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Terrorism - Counterinsurgency
Nabil Goes In: Woolwich Attack Response (Video)
![[Screenshot from youtube.com]](/content_images/3/sm_nabilweb052613.jpg "[Screenshot from youtube.com]")
[The following video was issued by Nabil Abdul Rashid via UpshotTV on 23 May 2013. The video is a response to the recent murder of a British soldier in London.]
Keep Reading »The Constitution Project's Task Force on Detainee Treatment
![[Image from detaineetaskforce.org]](/content_images/3/sm_detaineeeeeeeeweb.jpg "[Image from detaineetaskforce.org]")
[The following report was issued by the The Constitution Project on 16 April 2013.] The Report of the Constitution Project's Task Force on Detainee Treatment Statement of the Task Force This report of The Constitution Project’s Task Force on Detainee Treatment is the result of almost two years of intensive study, investigation and deliberation. The project was undertaken with the belief that it was important to provide an accurate and authoritative account of how the United States treated people its forces held in custody as the nation mobilized to deal with a global terrorist theat. The events examined in this report are ...
Keep Reading »Salafism in Tunisia: An Interview with a Member of Ansar al-Sharia
![[Riot policemen protect the justice ministry building, as Tunisians gathered in front of the justice ministry in Tunis, Tuesday 6 November 2012, as part of a demonstration by Salafi Muslims protesting against the imprisonment of hundreds of Salafi militants. Image by Amine Landoulsi/AP Photo.]](/content_images/3/sm_ScreenShot2013-04-11at9.55.06AM.png "[Riot policemen protect the justice ministry building, as Tunisians gathered in front of the justice ministry in Tunis, Tuesday 6 November 2012, as part of a demonstration by Salafi Muslims protesting against the imprisonment of hundreds of Salafi militants. Image by Amine Landoulsi/AP Photo.]")
The emergence of Salafi movements in post-Ben Ali Tunisia surprised both the international community and many in Tunisia itself. The astonishment was such that when the first Salafi demonstrations took place in downtown Tunis, journalists and observers were talking quite confusingly about the phenomenon. Some accused men of the former regime of having organized the demonstrations by these bearded men, others claimed they were members of the Tahrir Party (a pan-Islamist movement), and others still labeled them with the generic formula of “Islamists.” What many did not fully realize is that a new rebellious generation had matured during the 2000s, keeping their views ...
Keep Reading »Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying and Its Impact on American Muslims
![[Image from cover of below referenced report]](/content_images/3/sm_nypdkhara.jpg "[Image from cover of below referenced report]")
[The following press release and report were issued by the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), and its partner organizations the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsability (CLEAR) project of CUNY School of Law, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF).] New Report Launch: NYPD and Its Impact on American Muslims On March 11, 2013, members of the American Muslim community will release findings from a ground-breaking new report, Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying and its Impact on American Muslims at 1 Police Plaza, and deliver the report New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Ray Kelly and Deputy Commissioner ...
Keep Reading »Event: Proxy and Invisible Detention in the US Counterinsurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan (12 March 2013, Rutgers University)
Proxy and Invisible Detention in the US Counterinsurgencies in Iraq & Afghanistan 12 March 2013, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University presents "Proxy and Invisible Detention in the US Counterinsurgencies in Iraq & Afghanistan," a talk by Dr. Laleh Khalili, Reader in Politics of the Middle East SOAS, University of London. This talk examines the use of proxies by the United States in the War on Terror and traces their historical roots. In the US case, extraordinary rendition had been used as early as the 1970s in the US War on ...
Keep Reading »Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition
![[Image from opensocietyfoundations.org]](/content_images/3/sm_globalizingtortureweb.jpg "[Image from opensocietyfoundations.org]")
[The following report was issued by the Open Society Foundations on 5 February 2013.] Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition Executive Summary Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) commenced a secret detention program under which suspected terrorists were held in CIA prisons, also known as “black sites,” outside the United States, where they were subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques” that involved torture and other abuse. At about the same time, the CIA gained expansive authority to engage in “extraordinary rendition,” defined here ...
Keep Reading »Obama's Drone Leaks: New Imminence, Old Tactics
![[A Predator drone akin to those in service over Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Image by Ryo Chijiiwa.]](/content_images/3/sm_3782013422_6cd6276496_z.jpg "[A Predator drone akin to those in service over Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Image by Ryo Chijiiwa.]")
The Senate Armed Services Committee did not mention drones a single time during Senator Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearings last week. That oversight, however, says a lot more about the politics surrounding the hearings than it does about the enduring salience of drone technology to US national security policy. The Department of Justice's "white paper" obtained by NBC on Monday affirms that. The paper, drafted for some members of Congress and a less detailed analysis than the official, still unreleased, legal memo, provides the most robust legal analysis of the Obama administration's targeted killing policy to date. Although it ...
Keep Reading »The Very Risky Bet of Hollande in Mali: The Probable Long-Term Disaster
![[French President, François Hollande. Image from Rrance.Diplomatie/Flickr.]](/content_images/3/sm_ScreenShot2013-02-05at9.56.43AM.png "[French President, François Hollande. Image from Rrance.Diplomatie/Flickr.]")
On 11 January, France's President François Hollande sent in troops to Mali, a few immediately but then 3500, a sizeable number. The stated objective was to fight against the various Islamic fundamentalists who had taken control of northern Mali. It was what the French would call a gageure - a word that derives from gage in the sense of a bet. It basically means undertaking something very difficult to achieve. I think one might best translate it as a "risky bet" and in this case, I would say it was a very risky bet. What did Hollande bet, and why did he do it? It is easy to see his reasoning as to why it was a good idea. He received a formal request from ...
Keep Reading »Mali in Focus, Part Three: A Dangerous Show of Force from a Former Colonial Power
![[French defense minister Jean Yves Le Drian addresses reporters during a press conference held at the defense ministry in Paris, Tuesday 15 January 2013. Map at left shows the operations zone in Mali. France carried out new airstrikes overnight against Islamist fighters in central Mali. Image by Remy de la Mauviniere/AP Photo.]](/content_images/3/sm_ScreenShot2013-01-24at3.11.07PM.png "[French defense minister Jean Yves Le Drian addresses reporters during a press conference held at the defense ministry in Paris, Tuesday 15 January 2013. Map at left shows the operations zone in Mali. France carried out new airstrikes overnight against Islamist fighters in central Mali. Image by Remy de la Mauviniere/AP Photo.]")
[This article is the final of a three-part series featuring different perspectives on the recent developments in Mali. Previously published: "Mali in Focus, Part One: The Jihadist Offensive Revisited" and "Mali in Focus, Part Two: A War That Threatens the Entire Region"] Broad political consensus in the domestic political sphere, support from the international community, and the urgency of the situation due to the rapid advance of Islamist militias—together, at first glance, these factors seem to justify French military intervention in Mali. Behind the alleged legitimacy of "Operation Serval,” however, France’s role is ridden with gray areas and ...
Keep Reading »Early Perspectives from Algeria on Northern Mali and French Intervention
![[Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal points to a map of Algeria after a press conference held in Algiers, Monday, 21 January 2013. The Islamist militants who attacked a natural gas plant in the Sahara wore Algerian army uniforms, memorized the layout of the vast complex and included two Canadians and a team of explosives experts ready to blow the place sky-high, Algeria’s prime minister said Monday. Image by Sidali Djarboub/AP Photo.]](/content_images/3/sm_ScreenShot2013-01-22at4.10.54PM.png "[Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal points to a map of Algeria after a press conference held in Algiers, Monday, 21 January 2013. The Islamist militants who attacked a natural gas plant in the Sahara wore Algerian army uniforms, memorized the layout of the vast complex and included two Canadians and a team of explosives experts ready to blow the place sky-high, Algeria’s prime minister said Monday. Image by Sidali Djarboub/AP Photo.]")
Thus far, Algerian press coverage and reactions are divided on France’s military intervention in northern Mali, Operation SERVAL, as well as the additional thrusts in the south by Mali’s jihadist coalition. Skepticism that has been prevalent in Algerian media coverage of calls for the internationalization of the Malian crisis remains a strong thread in opinion and editorial writing nonetheless. While significant strands of elite opinion—especially at the political level—appear to have somewhat rallied to support military intervention in northern Mali. At the same time, the Algerian government’s longstanding position in favor of "dialogue" and a "political ...
Keep Reading »Human Rights Watch Statement on Zero Dark Thirty
![[Human Rights Watch logo. Image from hrw.org]](/content_images/3/sm_hrwlogoweb.jpg "[Human Rights Watch logo. Image from hrw.org]")
[The following statement was released by Human Rights Watch on 11 January 2013.] The movie Zero Dark Thirty, which depicts the hunt for Osama bin Laden, wrongly suggests that torture was an ugly but useful tactic in the fight against terrorism. It also falsely implies that information obtained through torture was critical to finding bin Laden. As the film-makers note, it is a fictionalized account, not a documentary. The use of torture violates US law and the country’s international legal obligations – even when “authorized” by the US government. Its use damaged the reputation of the United States and its ability to promote ...
Keep Reading »Mali in Focus, Part One: The Jihadist Offensive Revisited
![[A public transport minibus is stopped by Malian soldiers at a checkpoint at the entrance to Markala, approximately forty km outside Segou on the road to Diabaly, in central Mali, Monday, 14 January 2013. Despite intensive aerial bombardments by French warplanes, Islamist insurgents grabbed more territory in Mali on Monday and got much closer to the capital, French and Malian authorities said. In the latest setback, the al-Qaida-linked extremists overran the garrison village of Diabaly in central Mali, France's defense minister said in Paris. Image from AP Photo/Harouna Traore.]](/content_images/3/sm_ScreenShot2013-01-16at7.07.21PM.png "[A public transport minibus is stopped by Malian soldiers at a checkpoint at the entrance to Markala, approximately forty km outside Segou on the road to Diabaly, in central Mali, Monday, 14 January 2013. Despite intensive aerial bombardments by French warplanes, Islamist insurgents grabbed more territory in Mali on Monday and got much closer to the capital, French and Malian authorities said. In the latest setback, the al-Qaida-linked extremists overran the garrison village of Diabaly in central Mali, France's defense minister said in Paris. Image from AP Photo/Harouna Traore.]")
[This article is the first of a three-part series featuring different perspectives on the recent developments in Mali.] Although the jihadists in northern Mali share the same radical Islamist substrate, we were expecting to see Iyad Ag Ghaly’s Ansar Eddine (AD) movement cloak itself in a more moderate attitude in return for having obtained a respectable status in the Azawad conflict. This was the wish expressed by several international mediators—namely Algeria and Burkina Faso—given the different meetings held in Algiers and Ouagadougou. But some visible signs demonstrate an accord among the different jihadist groups that is too broad to avoid a collision with the ...
Keep Reading »Syria's Inglorious Basterd
On 13 May 2013, Human Rights Watch released a statement attesting to the authenticity of a disturbing video that circulated first on Syrian pro-regime websites and then on social media. In it, a Syrian man cuts open a dead regime soldier’s chest, pulls his heart and lung out, threatens “Alawite dogs” that they will all face a similar fate, and takes a bite of the viscera while addressing the video camera. This latest sectarian evocation by a member of the armed opposition, Khalid al-Hamad (“Abu Sakkar”), ...
Keep Reading »Showtime's Homeland and the US Media
I took advantage of a recent promotion by my cable company to power-watch both seasons of Showtime’s Homeland. Before taking this plunge, I had purposely stayed away from Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, which have Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) heroes pitted against Muslim enemies. I never tuned into any of the seasons of 24, a show that shares the same producers with Homeland, who have teamed up with the Israeli crew who created Homeland’s precursor, Hatufim (“Hostages”). I did watch Covert ...
Keep Reading »On the Margins Media Roundup (March)
[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, and Comoros Islands and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the On the Margins Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each month's roundup to info@jadaliyya.com.] Somalia Somalia Donors Step Up To Help With Rebuilding Efforts Major Western donors announce aid for Somalia to promote stability and ...
Keep Reading »London Event -- Algeria, Mali: Another Chapter in the “Global War On Terror”? (9 March)
Algeria, Mali: Another Chapter in the “Global War On Terror”? 9 March 2013, 4:30 p.m. Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, London As the dreadful hostage crisis at the BP-operated In Amenas gas plant in Algeria came to an end on January 19th, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron claimed, like George Bush Jr and Tony Blair before him, that the country faced an "existential" and "global threat" to "our interests and way of life". Ten years after the ...
Keep Reading »US Drones Blow Up Any Hope of Close Ties with Yemenis
Late last year I escorted the US radio journalist Kelly McEvers to Abyan, a governorate in South Yemen. Government troops and local militias had been battling fighters from Ansar al-Sharia, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and had forced them from the area only two days earlier. There were reports that some had shaved their beards and stayed. If they had known an American reporter was around, they would have had a golden opportunity for a kidnapping. Before we boarded the plane in Beirut, I had told McEvers that ...
Keep Reading »If You Are From the North, You Are Guilty: On the Alienation and Abandonment of Internally Displaced Northern Malians
A displaced Timbuktian entered a store in Bamako. “As-salamu alaykum,” he said. The manager stiffened and eyed him suspiciously. “Why do you greet me with ‘As-salamu alaykum?’” he asked. “Because we are both Muslim,” the Timbuktian said in the heavily-accented Bambara typical of the Songhay of northern Mali. “No, we are in Bamako. Here we do not say ‘As-salamu alaykum.’ And why don’t you speak Bambara?” “I do speak some Bambara,” the Timbuktian replied. “But I am from the north, where we don’t speak ...
Keep Reading »Pakistan: Countering Militancy in PATA
[The following report was issued by International Crisis Group on 15 January 2013.] Pakistan: Countering Militancy in the PATA Executive Summary Pakistan’s Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA), which include Swat and six neighbouring districts and areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KPK), remains volatile more than three years after military operations sought to oust Islamist extremists. Militant groups such as the Sunni extremist Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and its ...
Keep Reading »Regarding the Torture of Others in "Zero Dark Thirty"
Much of the hype and controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty centers on the issue of torture. The acting director of the CIA as well as three US senators have criticized the film for exaggerating the role of “enhanced interrogation techniques” in the search for Osama bin Laden, while commentators have criticized the film for advocating torture, some going so far as to call the film’s director, Kathryn Bigelow, an “apologist for evil.” Cinematographically, the film has received rave reviews, garnering ...
Keep Reading »List of Children Killed by Drone Strikes in Yemen and Pakistan
[The following list was issued by Drones Watch on 20 January 2013. The names were compiled from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports.] PAKISTAN Name | Age | Gender Noor Aziz | 8 | male Abdul Wasit | 17 | male Noor Syed | 8 | male Wajid Noor | 9 | male Syed Wali Shah | 7 | male Ayeesha | 3 | female Qari Alamzeb | 14| male Shoaib | 8 | male Hayatullah KhaMohammad | 16 | male Tariq Aziz | 16 | male Sanaullah Jan | 17 | male Maezol Khan | 8 | female Nasir Khan | male Naeem Khan | ...
Keep Reading »Focus sur le Mali, troisième partie: Une périlleuse démonstration de force de l'ancienne puissance coloniale
[Cet article est le troisième d'une série de trois, avec des perspectives différentes sur les développements au Mali. Les articles précédents - « Mali in Focus, Part One: The Jihadist Offensive Revisited » et « Focus sur le Mali, deuxième partie: Une guerre qui menace toute la région » ] Large consensus politique sur la scène politique intérieure, soutien de la communauté internationale, urgence de la situation face à l'avancée rapide des milices ...
Keep Reading »Focus sur le Mali, deuxième partie: Une guerre qui menace toute la région
[Cet article est le deuxième d'une série de trois, avec des perspectives différentes sur les développements au Mali. Le premier article - « Mali in Focus, Part One: The Jihadist Offensive Revisited » ] « …Ce conflit est légitime et vital pour la sécurité des Français. Nous ne pouvons pas espérer conserver nos modes de vie et notre prospérité si nous n'allons pas à l'extérieur du territoire national participer à la stabilisation et au règlement des crises, à ...
Keep Reading »Torture, Drones, and Detention: A Conversation Between Laleh Khalili and Lisa Hajjar
The following is an audio recording of a joint book talk held on 16 January 2013. Laleh Khalili and Lisa Hajjar recently published their Time in the Shadows: Confinement in Counterinsurgencies and Torture: A Sociology of Violence and Human Rights, respectively. The event was held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and featured a conversation between the two authors entitled "Torture, Drones, and Detention: The Vagaries of Liberal ...
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