Topic: Al Qaeda

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Where do things stand at Guantánamo? Six basic questions answered.

President Obama this week pledged to “reengage” with Congress to find a way to close the terror detention camp at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, naval base. The renewed focus comes as 100 of the 166 detainees are reported to be engaged in a hunger strike. Here is a brief look at where things stand now.

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In Yemen, drones' ill effects linger long after dust settles

Locals in Yemen's Mareb province say they live in constant fear that drones will damage more than their intended targets.
USA Update Bradley Manning case: lawyers battle over most serious charge

Defense lawyers say the prosecution has not proven that Pfc. Bradley Manning intended to aid the enemy in releasing classified information to WikiLeaks.
US lethal aid to Syrian rebels: What's the holdup?

Concern in congressional intelligence committees over the prospects of US small arms falling into the wrong hands has delayed the lethal aid to Syrian rebels. Some say it may arrive too late.
Pakistan report won't rule out state sheltering of bin Laden

The report was written by a government-appointed commission charged with investigating the Osama bin Laden raid.
WikiLeaks trial: Prosecution rests after calling 80 witnesses

Prosecutors rested their case against Pfc. Bradley Manning on Tuesday. In June 2010, Manning was arrested for giving WikiLeaks more than 700,000 classified battlefield reports, diplomatic cables, and video clips while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad.
Energy Voices How energy companies fight terrorism

Energy companies across the globe are forming special units to respond to acts of terrorism after recent attacks in Algeria. With the economy just as much a viable target as any, counter-terrorism may becoming more than just the military's game.
The Monitor's View Talking with the enemy: Obama, Taliban negotiate Afghanistan's future (+video)

With the US and Taliban due to open talks, Obama's idea of negotiating an end to the Afghanistan war faces its big test. Fortunately, the Taliban will also be tested to face the new Afghan realities.
Al Qaeda-allied suicide team blasts UN compound in Mogadishu

Al Shabab fighters launch one of worst attacks since being largely driven out of the Somali capitol two years ago. 'We knew it was dangerous here,' says UN spokesman in country.
Will 'historic' ceasefire help put Mali back together again?

A new deal brokered between Mali's government and ethnic Tuaregs by the EU and UN diplomats along with regional players may be a key first step.
Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questions

No one is predicting an easy road ahead for the peace talks. One key question: How united are the Taliban’s political and military wings behind this latest reconciliation effort?
Dick Cheney: Edward Snowden a 'traitor' who likely spied for China (+video)

Officials and lawmakers are scrambling to explain the National Security Agency's massive surveillance program leaked by former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden. Many of them weighed in on the Sunday TV news shows.
String of attacks kill at least 32, wound dozens in Iraq

Coordinated car bombs, as well as a shooting involving gunmen and police, killed at least 32 in Iraq and wounded dozens Sunday. The car bombs seemed to target Shiite-majority areas and bore the hallmark of al-Qaida.
US promises military aid to Syrian rebels. Now what?

US military aid to Syrian rebels is expected to begin arriving in a few weeks, delivered by the CIA through secret bases in Turkey and Jordan. Reports say it will include light weaponry, but not shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles. The Pentagon also has proposed a partial no-fly zone.
US to start arming Syrian rebels, but will it make much difference?

Some senior US military officials question the strategic value of sending small arms and ammunition to the Syrian rebels. But other options – including a no-fly zone – also carry concerns.
Backchannels Is Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood backing a jihad in Syria? (+video)

The Sunni Islamist movement behind Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has called for a mass rally in support of Syria's rebellion. Sectarian tensions over the war there are growing hotter.
How Syria's conflict became more complicated as US debated arms for rebels

The Syrian rebels have long begged for the US to give them military assistance. Now some argue it may be too little, too late.
In 2013, the kids aren't always all right – face war, exploitation

A series of recent high-level reports raise the alarm about child labor, exploitation, and the impact of conflict on the young.
Opinion Best way for Obama to help Syria is with aid and diplomacy – not weapons

Giving military aid to Syria's rebels – however just their cause – will only prolong the civil war and increase the risk of sectarian conflagration in the region. A better way to help the Syrian people is to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and provide more humanitarian aid.
Terrorism & Security Double suicide bombings brings war back to Damascus streets

Twin suicide bombings that hit a downtown market square in Damascus were the first since Assad regime forces retook the city of Qusayr.
Backchannels Is the price of 'security' worth it? (+video)

Or, how much terrorism is there, really?
Terrorism & Security Syrian fighting spills into Golan Heights – and Israel's doorstep

The Syrian Army and rebels battled for control of Syria's crossing into the Golan Heights. The fighting lasted for seven hours and sent UN peacekeepers scrambling.
American public has few qualms with drone strikes, poll finds

President Obama's aggressive campaign of drone strikes has generated controversy overseas and among terrorism experts. But Americans seem fine with it, according to a Monitor/TIPP poll.
Backchannels Obama rhetorically ends the 'war on terror'

... while vowing it will go on by other means.
Obama to detail terrorism policy including drone attacks and Guantánamo Bay prison

In a national security speech, President Obama will explain his policies dealing with terrorism, the use of drone aircraft, Al Qaeda, and the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Did the Associated Press blow an Al Qaeda informant's cover?

Some officials say the Associated Press scoop on a thwarted terrorist plot by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen harmed the effort to neutralize a master bomb-builder. Does that excuse the Obama administration's aggressive crackdown on national security leaks?