Arrest of Militants Signals Hamas’ Involvement in Uptick of West Bank Violence
Israel’s Shin Bet arrested several Hamas operatives in the West Bank this month in connection to planned shooting and bombing attacks against Israelis.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
U.S. frees Taliban narcotics kingpin in exchange for Navy veteran
The Taliban released Mark Frerichs, an American veteran who has been held hostage since early 2020, in exchange for Haji Bashir Noorzai, a convicted Taliban drug kingpin who was serving a life sentence for smuggling heroin into the United States.
Islamic State claims first attacks inside Benin
The two claims of responsibility now confirms that both al Qaeda and the Islamic State are active inside the small West African country.
Ukraine’s Counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson and the Road Ahead
Ukraine’s stunning victory in Kharkiv Oblast has reshaped the battlefield and dealt a powerful blow to Vladimir Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to wage a more gradual but no less important counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. This analysis will unpack them both and highlight some factors that will shape the road ahead. Kharkiv […]
A Newly Established Militant Organization in the West Bank Claims Several Attacks
A nascent militant organization has been established in the West Bank and has claimed several attacks against IDF troops.
Israel’s Defense Minister Reveals Syrian Military Sites Used to Produce Advanced Weapons for Iran
Israel’s defense minister revealed Syrian military used to manufacture advanced arms for Tehran.
Generation Jihad Ep. 80 — Where do things stand in Ukraine?
In the first iteration of Long War Journal’s expanding coverage, Bill is joined by John Hardie, deputy director of FDD’s Russia Program, to examine the current state of Russia’s war in Ukraine. They unpack and analyze the latest information, from tactical and theater-level to strategic.
Generation Jihad Ep. 79 — An update on the Islamic State
Bill is joined again by Edmund Fitton-Brown and Caleb Weiss to take a look at the current global footprint of the Islamic State.
Contested area of northern Somalia witnesses rare suicide bombing
The Sanaag Region, a territory contested by both Somalia and Somaliland, witnessed its first suicide bombing yesterday. No group has officially taken credit, though Shabaab is widely suspected given its history in the area.
Mounting Evidence of the PA’s Security Services Clashing With IDF Troops in the West Bank
Attacks launched by the Palestinian Authority’s Security Services against IDF troops has increased since the uptick in violence in the West Bank began last year.
Rare photo surfaces of top Al Qaeda leaders inside Iran
FDD’s Long War Journal confirmed the authenticity of a photograph of senior Al Qaeda leaders Saif al Adel, Abu Muhammad al Masri, and Abu Abu al Khayr al Masri in Tehran, Iran, circa 2015. Saif al Adel may be the next leader of Al Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia Designates Individuals for Supporting Yemen’s Houthi Movement
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia designated five individuals for providing support to the Iran-backed Houthi movement.
Generation Jihad Ep. 78 — The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Turns One
Friend of the show LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster joins Bill once again to discuss America’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan one year ago. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary — including an ongoing close relationship with al Qaeda, the United States designated the Taliban as “partners in peace” and handed the terrorist group keys to a state apparatus. Afghanistan fell and became the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. But it didn’t have to.
One year after U.S. withdrawal, resistance to Taliban rule grows
One year after America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, resistance to the Taliban’s brutal regime has organized in northern Afghanistan and is beginning to challenge the Taliban’s primacy. FDD’s Long War Journal is mapping the resistance activities.
Taliban circulates video of Haqqanis plotting 2010 suicide raid against U.S. troops
Sirajuddin Haqqani, who at the time was the operational commander of the Haqqani Network, was joined by his brother Badruddin Haqqani, Qari Zakir, the Taliban’s chief of suicide bombers, Mullah Sangeen Zadran, a dangerous Haqqani leader, and Ghani Muhammad, an Al Qaeda-linked military commander based in Pakistan, in the video. They give a send off to the suicide assault team that attacked Forward Operating Base Fenty on Nov. 12, 2010.
Taliban Appoints Former Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Lead Fight in Panjshir
Zakir’s appointment to lead the fight against the National Resistance Front (NRF) in Panjshir and the district of Andarab in the neighboring province of Baghlan is a clear indication that the NRF is challenging the Taliban’s primacy in central and northern Afghanistan. Zakir is a capable military commander.
Analysis: Thirty hour long hotel siege emblematic of Somalia’s remaining security challenges
Shabaab’s recent hotel siege in Mogadishu, beginning on Friday and ending early Sunday, signals the severe challenges that remain in combating the al Qaeda branch.
Generation Jihad Ep. 77 — Catching up with John Batchelor
In this episode, Bill interviews John Batchelor, host of CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor. Bill has been a regular on John’s radio show for more than a decade and considers him a mentor and friend. They discuss the Long War and how September 11, 2001 shaped both of their careers.
US picks up pace of airstrikes in Somalia
Since resuming military activity inside Somalia earlier this year, the Biden Administration has ramped up the pace of airstrikes in the Horn of Africa country in recent weeks. Since June 3, the US has conducted at least six airstrikes against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa.
Islamic State conducts second major prison break in Congo
The raid also marks the first time that the Allied Democratic Forces, the local name for the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province, has struck inside Butembo city.
Senior Pakistani Taliban leader reportedly killed in Afghanistan
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan leader Omar Khalid Khurasani, who is believed to have given sanctuary to Ayman al Zawahiri in the past, has called for global jihad, attacks on the US, and the establishment of the caliphate, and celebrated the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. He is reported to have been killed in a district in Afghansitan that has hosted an Al Qaeda training camp in the past.
Generation Jihad Ep. 76 — What just happened in Gaza?
Bill is joined again by Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at FDD, and by Joe Truzman, research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal, to discuss the latest round of violence that emanated from the Gaza Strip this weekend and eventually resulted in an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. They also unpack details about the terrorist group behind the escalation, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) — including where they get their weapons, training, and funding (spoiler alert: it’s Iran).
Ceasefire in Effect Following More Than Two Days of Fighting in Gaza
A ceasefire deal mediated by Egypt has been reached between Palestinian militant organizations and Israel.
Operation “Breaking Dawn” in Gaza Enters its Second Day
Palestinian militants continued to fire rockets towards Israel as operation “Breaking Dawn” entered its second day.
IDF Targeted Operation Eliminates Palestinian Islamic Jihad Commander
In a targeted operation Friday afternoon, the IDF eliminated Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s northern commander, Taysir al-Jabari.
Generation Jihad Ep. 75 — Zawahiri is dead. Al Qaeda is not.
Edmund Fitton-Brown — outgoing coordinator of the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team and longtime friend of the show — joins Bill to discuss the killing of Al Qaeda emir Ayman Zawahiri, who died in a U.S. drone strike last Sunday.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader Behind the Rise in West Bank Militancy Arrested
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank behind the surge in militant activity was arrested in an Israeli security forces’ operation Monday night in Jenin.
U.S. kills Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri in drone strike
Zawahiri’s death is being hailed as a counterterrorism success, but that masks the fact Afghanistan has become a safe haven for top Al Qaeda leaders.
Generation Jihad Ep. 74 — Zawahiri in Afghanistan
In this episode, Bill flies solo and expands upon his recent article in FDD’s Long War Journal, “Ayman al Zawahiri is alive; Taliban and Al Qaeda ‘remain close,’ UN reports,” noting that reports today (August 1, 2022) of Zawahiri’s death inside of Afghanistan underscore the country’s role as a safe-haven for Al Qaeda.
Hamas Continues Propaganda Campaign Involving Israeli POWs
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida made a statement Sunday acknowledging that a member of a specialized unit in charge of guarding Israeli prisoners of war was killed during the 2021 Gaza conflict.