INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR—PAPER NO. 728 Global Geopolitics & Political Economy B. Raman Six weeks after the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2,2011, Al Qaeda’s General Command has announced the appointment of Ayman al-Zawahiri, of Egypt, who was OBL’s No.2, as the new head of Al Qaeda. A statement announcing his appointment was posted [...]
Al-Zawahiri Named New Al-Qaeda Chief
June 16, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Correspondents* DOHA, Jun 16, 2011 (IPS/Al-Jazeera) – Al-Qaeda has named Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief following the killing of Osama bin Laden, the group has said in a statement issued in the name of the group’s general command. "The general command of al-Qaeda announces, after consultations, [...]
PAKISTAN: Women Lose Livelihood Centres to Militants
May 29, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Ashfaq Yusufzai PESHAWAR, May 28, 2011 (IPS) – Housewife Shahida Jabeen was devastated when she heard the news that she could no longer take sewing and embroidery classes at the local training centre in her hometown in South Waziristan in north-west Pakistan. "It was like a bombshell [...]
HOW TO WARD OFF THREATS TO PAK NUCLEAR ARSENAL?
May 26, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy B.RAMAN The daring commando style raid into a Pakistani naval base at Karachi on May 22 by terrorists of the Pakistani Taliban has highlighted once again the poor state of physical security at sensitive infrastructure in Pakistan and the undetected infiltration by extremist elements into the Pakistani Armed Forces. Since [...]
DEATH OF A JIHADI FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER
May 4, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy B.RAMAN ( Written at the request of the Editor of the “Economic Times”, New Delhi ) Osama bin Laden (OBL), the head of Al Qaeda, was killed by the US Special Forces during a past midnight chopper-borne raid on his hide-out at Abbotabad, a garrison town, about 100 kms from [...]
Pakistan Responds With Disbelief
May 4, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Zofeen Ebrahim KARACHI, May 4, 2011 (IPS) – The once elusive Osama bin Laden may be dead, but the way he was killed, the secrecy surrounding the covert mission, and the haste with which the body was buried at sea have provided grist for the rumour mill. [...]
Osama the Symbol Not So Easy to Vanquish
May 4, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By David Elkins WASHINGTON, May 3, 2011 (IPS) – Far from concluding the war on terror, both Western and Muslim-majority countries – many emerging or still embroiled in months of popular protests – will continue to face a threat from extremist ideology after the United States’ decade-long campaign [...]
A Fork in the Road of U.S.-Pakistani Ties
May 4, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy / IPS By Barbara Slavin WASHINGTON, May 3, 2011 (IPS) – The U.S. discovery and killing of Osama bin Laden in a compound some 50 kilometres from Islamabad is a "defining moment" for a U.S.-Pakistan relationship fraught with duplicity and dashed expectations. U.S. and Pakistani officials and foreign policy experts [...]
PAK PERFIDY WILL HAVE NO ENDURING IMPACT ON ITS TIES WITH US
May 4, 2011 By
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy B.RAMAN At the worst, there was collusion between Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex and Osama bin Laden which enabled him to live safely till May 1,2011, at Abbotabad, the cradle of the Pakistan Army. 2. At the best, the military-intelligence complex was aware of his presence in Abbotabad —possibly as a privileged [...]
SRI LANKAN TAMILS: A DISCONCERTING SITUATION FOR INDIA
Global Geopolitics & Political Economy B.RAMAN My attention has been drawn to a disturbing documentary titled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” produced by Mr.Jon Snow of the Channel4 TV channel of the UK. 2.The documentary highlights the results of a forensic investigation into the bloody culmination phase of the counter-insurgency operations of the Sri Lankan Security [...]