Posts By: Jacob Charles

The Economics of terror

Timothy Compston takes a closer look at the way Islamic State – arguably the World’s richest and most extreme terrorist group – is funded.   As attention is given to the barbaric acts of IS – and the huge swathes of territory stretching across Iraq and Syria now under its direct control – a crucial… Read more »

2016 THREAT WATCH: Risk Hotspots In Sub-Saharan Africa

Natznet Tesfay, elevates future threats that lie ahead   Nigeria The terrorist threat posed by Boko Haram has reduced dramatically since the start of a concerted effort in February 2015 by Nigerian forces in collaboration with neighbouring countries to recover large areas of territory held by the Islamist militants. Despite a renewed campaign of improvised… Read more »

2016 THREAT WATCH: Civil Unrest Outlook For Asian Pacific

Omar Hamid, considers what the future holds for countries in the APAC region   Bangladesh The Awami League (AL) retained power in the 2014 election, but the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led opposition boycott meant that the result was a foregone conclusion. The boycott stemmed from the AL’s refusal to accept the BNP’s demand for a… Read more »

2016 THREAT WATCH: Terrorist Group Outlook

Matthew Henman, considers the recent actions of some of the major terrorist groups over the last few months   Islamic State In the three months between 1 July and 30 September 2015, IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre (JTIC) recorded a total of 1,086 attacks by the Islamic State worldwide from open sources. This represented… Read more »

REGIONAL THREAT WATCH: LATIN AMERICA Security Hotspots

IHS Country Risk examines the countries that face some of the most considerable threat over the coming months   Venezuela The political and security situation will worsen in Venezuela in the one-year outlook as weak international oil prices exacerbate economic contraction – in a country where 96 percent of its export revenues, 25 percent of… Read more »

REGIONAL THREAT WATCH: LATIN AMERICA Major terrorist groups

Matthew Henman, Head of the IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre analyses the various threats FARC The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) is a Marxist insurgent group based and operating in Colombia, and represents the best equipped, trained, and organised guerrilla organisation in Latin America. The group was officially founded in 1966 by Pedro… Read more »

First class airport security

Francis Morgan, Director of Policy at London Heathrow Airport discusses the growing importance of security on the aviation agenda and how technology is helping win the battle   intersec: Could you start by telling us what your role as Director of Policy involves? FM: In essence, it’s my job to take an overview of where… Read more »

The right ticket for train security

Timothy Compston discovers if train security is on track in the aftermath of the failed French attack   The attack on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris in August – which was thankfully thwarted by the actions of those on board – has once again brought into sharp relief just how vulnerable rail… Read more »

The future of UAV technology

Dr David Abrutat explores the changing face of combat from the air as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are being deployed now more than they have ever been and are being utilised for increasingly imaginative purposes.   Modern warfighting has undergone a transformation, in the last decade of counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, faster… Read more »

Saudi Arabia braces for ISIS

Jeff Moore investigates the growing influence of ISIS in Saudi Arabia, the rise of incidents, the different cells and what the future holds for the Kingdom   While Saudi Arabian forces battle it out with Houthi rebels in Yemen in their most intense conventional fighting since Operation Desert Storm, a domestic irregular threat looms over… Read more »