Who Inspired Boston?

In the days since the Boston Marathon bombing, one of the attacking brothers has been killed and the other is in the hospital, yet to be questioned. It is unknown what their motive was for the attack, but due to their Islamic linkage and Chechen origin, it could be calculated as an act of jihad. This […]

Ahrar al Sham – A Rising Force in the Syrian Civil War

While the al-Nusra Front gains most of the headlines in the Syrian Civil War, there is another group, called Ahrar al Sham, which is at least Al Nusra’s equal, if not even more important.  A loose conglomeration of Islamist groups from across Syria, Ahrar al Sham, “The Islamic Movement of the Free Men of Greater […]

The al-Nusra Front: al-Qaeda’s Syrian Love Child (Part III)

The fighting in Syria is becoming more convoluted and distorted by the day. When the fighting first started, it was in opposition of President Bashar al-Assad and his Ba’athist regime. It still seems as though the overarching goal of the Free Syrian Army (considered more of an idea than an actual organized single unit) is to […]

What is the Feasibility of Deploying Armed Drones in the US?

A word of warning before reading this article: I, Iassen Donov, am as pro-drone as you can get. Foreign Terrorists? United States al-Qaeda members? Terrorists on allied soil? I’m even for the use of armed drones on U.S. soil in extreme circumstances. Basically, I’m all about dropping bombs on no-gooders regardless of citizenship or race […]

Air Branch, the CIA’s Secret Air Force

I recently found this great article from Air and Space magazine, well worth your time… -Jack BLACK HELICOPTERS ARE A FAVORITE FANTASY when conspiracy theorists and movie directors conjure a government gone bad, but in fact, the last vehicle a secret organization would choose for a stealthy mission is a helicopter. A helicopter is a […]

Jund Al Sham

On December 23rd, a new Salafi jihadist group announced its formation in the Syrian city of Homs. Calling itself Jund Al Sham, or “Soldiers of the Levant,” it announced its purpose to wage jihad in Syria. From the SITE translation of their statement: “After the hoards of the al-Assad gangs, and their Rafidah [Shi’ite] allies, […]

The al-Nusra Front: al-Qaeda’s Syrian Love Child (Part II)

The strategies and tactics of the al-Nusra Front (ANF) are working due to the nature of the organization, lessons learned from past AQ mistakes, and the writings and teachings of Abu Musab al-Suri. In 2005 al-Suri was arrested in Pakistan, but for some reason was released and handed over to Syria when the rebel uprising began. […]

The al-Nusra Front: al-Qaeda’s Syrian Love Child (Part 1)

al-Qaeda (AQ) has links to various jihadist groups throughout the world and is considered the world’s foremost terrorist organization. In a multi-part series I will be covering a new and highly coordinated group called the al-Nusra Front, which translates as: The Support Front for the People of Syria. The al-Nusra Front is an offshoot of […]

Benghazi: Six Months of Deceit

Check out Brandon and I making an appearance on Sean Hannity’s hour long special about Benghazi which aired last night:

Trans-Saharan Challenges: Smuggling, Terrorism, and the Struggle for a State (Part 3)

The Wad Nun Network By the early twentieth century, what Ghislaine calls the Wad Nun network had evolved into, “an expansive operation with agents in key western African markets…” ranging from Timbuktu to Dakar to Conakry. It should be noted that this truly was a network of people working together, rather than a homogenous ethic […]

Cyber Warfare: Is China’s PLA Hacking U.S. Companies?

Mandiant’s APT1 report from February 19, 2013 made headlines around the world for claiming to uncover that a unit of China’s military has been engaging in cyber espionage operations against an estimated 141 companies in 20 industry verticals. Here’s a condensed version of their key findings: APT1 (aka Comment Crew) is believed to be the 2nd Bureau […]