This is possibly a bit of a mean post, as the article is not necessarily accessible to all and sundry. However, if you write to me, I can try to find some sort of accommodation (this will also help me see how many people actually read this). In any case, as a tempter, it is a journal article for Survival (http://www.iiss.org/publications/survival/) and is a review essay of three recent books on terrorism. Brynjar Lia’s Architect of Global Jihad, Johnny Ryan’s Countering Militant Islamist Radicalization on the Internet: A User Driven Strategy to Recover the Web, and Libicki, Gompert, Frelinger, and Smith’s Byting Back: Regaining Information Superiority Against 21st Century Insurgents. I pull them together to give an overarching narrative about Al Qaeda’s evolution from being a bunch of guys in caves in Afghanistan, to a 21st century terrorist network and affiliated groups.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a906265122~db=all~order=page
This is a distinctly more academic article I have written for the Perspectives on Terrorism journal that looks in detail at a recent network of plots. This group seems to show a potentially very interesting set of developments, and I think the information about them is not yet all out, as there would seem to be a number of loose ends – and other cases in the pipeline.
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/11ah8kug6gxq945gkg6s.pdf
Operation Praline: The Realization of Al-Suri’s Nizam, la Tanzim?
By Raffaello Pantucci
This article will attempt to show how a recent plot in the United Kingdom, known by its police codename Operation Praline[1], and the broader international conspiracy that supported the group responsible may constitute an organic evolution of terrorist networks towards al-Qaeda “architect” Abu Musab al-Suri’s nizam la tanzim – “a system, not secret organization.”[2] This is not to conclude that Aabid Khan and his broader network were necessarily purposefully moulding themselves in this direction – as the author has not seen evidence supporting this assertion – but rather this article attempts to show how al-Suri’s framework for global jihad offers a good prism through which to analyse this group since they would appear to have developed in broad accordance with al-Suri’s principles, whether wittingly or no.
This could probably already do with a bit of updating, but the information remains interesting and valid and is part of ongoing thinking about AQ’s use of the internet. They still have that awful photo of me though.
http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/5816/152/
Al Qaeda’s Seven Year Itch
By Raffaello Pantucci
Wednesday, 19 October 2008
Videos reach out to audience who believes terrorist group not weakenedLess than a month ago, after some delay, Al Qaeda’s media wing, As Sahab, finally released the terrorist group’s perennial anniversary 9/11 video. While it contained few surprises, it once again emphasized the utility of the Internet to Al Qaeda, and highlighted how the dark side of globalization has managed to harness its most useful tool.As it so often is with the online world of smoke and mirrors where Al Qaeda lurks, the reasons for the delayed release of the video are unclear. Preceeding the 9/11 anniversary, a number of the principal websites and chat forums where Al Qaeda videos and statements are usually posted were knocked offline (a few appear to have been reinstated)—an event that sparked considerable speculation about some sort of pre-planned attack, presumably by Western intelligence services. (more…)
A productive set of days. Here’s another one for the New Statesman – again, some of the ideas should feature in a longer piece i need to finish. Also, this draws from a recent workshop we did.
http://www.newstatesman.com/north-america/2008/09/online-release-qaeda-videos
Al Qaeda’s delayed release
Published 19 September 2008
Extremist websites are abuzz this week with barely contained rage at the delayed online release by Al Qaeda’s media outlet the As-Sahab Foundation of their annual video celebrating the anniversary of 9/11.
Since the atrocities on 11 September 2001 Al Qaeda hasn’t missed the opportunity of an anniversary to celebrate their murderous attacks. Usually a video is released like clockwork on 11 September. It inevitably features an array of Al Qaeda stars like Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri who celebrate the advance of their global jihad to a backdrop of Arabic nasheeds (Islamic songs) and footage from battlefields around the world. The purpose of the release, this year entitled “The Results of Seven Years of the Crusades,” is to show the world and supporters that Al Qaeda is alive and well seven years after its biggest achievement.
