Terrorism Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Moscow in the Sahel: The Strategic Erosion of U.S. Influence in West Africa

The military regimes of the Sahel states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are forming a new security and political alliance while distancing themselves from Western partners. Russia is playing a central role in shaping…

April 9, 2026Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Russia, USA

Intelligence ops National Security Psyops Terrorism

Risk Assessment: Threats Against the U.S. Vice President During a Visit to Hungary

The risk of a politically motivated hostile act against the U.S. Vice President during a visit to Hungary should be assessed as elevated in terms of political sensitivity, but constrained by a…

March 23, 2026Hungary, Russia, USA

Geopolitics Terrorism

Why is Mali resuming intelligence operations with the US?

Since 2021, when the Malian junta consolidated power in a second coup after the first one in 2020, the military government it controlled was largely seen as anti-Western.This was mainly…

March 12, 2026Mali, USA

Intelligence ops Terrorism Warfare

Rails at Risk: NATO’s Most Exposed States and the Logic of Sabotage

Russia’s approach to rail sabotage in NATO states is indirect, deniable, and layered. Rather than deploying uniformed operatives, Moscow outsources risk through criminal proxies, extremist milieus, and information operations, while retaining plausible deniability. The…

February 17, 2026railroads, Russia

Conflict Governance Terrorism

Death of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi: Likely Perpetrators, Political Logic, and Tribal Consequences

Most plausible motive cluster: spoiler prevention (removing a rallying figure for a “third force” / pro-Gaddafi current) + settling long-standing scores tied to 2011–2017 detention networks and post-2011 militia politics in western Libya. High-risk…

February 4, 2026Libya

Geopolitics Terrorism Warfare

Tajikistan Is Seeking Russian Military Support:What It Means for Central Asian Security

By reorienting itself toward Moscow, Dushanbe is navigating a minefield of competing pressures—from cross-border insecurity and domestic politics to the strategic competition between Russia, China, and the Taliban-led government in Kabul. These dynamics…

December 17, 2025Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan, Taliban

Governance Terrorism

Changing the Guard: Tinubu’s Response to Escalating Violence and Political Pressure

On December 1, 2025, the then-Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned, officially citing health reasons. Within 24 hours, President Tinubu nominated former Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa as the…

December 4, 2025Nigeria

Conflict Terrorism

Serbia’s hybrid warfare in Kosovo through state-tolerated terrorism

Serbian State Terrorism in Kosovo, Europe’s Silence and the Consequences for Regional Security In the autumn of 2025, a rare but revealing event reignited debate about Serbia’s covert interventions and…

November 7, 2025Kosovo, Serbia

National Security Terrorism

Probability and Purpose of a Hypothetical Trump-Era U.S. Military Campaign in Nigeria

While the probability of a direct, large-scale U.S. ground intervention in Nigeria remains low, certain triggers—including counterterrorism escalation, energy security pressures, great-power competition in West Africa, and domestic political incentives—could lead…

November 5, 2025Boko Haram, Nigeria, USA

Conflict Geopolitics Terrorism Warfare

Afghanistan–Pakistan Border Clashes, 2025

Intense fighting along the long‐contested Afghanistan–Pakistan frontier broke out in October 2025, marking the worst conflict between the two countries since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Islamabad accused Kabul of…

October 20, 2025Afghanistan, Pakistan

Terrorism