Terror financing could be as unsuspecting as a shawarma stand and just as innocent

Counter Threat Finance is expanding in focus and scope. Understanding how extremist groups gain funding is a fundamental question to be answered. Let’s explore one-way terrorism finds funding. In theory, it could come from anywhere – a simple wire transfer or a Venmo payment can fuel an attack of some kind. When you think about terrorism, it’s cheap. […]

Philippine President’s China Trip Puts US Ties to the Test

After lashing out at longtime ally America, the new Philippine president is making a state visit to China in a charm offensive that will help define how far he wants to shift allegiance from treaty ally the U.S. to an Asian superpower locked in a territorial standoff with his small, impoverished country. It’s a high-stakes […]

ISIS uses WhatsApp to sell sex slaves

“Virgin. Beautiful. 12-years-old … Her price has reached $12,500, and she will be sold soon,” read a sex slave advertisement on the Telegram app, the Daily Caller reported. This is why we must defeat ISIL militarily. There will be a strange black market vacuum in their wake as the region continues its downward tick. But […]

Where can the Kurds turn to next in an ocean of enemies?

The Kurds are on the cusp of betrayal again by U.S. policy makers. It’s not intentional against them, but international powers force the situation, leaving out the Kurds. Their primary enemy is Turkey. But, there’s almost nowhere they can turn. By the end of this they might look towards Communist China and Russia for support. […]

The great challenge to the world order: Financing of terror

Financial markets and their importance cannot be emphasized enough. The world nearly came to its knees in the midst the global financial crisis. The world is still as exposed as it has always been to economic calamities that can spread like wildfire. Finance is an important discipline, field of study, and plays a foundational role […]

Obama weighing new military options in Syria today

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said. Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk […]

When IS is defeated – will the Middle East need us?

The Islamic State has united many in the Middle East. However, what’s going to happen when they’re military defeated and Raqqa is just another town? The Arab Spring was a monumental event. The world watched in awe and fear as the Middle East looked like it was being turned upside down. We’re living and working […]

Why halt violence in Aleppo? It’s a tinder box for psychopaths.

The violence in Aleppo and around the world might be fueling a generation of psychopaths who can turn violent, recreating some of the problems in Aleppo elsewhere in the world. The picture is heartbreaking but also consider what that child has been exposed to? What kind of life might he lead? The “X-men” comic book’s […]

Give war a chance in Syria

And yet, today, the United States provides military knowhow, equipment, and support to Shi’a militias attacking the Sunnis of the Islamic State. The United States is helping the Shi’a attack the Islamic State, and at the same time, the Shi’a are attacking the Sunnis in Aleppo.  The United States is supporting Sunnis in Aleppo indirectly […]

U.S. and Russia share goals in a Middle East tired of western intervention

An article with an alternate idea and vision for our current dilemma. The U.S. and Russia are both tired of terror caused by extremists. Both nations face an existential threat of terror attacks within their borders. But, we’ve managed to demonize an old villain everyone knows. The Middle East is not under an illusion that […]

Confronting ISIS

I just watched this documentary last night which gives a pretty good overview of the war against ISIS.  It provides a pretty good recap of the conflict and all of the major players involved.  Take a look on the Frontline website.

Pakistan’s terrorists by proxy

A prominent Pakistani journalist claims the government prohibited him from exiting the county after he wrote an article illuminating a potential schism between military and government leaders. The article claiming that Pakistan’s top spy agency is protecting militants comes as India has accused Islamabad of backing terrorists, stroking global fears of a potential conflict between the two nuclear armed […]