5-26-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Power Struggle in Iran

The Iranian regime’s plans for regional domination have hit a bump: its own leaders’ thirst for power. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad have had a falling out, and the number of parliamentarians seeking Ahmadinejad’s impeachment is quickly growing. [more...]

Assad’s Answer to Obama: Bloodshed

Last Thursday, President Obama told Syrian President Bashar Assad to “lead that [democratic] transition or get out of the way.” He has answered with continued bloodshed, including firing upon mourners at a funeral on Saturday. [more...]

Iran Blinks Over Bahrain

On Monday, May 16, Iran and the pro-American Arab states had a frightening stare-down as Iran sent a flotilla to Bahrain to support the Shiites protesting against the ruling Royal Family. The provocation came after months of heated rhetoric and threats. As the region stood on the verge of another major crisis and possibly war, Iran blinked. [more...]

5-17-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Report: Obama Moving Towards Regime Change in Syria

Yes, you read that title correctly. According to the Associated Press, the Obama administration is close to changing course on Syria and supporting the removal of Bashar Assad from power. The decision has not yet been made - and this is likely a calculated leak meant to deliver a last warning to Assad - but this is nonetheless a huge change in policy. An official has told the AP: "we are getting close" to demanding the Syrian dictator’s resignation. Apparently the language is already being crafted, with the report stating: "The first step would be to say for the first time that President Bashar Assad has forfeited his legitimacy to rule." This will be coupled with language supporting a transition towards democracy - a softer way of saying two words the Obama administration is so reluctant to utter: "regime change." [more...]

Backlash in Pakistan

The Bin Laden raid has caused a fierce backlash in Pakistan as the U.S. is accused of violating the country’s sovereignty. The Pakistani government now faces enormous pressure, at home and from the U.S., and has chosen to tote an anti-American line and deny any wrongdoing. This atmosphere is giving momentum to the government’s political opponents who are pushing it to become even more hostile to the U.S. [more...]

Al-Qaeda's Rising Leaders

Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of Osama Bin Laden but has not yet officially named a successor, indicating that the senior leadership is having difficulty communicating and possibly a reluctance to embrace Ayman al-Zawahiri as their new chief. New figures will fill the leadership gap left by Bin Laden’s absence and the inevitable arrests and deaths that will follow, but it is unclear if they can unite behind a common figurehead and strategy. [more...]

The Palestinians Manufacture Their Own “Catastrophe”

By Joseph Klein

Ismail Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of Hamas in Gaza, told thousands of worshippers on Sunday May 15th to pray for the end of Israel, adding: “Palestinians mark the Naqba with great hope of bringing to an end the Zionist project in Palestine.” In a coordinated multi-front assault from Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon, tens of thousands of Arab protesters heeded the Hamas terrorist’s call. Marking Palestinian Nakba Day (the day of the “catastrophe,” as they like to refer to the day of Israel’s creation), they streamed en masse to Israel’s various borders, intending to infiltrate the Jewish State and wreak havoc. [more...]

5-6-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Show the bin Laden Corpse Photos

The country is still in a state of euphoric celebration from the May 1 assassination of Osama bin Laden, and America wants to see the photos of his corpse. Proof is required to put a dent in the still-popular 9/11 conspiracy theories and to maximize the demoralization of al-Qaeda and bin Laden’s sympathizers. The White House should not be deterred about concerns over Muslim "sensitivities" and should immediately release the photos that the world needs to see. [more...]

The Mystery of Bin Laden's Compound

Many political observers are pointing out that Bin Laden’s hideout was so obvious that the Pakistanis had to have known that the chief of al-Qaeda was living there. Did the Pakistanis know? The answer appears to be obvious. But new information from documents released by Wikileaks raises another serious question: Shouldn’t we have known? [more...]

Is bin Laden the End of Terrorism? - The Dilemma of Islamic Jihad

By Al Fadi

Osama bin Laden is no more. The official announcement came on May 1st, 2011 when President Obama revealed to the world that the U.S. has captured and killed the leader of Al Qaeda via a covert operation conducted by the NAVY Seal and the CIA. However, as a former Muslim myself, who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia in the same town where bin Laden lived, who was an acquaintance and a close friend with some of bin Laden’s family and cousins, who once was radical and at some point, almost joined in with bin Laden’s effort to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, I asked myself this very important question: DID WE WIN THE WAR ON TERROR? [more...]

The Death of bin Laden

By Brigitte Gabriel

This is a significant moment for America in our War on Terror. It shows that America has penetrated Al-Qaida on the highest level. Osama's death was not accomplished by a distance drone long shot hoping to kill him. This was accomplished by deep infiltration of the Al-Qaida organization on a human level by the U.S.

This means that Osama was betrayed by his inner circle, which will cause great damage to Al-Qaida and to the global Jihad movement by showing them that we can infiltrate and get anybody we want sooner or later.

This is great PR for America and a significant defeat for Al-Qaida. It doesn't mean that the War on Terror is over; it means that the hero of the jihadi movement worldwide is gone. No one can replace Osama bin Laden in stature and charisma. Neither Al-Zawahiri nor Al-Awlaki have the star power nor the experience in jihadi strategic planning or operations like bin Laden.