Al Qaeda
Daily Comment
Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Taliban
What does the stark evidence of the renewed relationship between Al Qaeda and Afghanistan’s leaders suggest?
Double Take
The Death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
The Al Qaeda leader was reportedly killed in Afghanistan by a U.S. drone strike.
Daily Comment
ISIS Loses Its Leader as Biden Navigates Global Crises
Hajji Abdullah is the latest jihadi leader eliminated in a U.S. raid, but the President still faces challenges in Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the pandemic.
The Political Scene Podcast
Will Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan Be a Haven for Terrorism?
The United States invaded Afghanistan as part of its war on terror. But, two decades later, even after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, that war continues.
Daily Comment
Afghanistan, Again, Becomes a Cradle for Jihadism—and Al Qaeda
The terrorist group has outlasted the trillion-dollar U.S. investment in Afghanistan since 9/11.
Daily Comment
The Return of the Taliban
Their comeback has taken twenty years, but it is a classic example of a successful guerrilla war of attrition.
Our Columnists
For Biden, an Anguishing Choice on Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Five factors will influence the U.S. role and the prospects for peace after two decades of war.
Our Columnists
How Trump Brought Home the Endless War
Having come to power exploiting the fears spawned by perpetual war abroad, the President is defining the enemy of his war at home just as expansively.
News Desk
Is the Saudi Government Plotting Against Another U.S.-Based Critic?
Ali Soufan, a decorated veteran of U.S. law enforcement, has become the target of a vitriolic social-media campaign that appears to involve some of the same people who had targeted Jamal Khashoggi.
A Reporter at Large
America’s Abandonment of Syria
Many Syrians thought that the U.S. cared about them. Now they know better.
News Desk
The Law That Makes It Easy to Go to War with Iran
The Authorization for Use of Military Force was passed, three days after 9/11, with near-total unanimity, and, since then, it has come to reflect the legislative branch’s abdication of its role in the separation of war powers.
News Desk
Baghdadi Is Back—and Vows That ISIS Will Be, Too
A video released by the caliphate on Monday was clearly designed to prove that neither he nor ISIS has been obliterated, a month after losing their last piece of territory.
Our Columnists
ISIS Still Has Global Reach, Despite the Caliphate’s Collapse
The scope of the attacks in Sri Lanka reflects the ongoing danger from extremist movements, whether ISIS, Al Qaeda, their offshoots, or their wannabes.
Postscript
The Assassination of Raed Fares, and the Day the Syrian Revolution Died
Fares, whose courage and wit had earned him international acclaim, ran a popular radio show in Syria and helped take care of hundreds of thousands of people struggling to survive there.
Satire from The Borowitz Report
Leaders of ISIS and Al Qaeda Puzzled Why Trump Has Not Invited Them to White House
The terror chiefs said that, as sworn enemies of the United States, they had certainly attacked the country enough to warrant an invitation for an official visit.
News Desk
The C.I.A.’s Maddening Relationship with Pakistan
For the past fifteen years, Pakistan’s intelligence service has simultaneously been one of the agency’s best—and worst—partners in fighting terrorism.
News Desk
Sixteen Years After 9/11, How Does Terrorism End?
The average life of a terrorist group is eight years, and only five per cent achieve their aims.
News Desk
Mosul Falls: What Is Next for ISIS?
News Desk
The Obama Legacy on Jihadism
Annals of Terrorism
After the Islamic State
As the caliphate crumbles, rival movements struggle for the soul of Sunni jihadism.