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2. Iranian Subversive Efforts in Jordan: A Strategic Threat Requiring a Robust Response
- Author:
- Eran Lerman
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS)
- Abstract:
- Against the background of Hamas' ongoing war with Israel (and the expressions of support for it among Palestinians and Islamists in Jordan), the Iranian regime has intensified its efforts to subvert the Hashemite monarchy. The arrests in March 2024 of Iranian agents involved in smuggling arms to Muslim Brotherhood elements in Jordan are part of a campaign to counter the role of Tehran in bringing both drugs and weapons over the Syrian and Iraqi borders into Jordan. Tensions rose further over Jordan's supportive role in foiling the Iranian attack on Israel on 14 April 2024. For the Iranian regime, the destabilization of Jordan is a vital precursor for the strategic goal of turning Judea and Samaria into "another Gaza", as Supreme Leader 'Ali Khamenei suggested back in 2014: hence the importance of American and Israeli support for Jordan. The stability of the Kingdom (and thus the need to reduce economic and social strains) is a vital interest of both Israel and the West.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Islamism, Muslim Brotherhood, and Regional Security
- Political Geography:
- Iran, Middle East, and Jordan
3. Warlord-Islamist Competition: A Comparison of Support Structures
- Author:
- Hamza Deniz Kobus
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of Military and Strategic Studies
- Institution:
- Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
- Abstract:
- Warlord armies and Islamist groups are two types of violent non-state actors that frequently compete against each other in situations of internal conflict. This article strives to compare these actor types with regards to their internal and external sources of support. Examination of the consistent conflicts in Somalia and Afghanistan suggests that different support structures assist the armed groups with various resources for divergent reasons. The most salient pattern identifiable in the case studies indicates that local populations tend to support Islamist groups due to shared religious identities and desires for lasting governance. The non-ideological and pragmatic orientation of warlords on the other hand seems to attract backing primarily by international actors seeking influence in internal conflicts. While further research has to corroborate the findings, they indicate possible implications for military interventions in situations that are shaped by warlord-Islamist competition.
- Topic:
- Non State Actors, Governance, Islamism, Armed Conflict, Competition, and Warlords
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
4. El terrorismo no se compagina con el nihilismo
- Author:
- Eduardo Hodge Dupré
- Publication Date:
- 10-2023
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
- Institution:
- Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract:
- This article discusses an idea that has been promoted by several scholars in recent decades, namely the possible relationship between terrorism and nihilism. The hypothesis to be tested is that the most active terrorist groups of recent times are on the opposite side of Nietzsche's postulates: if nihilism is the negation and senselessness of all that exists, terrorists act on the basis of clear motives and fundamental meaning. Such violence was seen as a rational way for certain people to reach their goals. To test this assumption, three types of terrorism are considered: Islamist, ideological-secular and narco-terrorist
- Topic:
- Terrorism, Narcotics Trafficking, Ideology, Islamism, and Nihilism
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
5. The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea
- Author:
- Shadi Hamid and Thomas Carothers
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- In The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea, author Shadi Hamid explores what he describes as the ‘democratic dilemma,’ the U.S. desire for democracy in theory but not in practice. Hamid cites the rise of Islamist parties during a wave of democratic elections across the Middle East, which he argues produced outcomes the U.S. was not intending, such as the empowerment of Hamas in Gaza following the 2006 Palestinian elections. Reviewing the lessons learned from the past two decades of U.S. policy in the Middle East, Hamid proposes ‘democratic minimalism’ as a new approach to democracy promotion. Instead of viewing democracy as a tool to usher in liberalism, economic development, and cultural progress, Hamid argues that democracy as an end in of itself should be prioritized over other liberal values. Please join us at the Middle East Institute for an in-person discussion with author Shadi Hamid and Thomas Carothers, Co-Director and Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on the strategy of U.S. democracy promotion abroad, the consequences of the democratic push in the early twenty-first century and the future shape of governance systems globally. Gönül Tol, MEI Senior Fellow and Director of the Turkey Program, will moderate the discussion.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Elections, Democracy, Islamism, and Hamas
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Palestine, Gaza, and United States of America
6. Factsheet: Magnus Ranstorp
- Author:
- Bridge Initiative Team
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Bridge Initiative, Georgetown University
- Abstract:
- Magnus Ranstorp is an associate professor of political science. Since 2022, he has been the head of research at the Center for Total Defense and Societal Security (CTSS). He regularly publishes opinion pieces and is invited to media outlets as an expert on various subjects. Ranstorp has promoted conspiracy theories accusing European Muslim organizations of being tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, and is a leading voice against Muslim civil society in Sweden.
- Topic:
- Islamophobia, Islamism, Muslim Brotherhood, and Magnus Ranstorp
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Sweden
7. Factsheet: Sigrid Herrmann-Marschall
- Author:
- Bridge Initiative Team
- Publication Date:
- 10-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Bridge Initiative, Georgetown University
- Abstract:
- Sigrid Herrmann-Marschall is a widely quoted German blogger, who is often invited as an expert on Islamism. She regularly argues that the government needs to take stricter measures to tackle Islamism in German society. She frequently lectures, trains, and publishes in a variety of newspapers and is referenced as an expert by many political parties including the far-right. More recently, she reportedly served as an expert on behalf of the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
- Topic:
- Domestic Politics, Islamophobia, Far Right, Islamism, and Sigrid Herrmann-Marschall
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany
8. Factsheet: Nina Scholz
- Author:
- Nina Scholz
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Bridge Initiative, Georgetown University
- Abstract:
- Nina Scholz is a German political commentator and writer on Islamism based in Vienna, Austria. Scholz is often presented as an expert on Islam and Islamism by the Austrian media and policy circles. She produces many texts with Heiko Heinisch, with whom she served as an expert for Operation Luxor, an unlawful raid targeting the homes of 60 prominent Austrian Muslims, carried out by the Austrian government in 2020.
- Topic:
- Domestic Politics, Islamophobia, and Islamism
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Germany, and Austria
9. Out of the Box: How to Rebalance U.S. Somalia Policy
- Author:
- International Crisis Group
- Publication Date:
- 06-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- U.S. President Joe Biden promised to end the “forever wars” launched after the 9/11 attacks. In Somalia, however, his administration has reinvigorated a flawed military-first approach to battling Islamist militants. Washington should complement those efforts with others aimed at stabilisation and political reconciliation.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Violent Extremism, Islamism, Reconciliation, and Stabilization
- Political Geography:
- Africa, North America, Somalia, and United States of America
10. Global threat landscape 2022
- Author:
- Liu Chunlin and Rohan Gunaratna
- Publication Date:
- 01-2022
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
- Institution:
- Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract:
- Three trends will characterise the evolving global terror threat landscape in 2022. First, the cascading implications of the return of the Taliban-al Qaeda alliance to Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Second, the diffusion of the Islamic State threat from the Levant, notably from Iraqi-Syrian theatre. Third, the online surge of extremist and violent content especially of Islamist and Far Right entities on servers in North America and Europe mobilising and radicalizing especially youth. With lockdowns, partial lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions, the challenges facing government security forces - military, law enforcement and intelligence surged and both in resource allocation for training and mobility for operations hampered their performance and efficacy. The focus on humanitarian challenges by governments during the pandemic was ably exploited by threat groups to expand their support bases or capture territory. On the other hand, a range of ideological and material threats manifested in 2021. Some will institutionalise both in the physical and digital spaces in 2022. With radicalisation and reciprocal radicalisation of Islamists and Far Right threat groups, their networks, cells and personalities will stage attacks.
- Topic:
- Taliban, Radicalization, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Islamism, and Digital Space
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, Iraq, South Asia, Middle East, and Syria