaduna
Two explosions that targeted religious and political leaders in Kaduna, Nigeria have killed at least 82 people.
Boko Haram kills local Muslim leader in Nigeria
Suspected Boko Haram militants shot and killed a local emir in an attack on a funeral convoy in northern Nigeria.
Boko Haram member warns of more kidnappings
In an interview, a Boko Haram member threatened that the group will conduct more kidnapping operations similar to its attack in Chibok where the group abducted over 300 schoolgirls.
Book excerpt: Chemical attack in Iraq
From ‘Fallujah Awakens’: a chlorine truck bomb deployed by insurgents against the village of Albu Aifan on March 16, 2007.
Fallujah Awakens: Marines, Sheikhs and the Battle Against al Qaeda
The story of the tribal “Awakening” and counterinsurgency campaign in the famous battleground.
‘Last Gasp’ of the Taliban?
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells tall tales about the Taliban’s dying “last gasp.”
The Long View: The Taliban Express
A monthly cartoon that tackles the issues of the war. This month’s topic: NATO’s supply lines from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
US killing moderate al Qaeda leaders, like Abu Yahya, says CT analyst
Abu Yahya al Libi and other al Qaeda leaders “were actually a moderating force” and killing them leads to the promotion of leaders “less likely to be amenable to restraining their actions,” a CT analyst would have you believe.
Strategic retreat
The Obama administration is pulling back from the war on terror, even as al Qaeda and its allies remain a serious threat.
Afghanistan
Coalition forces killed a former Gitmo detainee and “al Qaeda associate” in Nangarhar. Security forces killed and captured several Taliban fighters in Helmand, Khost, Wardak, and Balkh. The Taliban killed two ISAF soldiers in the south.
Iraq
A suicide bomber killed himself in a premature detonation. An “Iranian sniper” killed an Iraqi civilian in Haj Omran. Ninewa police discovered the body of an escaped prisoner.
Yemen
A suicide bomber killed six Yemeni soldiers at a checkpoint in the southern port city of Aden. President Saleh’s son halted negotiations with the opposition and will not support a transition of power.
Somalia
Six people were killed as Somali security forces fought amongst themselves in Mogadishu. African Union soldiers accidentally shot and killed a Malaysian reporter in the Somali capital.
Libya
Rebels have surrounded the pro-Gaddafi towns of Sirte, Bani Walid, Jufra, and Sabha, and have given forces there one week to surrender. Libyan Islamic Fighting Group leader Abdul Hakim Belhaj played down his ties to al Qaeda and Islamists.
Pakistani journalist executed by ISI: report
Syed Saleem Shahzad was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Pakistan’s intelligence service, according to Human Rights Watch.
On patrol in Karamanda
US Marines from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and an Afghan policeman cross a wadi as they enter the town of Karamanda in Musa Qala. Photo by Bill Ardolino for The Long War Journal Bill Ardolino published an article on the the US Marines from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment operating near the […]
Counting al Qaeda
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Bill Roggio published an article at The Weekly Standard on recent claims by the CIA and other intelligence agencies that there are merely 50-100 al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan. When CIA director Leon Panetta declared on a Sunday talk show in late June that “we’re looking at maybe 50 to 100” al […]
Iran’s PressTV continues to distort LWJ’s coverage of US strikes in Pakistan
Iran’s PressTV continues to distort The Long War Journal‘s data on the US air campaign against al Qaeda and the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan. According to PressTV, LWJ‘s data shows that mostly civilians are killed in the covert air campaign in Pakistan: Washington claims its airstrikes target militant hideouts though most of the attacks have […]
Bill Ardolino reports from Afghanistan
The Long War Journal is pleased to announce that Bill Ardolino is currently embedded with the US Marines in Musa Qala in Helmand province, Afghanistan. An excellent observer and reporter, Bill has reported for us previously from Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006 and 2007; and from Baghdad in 2008. In Helmand, Bill will be assessing the […]
Analysis: US outlines new Afghanistan strategy
The focus is on Pakistan’s sanctuaries, a troop and civilian “surge,” accelerating the growth of the Afghan security forces, reconciliation with the Taliban, improved governance, and international cooperation.
Pakistan’s Jihad
By Bill Roggio & Thomas Joscelyn. In the war on terror, Islamabad is both with us and against us. Originally published in The Weekly Standard magazine.