About TRAC’s Core Articles
Commissioned, proprietary analysis of key components of terrorist activities and groups, such as “Recruiting Female Suicide Bombers”, written by experts worldwide.
ComplexityOne of the defining features of 21st century terrorism is complexity. Maritime piracy is one element of a modern-day threat convergence that can also involve terrorism, illicit narcotics and weapons dealing, and other forms of organized crime. Historically, piracy has long been a menace to shipping on the high seas around the world, but statistics from the year 2000 onward show a sharp spike in armed attacks specifically in waters off the Horn of Africa. This location has become a nexus for piracy due to lack of strong states and effective rule of law in the region, the lure of huge financial rewards, and spreading economic and political instability. What sets these attacks apart from similar assaults in archipelagos from the Strait of Malacca to the Caribbean and the Philippines is their specific linkage with Islamic jihadis, some of whom are affiliated with Al-Qa’eda. In this, the modern naval terrorist shares a heritage with thousands of earlier Muslim corsairs who…
