Month: September 2023

The Fallout in Chad from the Fighting in Darfur

War in Sudan’s Darfur region has triggered a refugee crisis in eastern Chad and raised concerns that turmoil could spread. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Enrica Picco draws upon research at the Chad-Sudan border to explain the challenges facing N’Djamena.

Israël et le double assassinat des frères Kennedy

En 1968, Robert Kennedy était assassiné alors qu’il venait de gagner les primaires de Californie, ce qui faisait de lui le favori dans la course présidentielle. Une fois à la Maison-Blanche, il aurait été en mesure de rouvrir l’enquête sur la mort de son frère cinq ans plus tôt, et l’on sait, par de nombreux témoignages, qu’il en avait l’intention.

The International Standards On Countering The Financing Of Terrorism

Abstract: International recommendations on countering the financing of terrorism have been accepted as the benchmark when drafting national policies against terror financing. Still, the international recommendations are yet to clarify what needs to be included in terrorist financing. This paper examines the necessity to revise the international standards catered to countering the financing of terrorism. The landscape of terrorist financing has changed since the inception of the recommendation about 20 years ago. In addition, the mechanisms in place to identify what is or is not terrorist financing are also explored to better grasp what is scrutinized as terrorist financing on the ground level. In line with that, this paper provides an insight into what could be the components of terrorist financing that need to be considered when revising the international standards on countering the financing of terrorism.

ISIS has declared the death of its leader and the appointment of a new leader

Highlights

  • On August 3, 2023, ISIS’s Al-Furqan Media Foundation released an audiotape with a statement by Abu Hudhaifa al-Ansari, ISIS’s spokesman. In the tape, the organization’s spokesman announces the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, the organization’s leader, and the appointment of Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as his replacement.
  • ISIS’s spokesman blames the leader’s death on the Al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS, which is considered the dominant organization in the rebel enclave in Idlib. He denies the official version published by Turkey, according to which Al-Qurashi was killed by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT). HTS issued a statement denying its involvement in killing ISIS’s leader. It should be noted that alongside the news of his death, rumors also circulated about the ouster of the leader even before he was killed.
  • Although the date of his death is not specified on the audiotape, the ITIC estimates that he was killed in April 2023. As ISIS has done in the past, this time too, the information about the leader’s death has not been officially published by ISIS. This is apparently because the organization waited for a new leader to be chosen by the Shura Council and for establishing support and recognition for his appointment by the operatives in the various provinces.
  • This is the fourth leader of ISIS killed since the establishment of the organization. The last three leaders were killed after a relatively short term of office and it seems that their term of office is getting shorter after the first leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, served for six and a half years while the last leader served only six months. It should be noted that the short terms of office of the organization’s leaders and the high turnover of the organization’s leaders are a severe blow to ISIS’s power, capabilities, and image. It should also be noted that the four leaders were killed on Syrian soil, to which the center of gravity of the organization’s leadership has moved. All four were killed in areas where the Syrian government had limited control (Idlib and Daraa).
  • If HTS is indeed responsible for the leader’s death, this is the second time that ISIS’s leader has been killed by a rival organization in Syria. This time it is an organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda operating in the Idlib region. It is possible that his death will lead to attempts by ISIS operatives to carry out a series of acts of revenge.

The Leading Cause of Immense Distress in the Sahel is Imperialism

The Sahel region in Africa has experienced some of the worst distress in the world in recent times caused by violence, insecurity, hunger and deprivation. The recent crisis in Niger and the possibilities of its escalation have added to a situation that was already full of simmering tensions as seen in various countries of this region.

ISKP And Afghan Taliban – OpEd

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is considered a threat to Afghan Taliban and their governance in Afghanistan. ISKP is an affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS) that primarily operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Its presence and activities posed several challenges to Afghan Taliban. The Afghan Taliban and ISKP have different ideological and strategic goals. While the Taliban seeks to establish an Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and has primarily focused on Afghanistan, ISKP aims to establish a global caliphate and has a more expansionist agenda. This ideological difference led to conflicts and competition for influence in the region.

Afghanistan’s Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis: An Urgent Call For International Action – OpEd

Afghanistan remains in the grip of multiple crises, with its humanitarian situation worsening by the day. A recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveals the alarming scale of the crisis, with over 70 percent of the Afghan population—approximately 29.2 million people—in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Why Yevgeny Prigozhin Had to Die

The way in which Prigozhin was apparently killed suggests the Kremlin wanted to show how it deals with traitors. Whatever really happened, the Russian elite will see the air crash as retribution for Wagner’s armed uprising.

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 18-24, 2023)

Main events of the past week

  • The moderate increase in ISIS’s activity around the world continued this week. The hotspot of activity was in Africa.
  • Syria: ISIS carried out several attacks against the Syrian army and the forces supporting it in the desert region.
  • Iraq: ISIS operatives carried out several attacks against Iraqi security forces, following the increase in ISIS’s activity in Iraq.
  • Lebanon: A senior Al-Qaeda operative who was responsible for establishing the organization’s cells in Lebanon was detained northeast of Tripoli. A senior ISIS operative was detained in the Sidon area.
  • Africa:
  • Nigeria: ISIS continued its high-intensity activity against the Nigerian army in the northeast of the country. The main incident was the detonation of a car bomb.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo: ISIS’s activity against Christian residents near the Ugandan border intensifies. At least 40 Christian residents were killed.
  • Burkina Faso: An Australian doctor abducted by an organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda was released after seven years.
  • Mali: ISIS operatives took over Al-Qaeda strongholds in a town in eastern Mali.
  • Somalia: Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated organization, claims to have inflicted dozens of fatalities on the Somali army and the forces supporting it.
  • The battle for hearts and minds: The editorial of ISIS’s weekly Al-Naba stresses the importance of implementing Islamic law (Sharia) through violent jihad. The article categorically rejects the values of democracy and secular regimes in general.
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