Osama bin Laden

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ISIS puts a new twist on terror recruiting: big money

ISIS isn't just recruiting radicals. It's using its huge tax and oil revenues to target the Middle East's unemployed with promises of cash and benefits.
Reported death of Uzbek president launches succession speculation

Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died, three diplomatic sources told Reuters on Friday, leaving no obvious successor to lead the Central Asian nation of 32 million.
George Washington U takes heat for hiring former Al Qaeda extremist

GWU has hired Jesse Morton, a former US-based recruiter for Al Qaeda, saying the reformed extremist will provide a valuable perspective on radicalization.
The Monitor's View Iraq’s opportunity in the battle for Mosul

As Iraq prepares to retake its second-largest city from Islamic State, it can use the expected victory to renew efforts to restore an historic harmony between Sunnis and Shiites.
Uzbek president's failing health raises Islamist worries

Autocratic President Islam Karimov has ruled Uzbekistan for more than two decades. But public reports he has suffered a debilitating illness raise the possibility of a succession battle, complicated by Uzbekistan's own Islamist insurgency.
Nigeria kills a top terrorist, and the world shrugs

Nigeria says it killed the leader of Boko Haram in an airstrike. It's a blow, but years of antiterror strikes have shown that there are other, more effective ways to counter terror.
The Monitor's View A jihadist’s cultural redemption

A former leader in an Al Qaeda affiliate admits guilt – and regret – in a world court for destroying ancient artifacts in Timbuktu, Mali. His advice to jihadists: Save all of humanity’s cherished culture rather than destroy it.
Is ISIS turning to more child bombers?

While children as suicide bombers could be a desperate tactic, it can also be a form of psychological warfare.
Once again, Nigerian forces say they've killed Boko Haram leader

Nigerian forces have announced that an airstrike Friday against Boko Haram killed several leaders of the terrorist group, among those claimed killed is Abubakar Shekau, infamous head of Boko Haram.
'The Terror Years' attempts to explain the post-9/11 world

In the 15 years since 9/11, New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright has been traveling the world, hoping to shed light on dark topics.
Why the ICC is trying Mali cultural destruction as war crime

Attacks on cultural heritage in war zones – in this case, in Timbuktu – have spiked as part of a strategy of hate and persecution. Some say such trials can be key to peace-building.
ISIS is not the only group to use child suicide bombers

The practice of using children as suicide bombers is not restricted to the so-called Islamic State, as other Islamic militant groups have also done so.
Why Turkey's post-coup crackdown is good news for some prisoners

In an apparent effort to make room for thousands of detainees apprehended in the wake of a July coup attempt, Turkey will release 38,000 prisoners.
Hezbollah's leader backs Donald Trump on Obama 'founding ISIS'

The Hezbollah leader quoted Donald Trump at a rally in Lebanon on Saturday, saying that the presidential candidate's assertions that the Obama administration founded the Islamic State are 'based on facts and documents.'
Pentagon report stirs fresh debate on closing of prison at Guantánamo Bay

The first unclassified report on the suspected military backgrounds of Guantánamo Bay prisoners tells the stories of 107 detainees.
ISIS claims responsibility for suicide bombing at Pakistan hospital

The bomber struck as a crowd crammed into the emergency department to accompany the body of a prominent lawyer who had been killed earlier in the day.
Why did the US commit more than 1,000 spies to the Rio Olympics?

The US provided more than 1,000 intelligence operatives and analysts to assist in security for the 2016 Olympic games. About 350 are working in Rio, the rest are working remotely.
The Khizr Khan speech: How important was it for Muslims in America?

A speech by a Muslim immigrant at the Democratic National Convention could represent a watershed for Muslims in America, as they increasingly move beyond interfaith activity and into politics.
Why Al Qaeda just got jilted in Syria

The Nusra Front has split from Al Qaeda over competing visions for the future of jihad. Al Qaeda wanted to take a page from the ISIS playbook. Nusra wants to establish a new model.
Nearby, but far away: Why aid doesn't make it from Baghdad to refugee camp

In Iraq's Anbar province, the lack of aid is symptomatic of an international system that not only is chronically underfunded but is ill-equipped to respond quickly or effectively in conflict zones.
Why Erdoğan, despite bluster, may actually not want Gulen extradition

The septuagenarian cleric, living in exile in Pennsylvania, is the inspiration behind a pro-democracy movement in Turkey whose adherents had become increasingly concerned with Erdoğan's authoritarianism.
Global News Blog Kerry says ISIS is 'on the run.' Is it really?

Secretary of State John Kerry said a spate of IS attacks around the world are a sign of desperation.
Missing 28 pages of 9/11 report: 'Tip of the iceberg' or 'no surprises'?

The 28 pages kept confidential for the past 13 years reveal no smoking gun of Saudi complicity in the events of Sept. 11, 2001, but those who pushed for the chapter's release remain unconvinced.
The Bite 21 training kitchens cultivating skills around the world

Community kitchens from Los Angeles to Singapore are training – and empowering – countless people around the globe to join the growing food industry.
How France's foreign policy turned more hawkish

Americans often assume that French foreign policy is pacifist, but the country's interventions in Africa and the Middle East have garnered strong public support.