al-Qaeda

ASP In the News | July 18-21

Ian McAllister — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:51:00 -0400

Washington Post (07/20) quotes Flynt Leverett on the Bush Administration's softening foreign policy stance.
CNN Morning News (07/19) interviews Peter Bergen from Kabul on progress in Afghanistan.
The Daily Intel (07/18) quotes Steve Clemons on Obama's problematic outlook on Europe.
Spiegel (07/14) cites Peter Bergen on Al Qaeda's declining support in the Muslim world.

ASP In the News | July 16-18

Ian McAllister — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:33:00 -0400

The Economist (07/17) quotes Peter Bergen on Al Qaeda's self destructive tendencies.
iStock Analyst (07/17) features Steve Clemons arguing against claims of success in Iraq.
The New York Observer (07/17) reviews Michael Cohen's new book, Live from the Campaign Trail.
The Moderate Voice (07/16) cites Daniel Levy on evolving aspects of the Israeli Palestinian divide.
The Newshour with Jim Lehrer (07/16) interviews Daniel Levy on Israel's controversial trade with Hamas.
Financial Times (07/16) quotes Steve Clemons on the Cheney's loss of influence in the Bush Administration.
Policy Innovations (07/14) features Flynt Leverett discussing the rise of China on global business and security.
Freezer Box (07/11) cites Jeffrey Lewis on the growing role for civil society in nuclear nonproliferation.

The Other Palestinian Crisis

Brian Till — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:37:00 -0400

Nahr al-Bared, the devastated Palestinian refugee camp north of Beirut where the Lebanese army battled Fatah al-Islam last summer (photo by Brian Till)

Last night, following a concert at the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman, Jordan, six musicians were attacked by a sole gunman as they boarded their bus. The AP identified the gunman as Palestinian refugee Thaer Weheidi, a 19 year old resident of the Baqaa refugee camp. None were killed, though Weheidi, who turned his weapon upon himself after being chased by police, is said to be in critical condition.

While the Jordanian government holds the act was criminally motivated and not terrorist related, CNN has reported claims that the attacker yelled "Allahu Akbar" before firing on the bus.

The incident adds a new dimension to an ongoing and possibly blossoming battle. Palestinian refugees have long been a bastion of instability in the region, but of late their activity appears to be festering, rather than waning.

Most of the action is happening in Lebanon. Last summer's battle between the Lebanese army (LAF) and the jihadi group Fatah al- Islam took nearly three months to play out, and ended with the annihilation of the Nahr al- Bared refugee camp and the escape of Shaker al Absi, the group's leader. Those living in the camp have sought refugee in Lebanon's dozen other sights, and the projected cost of rebuilding the camp are in the $380-400 million range. 

The camps in Lebanon -- where over 400,000 live in the worst conditions in the region in terms of Palestinian living -- are virtually lawless regions, in which the LAF does not set foot, allowing factions of the PLO and various jihadi groups play out their differences with bombs and bullets.

The situation is only getting worse. In the last several weeks, fighting has intensified, the leader of the Sunni group Jund al-Sham, Imad Yassin, was nearly killed by a bomb in the Ain el-Helweh camp in south Leabanon, where several groups with known Al Qeada links are currently operating. Clashes in the Burj al-Barajneh camp have also sparked fears of another war like last summer's.

In recent months, statements by both Zayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden have suggested their hopes that a campaign against Israel will become the next major front in their jihad, a battle for which a foothold in Lebanon would be exceedingly useful.

While I was in Beirut earlier this summer, an attempted suicide bomber was killed on the fringes of the Ein el-Helweh camp before he was able to detonate his explosive belt. Sources both within the UN and the military independently suggested that the government had effectively spun the media, and that the bomber had not been Palestinian, as alleged, but rather a Saudi.

But al-Qaeda might not be the only instigator of this uptick in violence. The New Yorker's ace investigative reporter Sy Hersh published a story last year suggesting that the U.S. had a adopted a policy based on financially supporting Sunni Salafi militants in hopes of counterbalancing the rising strength of Shi'a Hezbollah, a patron of Iran. The middleman for the U.S. support, Hersh suggests, is Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia.

For those versed in foreign policy -- or even just Tom Hanks films for that matter -- this is clearly reminiscent of two major American foreign policy ventures of the past: Afghanistan in the 80's and Iran-Contra, neither of which we find ourselves tremendously proud of today.

ASP In the News | July 11-14

Ian McAllister — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:13:00 -0400

The Daily Oregonian (07/12) cites Parag Khanna on the negatives of Foreign Aid.
Philadelphia Enquirer (07/11) quotes Peter Bergen on Al Qaeda's continuing decline.
Telegraph India (07/11) cites Jeffrey Lewis on India's nuclear program.

ASP In the News | July 7-9

Ian McAllister — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:58:00 -0400

Democracy Arsenal (07/08) cites Parag Khanna on the rise of the E.U.
The Las Vegas Sun (07/07) quotes Sherle Scwhenninger on the dire state of the housing market.
New York Times (07/07) features Michael Cohen discussing Obama's stance on patriotism.
Washington Post (07/06) quotes Peter Bergen on Al Qaeda's continuing decline.
Sify (07/02) features Jeffrey Lewis analyzing India's nuclear strategy.

ASP In the News | June 30 - July 2

Ian McAllister — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:11:00 -0400

MSN Money Central (07/3) quotes Doug Rediker on fears of declining American competitiveness.
Sydney Morning Herald (07/02) cites Steve Clemons on a neoconservative regrouping in Washington.
Miami Herald (07/01) quotes Steve Clemons on the reasons behind North Korea's terrorism delisting.
Emirates Business (07/01) cites Parag Khanna on the Second World's growing ability to shape world events.
The Australian (06/28) features Peter's Bergen's analysis of the growing divisions within Al Qaeda .

ASP In the News | June 25-30

Ian McAllister — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:11:00 -0400

Khaleej Times (06/30) features Parag Khanna's analysis of the UAE as a regional power in the Middle East.
The Washington Independent (06/30) quotes Peter Bergen on Al Qaeda's up-and-coming coming leadership.
The Philadelphia Enquirer (06/29) quotes Steve Clemons on policy conflicts within the Bush Administration.
Global Voices (06/28) cites Daniel Levy comparing Sarkozy and Bush's speeches before the Israeli Knesset.
The Washington Post (06/27) quotes Steve Clemons on North Korea's removal from the Terrorism Blacklist.
Project on Government Oversight (06/25) discusses William Hartung's proposal to reduce government waste.

ASP in the News May 3-5

Faith Smith — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:48:00 -0400

Tehran Times (05/03) quotes Flynt Leverett on UN sanctions and Iran's energy contracts.
Foreign Policy (05/02) features Steve Coll and Peter Bergen discussing Bin Laden.
Russia Profile (04/30) cites Anatol Lieven on the future of US-Russia relations.

Whither Pakistan?

Patrick Doherty — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:46:00 -0400

U.S.-Iran cooperation? Neo-Taliban? For those of you wanting to go deeper on Afghanistan/Pakistan issues than the campaign soundbytes, here's New America's Nick Schmidle debating Amin Tarzi of the Center for Advanced Defense Studies on Bloggingheads.tv.

American Strategy In the News | April 12 - 14

Sam Sherraden — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:03:00 -0400

The New Yorker (4/21) asks Parag Khanna about the end of autonomy for Western nations.
The Guardian (4/12) quotes Flynt Leverett on Gordon Brown's low U.S. profile.
Congressional Quarterly (4/11) talks with Peter Bergen on the threat from al-Qaeda.
Asharq Alawsat (4/10) listens to a New America delegation to Saudi Arabia talking about Guantanamo Bay.