Author: Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles of the Week – 10/27-11/2

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Monday October 29:
Empty Threats: How Extremist Organizations Bluff in Terrorist Campaigns – Charles W. Mahoney, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2OlYgym
Disrupting Daesh: Measuring Takedown of Online Terrorist Material and Its Impacts – Maura Conway, Moign Khawaja, Suraj Lakhani, Jeremy Reffin, Andrew Robertson, and David Weir, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2AHq7oS
Tuesday October 30:
The Derna Mujahideen Shura Council: A Revolutionary Islamist Coalition in Libya – Kevin Truitte, Perspectives on Terrorism:
Wednesday October 31:
Tunisia’s Female Jihadists – Aaron Y. Zelin, Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://bit.ly/2JxRoNm 
Muwālāt and Apostasy in the Early Sokoto Caliphate – Kota Kariya, Islamic Africa:
Changing of the Guards: Politico-Religious Authority and Islamic Education in Mogadishu, Somalia – Ahmed Sh. Ibrahim, Islamic Africa:
What Explains the Flow of Foreign Fighters to ISIS? – Efraim Benmelech and Esteban F. Klor, Terrorism and Political Violence: https://bit.ly/2qqVWwy
Thursday November 1:
An Internal Report on Extremism in the Islamic State – Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi: https://bit.ly/2zlmvHh
Song and rebellion in the Syrian uprising – Joel D. Parker, Middle Eastern Studies: https://bit.ly/2AXmtr4
Talking with terrorists, talking with governments: insurgent perspectives on legitimisation and engagement – Philippe Eugène Duhart, Critical Studies on Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2DxBeDJ
Friday November 2:
The Release and Community Supervision of Radicalised Offenders: Issues and Challenges that Can Influence Reintegration – Adrian Cherney, Terrorism and Political Violence: https://bit.ly/2OnFtmm

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #154”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #154

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To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new ‘Policy Watch’ for the Washington Institute: “Tunisia’s Female Jihadists”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

On October 29, a thirty-year-old woman named Mouna Guebla detonated a grenade on Avenue Bourguiba in central Tunis. Although the suicide attack did not kill the targeted police officers, it did injure fifteen security guards and five civilians. Tunisian authorities claim the plot is connected to the Islamic State. No direct link has been uncovered yet, nor has the group claimed involvement, but the government believes two or three facilitators may have helped Guebla prepare for the attack. She was not on a government watch list, though her relatives and neighbors stated that she was radicalized online and had recently spent a week in Ettadhamen, a neighborhood known for jihadist activism and foreign fighter recruitment. In any case, it is the first time a successful jihadist attack has been conducted in Tunisia by a woman.

Yet the incident is not necessarily surprising. Considering the number of Tunisian women who have been involved in jihadist activity at home and more militarized activity abroad since the 2011 revolution, it was only a matter of time.

Click here to read the rest.