All Policy Analysis by Matthew Levitt

Pundits and politicians alike tend to think of the war on terror against al Qaeda as a completely disparate phenomenon from the battle against other terrorist groups. This is, in part, a logical supposition as groups like Hamas and Hezbollah do not belong to the more tightly knit family of

Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher bravely told an audience at the American University of Kuwait recently that "we [Arab nations] have failed in taking a stand against targeting civilians in all sides, including Israeli civilians." His Jan. 13 comment is significant because it followed the "strong condemnation of terrorism in

On January 5, 2004, the council of Arab interior ministers concluded its twenty-first session in Tunis by renewing its "strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and sources." The question remains whether this condemnation will lead to action against Hamas, including its political leadership. The Role of Hamas's Political

On December 25, 2003, Union Transport Africaines (UTA) Flight 141 bound for Beirut crashed on take-off from Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa. According to accounts in the Arab press, a "foreign relations official of the African branch of the Lebanese Hizballah party and two of his aides" were among those

Over the past three years, the United States has uncovered just how systematically terrorist groups conceal their activities behind charitable, social, and political fronts. Investigators, faced with the threat posed by Al-Qa‘ida and its many affiliates, have come to appreciate the crucial role played by charities, foundations, and individual donors

MATTHEW LEVITT In the wake of the al-Qaeda attacks in Riyadh in May and November 2003, the Saudis have made significant progress toward stemming the flow of funds to terrorists. Though bold and welcome, the Saudi measures still fall short of transforming the kingdom from the "epicenter" of terrorist financing

On October 22, 2003, Matthew Levitt, The Washington Institute's senior fellow in terrorism studies, testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The following is an edited version of his remarks. Read a full transcript. Constricting the Operating Environment No counterterrorism effort, however extensive, will put an

Testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs I. Introduction: Networks and Relationships Pundits and politicians alike tend to think of the war on terror against al-Qaeda as a completely disparate phenomenon from the battle against other terrorist groups. This is, in part, a logical supposition as

On September 6, the European Union finally abandoned the sophomoric position that the social and political wings of Hamas are somehow distinct from the group's military wing, banning not only the Izz al Dinn al Qassam Brigades but Hamas overall. This should have made it harder for Hamas to raise

The bombing of a U.S. convoy in Gaza on Wednesday, which killed three American contract employees of the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and injured a U.S. diplomat, was neither unprecedented nor unexpected. Indeed, U.S. embassy employees narrowly escaped injury in a similar attack last June, when unknown assailants detonated

The bombing of a U.S. convoy in Gaza today, which killed three American contract employees of the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and injured a fourth, is neither unprecedented nor unexpected. Indeed, U.S. embassy employees narrowly escaped injury in a similar attack on June 28, 2003, when unknown assailants detonated

Over the past two years of the war on terror, the United States has significantly toughened its procedures for obtaining visas to enter the US, including requiring more face-to-face interviews and eliminating a transit-visa program officials feared terrorists were planning to use to sneak into the country. Despite these efforts

On September 10, 2003, Matthew Levitt, senior fellow in terrorism studies at The Washington Institute, testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security. The following is an edited version of his remarks. Read the full transcript. Financing Terrorism Well into the war on terror, Saudi Arabia

Rohan Gunaratna, Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies: I will focus on three areas: first, the post-September 11, 2001, evolution of al-Qaeda; second, the associated organizations currently working with al-Qaeda; and finally, the global response to terrorism. Al-Qaeda was created in March 1988, and for ten years it was neither

Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security INTRODUCTION Well into the war on terrorism, Saudi Arabia continues to serve as the capital of international terrorist financing. Through groups like the Muslim World League (MWL), the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), the al Haramain Islamic Foundation

Remarks to a conference on "Post-Modern Terrorism: Trends, Scenarios, and Future Threats," International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Herzliya, Israel Thank you very much for your kind introduction. It's a pleasure to be here at ICT, an institution that makes such important contributions to both the academic literature available on the

Last week, two disparate events tested Britain's resolve to take bold action in the war on terrorism. London passed the first hurdle with flying colors, arresting a wanted fugitive, and will hopefully show similar determination by shutting a terrorist front organization operating openly out of London. Coming on the heels

On June 25, 2003, shortly after the initiation of the Quartet Roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian peace, President George W. Bush urged European Union (EU) leaders to take "swift, decisive action against [Palestinian] terror groups such as Hamas, to cut off their funding and support." Much of the funding received by Hamas's

After the bombings of the U.N. headquarters and Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad, U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid commented that terrorism was becoming the "No. 1 security threat in Iraq." In truth, terrorism was the greatest threat from the moment coalition forces set out to liberate Iraq. This was the plan

Now that it controls an extremely capable terrorist network in the West Bank, Hezbollah has established itself as a proactive spoiler of Middle East peace, capable of commissioning attacks even if Palestinian groups agree to cease fire.