The author re-evaluates the threat posed by Al-Qaeda following a decade of war.

Today we are examining safe havens in Syria and Iran from which al-Qaeda could target the homeland, the relationship between al-Qaeda and Iran, the threat to the United States from foreign jihadis in Syria, and how Syrian instability may impact al-Qaeda's capabilities. There is much we don't know about the relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda. Since 2001 some senior leaders on al-Qaeda's management council have resided in Iran. Al-Qaeda uses Iran as facilitation, finance, and transport hub. Greatly adding to our concerns are the following facts. Al-Qaeda in Syria, also known as the Nusra Front, is an outgrowth of al-Qaeda's vicious Iraqi affiliate. It is responsible for the vast majority of suicide attacks in Syria. Among the several thousand members of the Nusra Front are, according to unclassified sources, a large number of foreign jihadis with Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Dutch-British, Danish, Dutch, German, Finnish, French, or Swedish citizenship or residency. These foreign fighters will likely undergo further Islamist radicalization as they receive terror training and gain combat experience before returning home to the West.

Lessons Learned from Afghanistan: America’s Longest War examines the lessons of how America’s “longest war” came to an ignominious end with staggering consequences for the United States and the Afghan nation. Afghanistan today faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, looming threat of a civil war and a resurgence of violent extremism organizations similar to pre-9/11. As the U.S. enters a new era in the strategic geopolitical Great Power Competition, an analysis of the original mission intent, shifting policy and strategic objectives, and ineffective implementation of security, political and economic programs reveal critical lessons and questions such as: What led to the “strategic failure” of the U.S. in Afghanistan? What decisions resulted in the present-day humanitarian, civil, and political crises in Afghanistan? Were these consequences in fact avoidable? Was there an alternative approach that could have maintained the hard-fought gains of the last two decades, and better demonstrated America's standing as a defender of global human rights? Lessons Learned from Afghanistan: America’s Longest War further explores lessons of the past negotiations between the United States, Taliban, and former U.S. backed Afghan government to suggest alternative pathways that honor the original intent of the mission and meet present-day obligations to an Afghan nation in crisis.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Examines terrorists¿ involvement in a variety of crimes ranging from motor vehicle violations, immigration fraud, and mfg. illegal firearms to counterfeiting, armed bank robbery, and smuggling weapons of mass destruction. There are 3 parts: (1) Compares the criminality of internat. jihad groups with domestic right-wing groups. (2) Six case studies of crimes includes trial transcripts, official reports, previous scholarship, and interviews with law enforce. officials and former terrorists are used to explore skills that made crimes possible; or events and lack of skill that the prevented crimes. Includes brief bio. of the terrorists along with descriptions of their org., strategies, and plots. (3) Analysis of the themes in closing arguments of the transcripts in Part 2. Illus.