When is a terrorist deemed a genuine refugee who doesn’t pose any threat to Australia? When they’re not a Muslim, apparently. But what makes the Tamil Tigers any different to Hamas, Hezbollah or the Taliban?
Islamic extremism
Al Qaeda goes broke
Does crime pay? Not for Al Qaeda, which is skint and appealing to supporters to help out with some cash. But the Taliban, which has diversified its interests into drugs as well as violence, is rolling in cash.
Why Islamic extremists hate India
India doesn’t have a single soldier fighting in Afghanistan — so why are suicide bombers targetting the Indian Embassy in Kabul? Salil Tripathi explains the long and complex relationship between India and the Islamic world.
Was Mohammed Atta simply a crazed heritage lister?
Guy Rundle ponders whether Mohammed Atta, the enigmatic figure behind the 911 attacks, was simply the armed wing of the Arab National Trust.
What does a terrorist look like?
Today’s foiling of a terror plot in Melbourne demonstrates that racial profiling is now a fairly useless tool for finding potential terrorists, writes Paul Colgan
Nigeria: Behind the bloodshed
Four days of violence in Nigeria has left 200 dead and sent 4000 fleeing from their homes. Government forces are closing in on the rebels responsible, but the real root of the unrest lies in endemic problems in the Niger Delta, which won’t be solved so easily.
