A deadly bomb attack struck central Somalia on February 16, leaving 13 dead and many injured. Al Jazeera reports that the blast was caused by a suicide bomber targeting a Somali government spokesman, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, who is being treated at a hospital for his injuries. Several other politicians and government officials were injured.
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For the second time in just five years, a British politician has died after an attack while meeting with constituents. The New York Times reports that on October 15, longstanding conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed inside of a church during a constituency surgery in Essex. The incident, quickly declared a terrorist attack, has sent shockwaves throughout the UK, raising concerns about the security of lawmakers in an increasingly tense political climate.
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Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country, many questions have arisen regarding women’s rights in the country. The Taliban announced that they would lead an inclusive government where women would work “shoulder to shoulder” with men, promising to govern differently than before, says Al Jazeera.
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On Tuesday, September 21, the Taliban requested to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and nominated Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, according to Reuters. This was one of many strategic efforts by the Taliban as it continues to woo world leaders in a bid for recognition as the official political authority in Afghanistan. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were the only countries that recognized the Taliban when it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
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The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is deepening the country’s long-standing refugee crisis. According to the United Nations, there were around six million Afghan refugees and internally displaced people at the end of 2020. Another half a million could leave by the end of the year.
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The United States intervened in Afghanistan to hunt down the perpetrators of the September 11 terror attacks and deter another incident of such magnitude. Although this mission was successful at first, the Taliban’s return to power raises serious questions and concerns about the likelihood of a renewal of terrorism in Afghanistan and its implications for the American homeland.
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In the early hours of April 5, gunmen attacked the Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State, a region in Southeast Nigeria, freeing over 1800 inmates, according to BBC News. The New York Times explains that the attack on the prison was just one of a series of attacks against several police and military facilities that have taken place since late February.
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Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army Andy Swedlow gave a presentation on the use of terrorism in the Great Game at the School of Diplomacy on April 8. Swedlow gave a description on the history of the Great Game, different ways nation states utilized terrorism, and the effects of terrorism on the great power competition.
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Al-Qaeda’s second in command, Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was confirmed to have been shot and killed in Tehran, Iran, on August 7, reports The New York Times, citing U.S. intelligence officials.
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ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi killed himself during a raid by the U.S. military on October 27.
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