2014 saw a number of developments further solidifying jihadi attempts to expand their battles to include fronts in Southeast Asia. Jihadi media organizations have continued their efforts to develop content in languages spoken in the region, while al-Qaeda (AQ) even announced the establishment of an official regional wing dedicated to the region.
The question of who was behind the Charlie Hebdo attack appears to have been settled with an explicit claim of responsibility by Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi, a key leader in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). There is a good deal of evidence that supports al-Ansi’s claim.
The terrible events in Paris reminded the world that extremist terror is still a serious threat. There are three points in particular that stand out from early reports about the attack and the attackers.
Following the January 7 armed attack on staff members of the French satirical news publication, Charlie Hebdo, French media sources have quoted a witness report that one of the shooters stated, "Tell the media that this is al-Qaeda in the Yemen," in reference to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Based on the long history of incitements against the newspaper by al-Qaeda (AQ) and AQAP, this account should not be dismissed.
While everyone agrees that the threat from al-Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS) has grown exponentially over the past year, it is unclear what precise direction the two groups will take in the future. No one can, of course, predict with certainty what will occur over the next twelve months, but there are indications from the past that might help us to understand the range of possibilities for future developments.