The war in Afghanistan is an experiment in a new form of war where “victory” will be measured against uncertain goals of stability, development, and reconstruction, writes Dr Benjamin MacQueen, deputy director, Global Terrorism Research Centre, Monash University.
Al-Qaeda
Guy Rundle: Like war on terror, 9/11 posed for cameras, but stays fresh
The towers still loom above us, or their absence does. The actual images of 9/11 never lose their power to shock.
Bernardi highlights a double standard on terrorism
The double standard behind our anti-terrorism laws needs to be brought out into the open and examined.
Journalism’s ‘Houdini’ mourned after brutal murder
Debate rages about who was behind the brutal murder of Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, writes Josephine McKenna, a Rome-based freelance journalist.
How bin Laden sent email without the internet
There was no internet in Osama bin Laden’s secret hideout but bin Laden still regularly emailed his followers, by typing out letters which would be carried by trusted courier to an internet cafe.
Oakes: Time for John Howard to eat humble pie
In the context of bin Laden’s death, John Howard’s comment in 2007 that suggested the election of Barack Obama would be a boon to Al-Qaeda should at least cause deep embarrassment for Howard, says Laurie Oakes.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Osama and the Laws of Armed Conflict
Crikey readers have their say.
America wrestles its conscience post-bin Laden
Hillary Clinton stood shoulder to shoulder with Kevin Rudd earlier today in Washington, two life-long opponents of the death penalty, praising the extra-judicial killing of an unarmed man. But it changes everything when it’s Osama bin Laden.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: by the time Osama died, he had already died
There was no Brandenburg gate to plant a flag on, no Mussolini hanging from a rope — just a speech and footage of a compound.
Media briefs: 7PM Project uncut … NY Times pay wall fail …
Behind the scenes at The 7PM Project, US cinemas threaten not to show films in video-on-demand dispute, how Al-Qaeda is using online game theory to recruit the masses. Plus NY Times page views fall after paywall and what does Sidney Harman’s death mean for Newsweek?
How the war on terror may finally succumb to ridicule
There’s been a bit of talk in the last couple of weeks about what a blow the wave of Middle Eastern revolutions has been to al-Qaeda and its terrorist agenda.
Don’t tell us the truth: we might not understand
So the Australian experts reckoned that the threat from Al-Qaeda was being overstated, according to the latest WikiLeaks cables from Fairfax. But Gillard keeps spinning the old line that Al-Qaeda is still a mighty threat, writes Richard Farmer.
Yemen: al-Qaeda affiliate rising
Last weekend’s foiled bombing attempt emanating from Yemen highlights again the resilience and persistence of al-Qaeda and the difficulties the Yemeni and US governments face in addressing the threat, writes Dr Rodger Shanahan, a non-resident Lowy Institute fellow.
Measuring the seriousness of al Qaeda’s latest terrorist threats
A spate of al Qaeda attacks on European cities are reportedly being planned, but it is difficult to gauge how serious the threat is. We do know that al Queda wants to replicate the horrors of the Mumbai terrorist attack nearly two years ago, writes Bruce Riedel.
Australian-built detention centre isn’t holding terrorists after all
Reports that a senior Afghan al-Qaida-linked figure is being held in Tanjung Pinang immigration detention centre are false, according to sources inside the centre.
Inspire: Al-Qaeda launches a magazine in English
While the line “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mum” line certainly raises eyebrows to its authenticity, US officials have confirmed that the new Inspire magazine is being published by Al-Qaeda.
The War on Terror ends, the War on Al-Qaeda begins
The US National Security Strategy was announced last week, finally bringing an official end to the War of Terror. The war strategy shows Barack Obama as a very different president to his predecessor, writes Waleed Aly.
How to make a bomb: with al-Qaeda
The AfPak Channel has an al-Qaeda propaganda video showing bombmakers assembling IEDs, plus insight from a demolition and pyrotechnics expert into just how much (or little) skill it takes to construct a DIY bomb.
What’s with all the stupid terrorists?
The foiled shoe bomber, the Christmas Day undie-bomber, and now the wanna-be Times Square car bomber — is blowing yourself up really that hard? Actually, it is, say experts, and terrorist outfits are probably saving up their best and brightest for much bigger missions.
The best way to defeat terrorists is to take the piss out of them
A new study has found that the most effective way to deter young Muslims from joining extremist groups is to make them “uncool”. Just like drugs — and governments have done such a job with that problem…
Why assassinating terrorists won’t win the war on terror
Sending targeted missiles into Pakistan to kill individual terrorists isn’t just legally dubious — it’s counterproductive, explains Robert Wright: they’ll just be replaced by newer, angrier terrorists.
Bin Laden threatens to kill Americans. What’s news?
Osama bin Laden has threatened to kill any Americans captured by al-Qaeda if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is found guilty for 9/11. But as the Christian Science Monitor points out, it rings pretty hollow when they’ve already been killing captured Americans for years.
