-
A Caliphate has been Declared in the Middle East
Osama bin Laden’s death in May 2011 did not diminish al-Qaeda’s quest to destroy Western civilization. “The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it” was the ‘fatwa’ issued by bin Laden in 1998....
-
A Fatwa is in Place, and the Jihad Continues
“The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it....” - Osama bin Laden- February 1998 Osama bin Laden issued his “fatwa” only seven months before the U.S. embassies were bombed on August 7, 1998...
-
A Giant is Gone But His Legacy Lives On
Nelson Mandela at age 95, lost his battle with respiratory failure, reportedly, the result of recurring infections contracted during his years of prison confinement. Mr. Mandela had spent almost 27 years in a prison cell, eighteen years of which were...
-
Africa has a history of Irrational Borders
In Sudan little thought was given to the vast tribal, ethnic, and religious distinctions, or even the cultural and social differences, when historical boundaries were geographically redefined by the colonial powers. Muslim Arabs live in the north, and...
-
Africa Needs a New Foreign Policy of Engagement
From American Ambassadors Live! The U.S. needs to develop a new foreign policy of engagement with Africa, before China annexes this rich continent as part of its strategic plan to dominate the global economy. I first visited the Horn of Africa in...
-
Africa’s Future in the Global Economy
“Africa is the second largest continent, with over one billion people, which is expected to double by the year 2050”. On October 20-21, 2014 the Council of American Ambassadors and the Hinckley Institute of Politics co-sponsored a conference on...
-
Al-Shabaab Continues to be a Threat
The Federal Republic of Somalia was ruled by the brutal dictator Siad Barre until 1991, when a coalition of warlords deposed him. Shortly thereafter the U.S. embassy in the capital Mogadishu was shuttered, leaving a diplomatic void for over twenty-two...
-
Ansar al-Sharia: New Salafist Terrorist Group in North Africa
"Ansar al-Sharia: A New Salafi Jihadist Movement" “In the aftermath of the Arab Spring in Libya, radical Islamists looking for a new leader united with Ansar al-Sharia, an ultraconservative Salafist movement. Inflicting their brand of terrorism, they...
-
Benghazi Consulate Attacks: The Global War on Terror Continues
“It was known within 24 hours that al-Qaeda linked Islamists were responsible for attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, but the information was withheld from the public.” Senators said they were misled regarding the attacks on September 11, 2012,...
-
Note this recent news out of sub-Saharan Africa: “Somalia’s children schooled in guns” By Tom Odula – Associated Press Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Adan Abdi, a school teacher in Dhobley, “worries that the students in his class show too little interest in...
-
China May Trump the U.S. in Africa
“China is winning the hearts, minds and resources in sub-Saharan Africa” The United States needs to actively engage sub-Saharan Africa in a more meaningful way, not just in dialogue. Our “start-and-stop” foreign policy since the end of the Cold War in...
-
Education is Best Way to Defeat Radical Islam
On June 10, 2014 our family returned to Africa as we do every year. Kenya’s Masai Mara was again selected. There were fourteen of us, including twelve family members and two close friends, ranging in age from eight to eighty. The youngest family member...
-
Egypt: U.S. Aided Mohamed Morsi’s Rise to Power
“Morsi has usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt’s new pharaoh, a major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences”. - Mohammed ElBaradei The Obama Administration supported the Arab Spring uprisings, which led to regime...
-
Foreign Policy for Somalia Needs Boost
Foreign Policy for Somalia Needs Boost “In 1991 we ceased in-country diplomatic relations with Somalia, which opened the door to Islamic extremists. Now twenty years later the State Department wants to embrace Somalia. Let us do it with meaningful...
-
“One village at a time” On June 12, 2012 our family headed to sub-Saharan Africa for the annual visit of a selected country. This year the consensus was to go back to the Masai Mara in Kenya. Our group included thirteen, ranging from six to sixty plus,...
-
Mali the Epicenter for AQIM Terrorists
On October 12, 2012, Youssoufou Bamba the Côte d’ Ivoire representative to the United Nations stated, “The clock is ticking and every day that passes brings more suffering to the population trapped in the areas controlled by the terrorists”; noting...
-
Mali: Democracy Hangs in the Balance
“Unless action is taken immediately Sharia will rule” In my July 10, 2012 Commentary “Mali: A Democracy Destabilized by the Arab Spring”, I noted that the country was in deep trouble, and on the verge of being overrun by Islamists wanting to institute...
-
Mali: Radisson Blu Hotel Attack to Thwart Peace Accord
The terrorist attack on November 20 at the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital city of Bamako shows that radical Islamists continue to be active in Mali. Reportedly the attack was to thwart the peace accord between the Azawad National Liberation Movement...
-
Mali’s “Old Guard” Set to Win Presidential Election
The French press on Sunday night reported that Mali’s presidential election turnout was surprisingly heavy in the capital Bamako, and in the surrounding towns. In the northern area the town of Gao had a modest turnout while in Kidal, the Tuareg...
-
Mali’s Elected President Must Unite the Country
Mali’s second-round presidential election runoff on August 11 ended without major incident. The ministry for territorial administration on Monday reported that the voter turnout was 46 percent, slightly less than voter participation in the first-round....