Until the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the American view of radical Islam and its many discontents was shaped more by the Middle East than South Asia. The U.S. has long been at odds with the raging Ayatollah in Iran, the murderous truck bomber in Lebanon and the masked Palestinian "freedom...

If it was indeed al Shabaab that trained the Boko Haram militants, then Somalia has become a training center as well as a safe haven for radical Islamist groups. This new role means that al Shabaab is something more than simply an insurgent group; it is also an enabler in al Qaeda’s "far" war against the West and its allies.

If the US wants Egypt to be free from dictators and terrorism they should let Egypt introduce checks and balances into their constitution to eliminate a one-party system.

The arrival of foreign holy warriors is deradicalizing the local population in Iraq due to theirdiscomfort with al Qaeda's violence.

On both sides of the Atlantic we need to abandon the illusion that extremist leaders are authentic and less voluble moderates are not.

We are watching Iran move closer to nuclearization--and our restraint is making us no new friends.

It remains to be seen the extent to which the recent spate of attacks and increased militancy in Kazakhstan have operational links to the broader network of terrorist groups operating in Central Asia and South Asia. 

George W. Bush's policy of encouraging democracy in the Middle East has hit a bump in the road in the last few weeks.