Yearly Archives: 2020

Boko Haram Massacre Indicates Frailty in Nigeria’s Counterinsurgency Strategy

At the end of November, the Boko Haram faction, led by the ruthless Abubakar Shekau, massacred farmers in the village of Koshebe, resulting in the deaths of at least 110 civilians. While the village was mostly deserted as a result of the war between Boko Haram and the Nigerian army, …

Read More »

Terrorists’ Use of Cryptocurrency

Documented examples of terrorist acquisition of cryptocurrency have been relatively infrequent, especially compared to criminal use. Yet, over the past year, terrorist groups have pivoted to acquiring and storing wealth in virtual currencies like Bitcoin.

Read More »

French Protests over Proposed Security Law

France was rocked by a second consecutive weekend of raucous protests in cities throughout the country in response to a proposed security bill that includes restrictions on filming law enforcement officers. Protests, some of which turned violent, occurred in Paris, Marseille, Renne, and Lyon, as well as several other smaller …

Read More »

After conflict over possession of displaced family’s house | Turkish-backed factions amass troops in rural Afrin

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: SOHR activists have monitored Turkish-backed factions amassing their affiliated members, this evening, in Jendires district in the western countryside of Afrin, after Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement had arrested a person from Rif Dimashq following a conflict over possession of a house he living in. it …

Read More »

Security vacuum in Daraa | Three members of 4th Division killed in two separate attacks in northern and eastern countryside

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: SOHR activists have monitored the death of a member of the regime-backed 4th Division and his escort, after being shot by unknown gunmen in Al-Ghariyyah Al-Gharbiyyah town in the eastern countryside of Daraa.

Read More »

The future of the Middle East will be shaped in the next few weeks

Members of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Hashd al-Shaabi at a graduation ceremony in the central Iraqi city of Karbala We are entering a period of immense complexity for the Middle East. What happens in the next few months will set the tone in our region for years. If managed correctly, …

Read More »

People gather in front of Turkish consulate in Tabriz to protest at Erdogan’s remarks

A large number of Iranian people gathered in front of the Turkish consulate in the Northwestern city of Tabriz in the Northwestern province of East Azerbaijan, protesting at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks against Iran during a ceremony in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Read More »

Trump’s Parting Shot at Yemen

Senate Republicans, abetted by the two Democrats from Arizona, on Wednesday killed two resolutions which would have blocked President Donald Trump’s proposed $23 billion weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates.

Read More »