Burton & Stewart on Terrorism

An assault in Phoenix by Mexican cartel hit men should signal to U.S. law enforcement that additional attacks of a similar nature are likely to continue to extend onto American soil, particularly as violence in Mexico escalates. [more]

Recent diplomatic wrangling between Colombia and Nicaragua over the country’s decision to grant asylum to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia members provides an opportunity to examine how militants have been harbored there for decades. [more]

The success of a break at Sarposa prison in Afghanistan underscores the Taliban's dedication to freeing their fellow insurgents, as well as the overall vulnerability of the facilities that attempt to contain them. [more]

The Pakistani government's recent thwarting of what appears to be a massive suicide bombing attempt signals a possible return of organized jihadist activity in Pakistan -- in the wake of the June 2 Danish Embassy bombing. [more]

This week's Terrorism Weekly is the second chapter of Fred Burton's new book, GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent. [more]

This week's Terrorism Weekly is the first chapter of Fred Burton's new book, GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent. [more]

International efforts to crack down on militant networks have increased the pressure facing jihadist recruiters as proven by materials they have produced to coach operatives when targeting new members. [more]

The recent intensification of violence stemming from Mexico’s drug cartel wars provides ample opportunity to examine the larger role of countersurveillance and protective intelligence in preventing similar attacks in the future. [more]

A recent fire aboard a bus in Shanghai illustrates China’s historical weakness with regard to the security of its transportation system and the prevalence of explosives used in the country as a weapon of choice by militants and other would-be attackers. [more]

The Taliban’s April 27 attack against a ceremony commemorating Afghanistan’s independence has gotten a lot of media attention but the Taliban has shown itself unable to capitalize on a golden opportunity. [more]

An attack against the food supply is unlikely to create a significant death toll, but the panic such an attack may evoke can cause repercussions that are far greater than the death toll itself. [more]

The San Francisco Olympic torch relay April 9 revealed the organizational capabilities of the Chinese government and its intelligence collection apparatus inside the United States. [more]

The trial of eight men accused in connection with the 2006 plot to bomb a series of airline flights originating from London’s Heathrow Airport is providing insight into the involvement of the core al Qaeda leadership. Most notably, however, the trial serves as a reminder that al Qaeda remains fixated on aircraft as targets and that, in spite of changes in security procedures since 9/11, aircraft remain vulnerable to attack. [more]

Russia has seen an upsurge in high-profile killings in recent years despite the reining in of organized crime by the Kremlin. [more]

Conventional wisdom holds that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, as an African-American, is under a greater threat than either his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton or Republican candidate John McCain. But a close look at the rhetoric on many radical white racist Web sites suggests that all three candidates are at risk. [more]

The Chinese government’s March 18 report that a China Southern Airlines crew thwarted an attempted terrorist attack in mid-flight March 7 has been met with skepticism in some Western circles. Regardless of Beijing’s reasons to invent such a plot, we are not so quick to dismiss this incident. [more]

Several unsolved small-scale attacks in New York City since 1997 bear certain similarities. This could be coincidence, or it could be that the perpetrators are connected to the loosely organized black bloc movement. [more]

Although ricin can be a quite effective weapon in targeted assassinations and suicides, militants are much more apt to choose the weapons they know -- firearms and bombs. [more]

As grassroots operatives become increasingly important to the jihadist movement, local police departments will become an even more critical force in the effort to keep the United States safe from attacks. [more]

Hezbollah is under great pressure from its leaders and supporters to retaliate for the Feb. 12 assassination of Imad Mughniyah, one of its top commanders. If the organization is planning a response, it will need at least a month to dispatch operatives, conduct surveillance, gather materials, construct a bomb and then employ it. During this lag time, the precautions taken by potential targets could wane. [more]