May 2007

Al-Qaida's (Mis)Adventures in the Horn of Africa

This report provides an analysis of al-Qaida’s operations in the Horn of Africa. The report is based on a collection of al-Qaida documents released from the US Department of Defense’s Harmony Database and captured in the course of operations supporting the war on terror. The report includes a theoretical analysis of al-Qaida’s successes and failures while operating in Somalia between 1992 and 1994. Case studies on Somalia and Kenya provide a historical and current analysis of al-Qaida’s operations in the Horn. The authors’ theoretical analysis and case studies suggest policy recommendations on how the US and its coalition partners might address the threat of terrorism in failed and weak states within the Horn of Africa and globally.

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