China in Al-Qaeda's Crosshairs

 War on the Rocks published on 18 February 2026 an analysis titled "China Now Finds Itself in Al-Qaeda's Crosshairs" by Colin Clarke and Lucas Webber, both with the Soufan Center.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated organizations in the Arabian Gulf and Africa are now including China as part of its enemy hierarchy due in large part to Beijing's treatment of the Muslim Uyghur population in Xinjiang Province.  

Houthi-al-Shabaab Cooperation in Red Sea Region

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 28 May 2025 an analysis titled "Expanding Al-Shabaab-Houthi Ties Escalate Security Threats to Red Sea Region."

Growing collaboration between al-Shabaab and the Houthis is enabling both militant groups and contributing to heightened maritjme and land-based threats on both sides of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Houthis Emerge from Red Sea Shipping Attacks Unscathed

 Geopolitical Monitor published on 19 February 2025 an analysis titled "Houthis Emerge from Red Sea Shipping Crisis Unscathed" by Paulo Aguiar.

Since the beginning of their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in 2023, the Houthis have steadily gained military strength and political leverage, fueled their recruitment, and increased their foothold in northern Yemen.  While US, UK, and Israeli airstrikes have targeted missile launch sites, radar systems, and storage facilities, they have not significantly degraded the Houthis' fundamental military capabilities.   

Yemen's Houthi Rebels Expand Ties into Horn of Africa

 The CTC Sentinel published in December 2024 an analysis titled "Looking West: The Houthis' Expanding Footprint in the Horn of Africa" by Michael Horton.  

The Yemen-based Houthi rebels are solidifying ties with al-Shabaab and arms smugglers that operate in Somalia and Puntland.  The Houthis are also improving their relations with al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, which is aligned with al-Shabaab.  

Houthi Rebels in Yemen Expand Ties with Somali Terrorist Group and Russia

 The New York-based Soufan Center published on 5 November 2024 an article titled "Houthis Continue Regional and Global Expansion, Networking with Terror Groups and State Sponsors of Terrorism."

Houthi rebels in Yemen have extended their operational links to the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.  There is also growing cooperation between the Houthis and Russia.

Update on Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Shipping

 The U.S. Naval Institute News published on 6 August 2024 the Congressional Research Service in Focus report titled "Yemen: Conflict, Red Sea Attacks, and U.S. Policy."

This brief report provides an update on Houthi Red Sea attacks and the U.S. response.

Sudan and the US State Sponsors of Terrorism List

The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 23 July 2020 a commentary titled "Can Sudan Escape Its History as a Transit Hub for Violent Extremist Organizations?" by Peter Chalk, Valens Global, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Valens Global, and Colin P. Clarke, Foreign Policy Research Institute. 

The State Department placed Sudan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 and it has not been removed in spite of the fact annual State Department reports on terrorism have stated that Sudan has cooperated with the U.S. government over the last fifteen years to reign in terrorism.  The most recent State Department Sudan country report on terrorism notes that "despite the absence of high-profile terrorist attacks, ISIS facilitation networks appear to be active within Sudan." The authors correctly note there are other legal obstacles that are making it difficult to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

But there is no indication that the government of Sudan is aiding and abetting possible ISIS facilitation networks in Sudan and these networks exist in at least a dozen countries that are NOT on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. 

Beyond Counterterrorism: Defeating the Salafi-Jihadi Movement

The American Enterprise Institute published in October 2019 a study titled "Beyond Counterterrorism: Defeating the Salafi-Jihadi Movement" by Katherine Zimmerman.

This detailed study includes two especially useful maps on pages 47-48 that identify the global networks across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia of both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The Horn of Africa and the UAE

The Middle East Institute published on 25 April 2017 a commentary titled "The Horn of Africa's Growing Importance to the U.A.E." by Eleonora Ardemagni, NATO Defense College Foundation.

The United Arab Emirates' pivot to the Horn of Africa is designed to tackle three growing security concerns: Yemen's instability, freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and continuing piracy in the region.

Al-Shabaab's Resurgence

Foreign Affairs published on 3 January 2017 an article titled "Al-Shabab's Resurgence: Why Its Campaign of Terror Will Likely Accelerate" by Joshua Meservey, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation.

The author suggests that al-Shabaab will renew its efforts in Puntland following elections in Somalia and possibly revive its ties with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Somalia: Al-Shabaab Remains a Threat

Foreign Policy published on 9 March 2016 a commentary titled "U.S. Attacks Reveal Al-Shabab's Strength, Not Weakness"  by Ty McCormack.








The author argues that while the U.S., AMISOM, and Somali forces continue to eliminate al-Shabaab insurgents, they continue to come back even stronger.

Panel Discussion of Somalia and Al-Shabaab

China Radio International on 14 October 2013 ran an hour-long, wide-ranging panel discussion about recent developments in Somalia, the Westgate Mall bombing in Kenya, and al-Shabaab.  The panelists were He Wenping, African studies expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Joyce Njogu, TV producer with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation; and myself. 

Somalia: Arms Race vs. Arms Embargo?

Aljazeera's "Inside Story" for 12 February 2013 is a 25-minute program on efforts to lift the arms embargo on Somalia.  For this discussion, I was asked to join Peter Kagwanja, Africa Policy Institute in Nairobi, and Roland Marchal, National Centre for Scientific Research at the Paris Institute of Political Science. For additional information on this subject, see Louis Charbonneau's 10 February 2013 piece in Reuters titled "U.N. Monitors See Arms Reaching Somalia from Yemen, Iran."

Somali Piracy and Indian Ocean Issues

The Stimson Center in Washington released in April two papers dealing with Somali piracy and other security issues in the Indian Ocean by Rupert Herbert-Burns. One released on 30 April 2012 is titled Countering Piracy, Trafficking, and Terrorism: Ensuring Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean. It focuses on Somali piracy and other illicit activity in the Indian Ocean. Click here to read the entire report.

The second report appeared on 20 April 2012 and is titled International Naval Activity and Developments in the Indian Ocean Region in the 1st Quarter of 2012. It provides an overview of key naval developments in the Indian Ocean during the first three months of the year. Issues covered include an increase in Iranian naval activity, the US and allied response to that activity, counter-piracy operations and commissioning of a new Indian navy nuclear powered attack submarine. Click here to read the entire paper.