Latest Entries
Public executions reportedly on the rise in North Korea
Analysis

Public executions reportedly on the rise in North Korea

A recent report from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korea’s spy agency, indicated that public executions have increased this year under Kim Jong-un, compared to last year. It can be stated with low confidence that the stability of the North Korean government has the potential to be negatively impacted by the executions. Continue reading →

Iraqi Kurdish leader signals independence talks with Baghdad after Mosul falls
Analysis

Iraqi Kurdish leader signals independence talks with Baghdad after Mosul falls

With the joint operation to clear the Islamic state from its territorial control of Mosul in full swing, a prominent Iraqi Kurdish leader has signified that the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) will pressure Baghdad for its independence following the battle. This seems to signify that, despite cooperation between the KRG and the Iraqi Government in their joint endeavor to clear ISIS from Mosul, the autonomous Kurdish government is still intent on seeking an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Continue reading →

Arrests of radicals in Kazakhstan indicates growth in ISIS popularity in Central Asia
Analysis

Arrests of radicals in Kazakhstan indicates growth in ISIS popularity in Central Asia

Kazakh authorities have reported the arrests of groups of suspected terrorists in major cities in both August and October of 2016. Examined in light of terror attacks in major cities in the country earlier this year, these developments are indicative of an increase in popularity of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region. Continue reading →

CIB analyst refines skills by studying in Russia
interviews

CIB analyst refines skills by studying in Russia

In the 2015-2016 academic year, Coastal Carolina University student Emily Clingenpeel was an analyst in the Chanticleer Intelligence Brief’s Europe Desk. The Intelligence and National Security Studies major and Global Studies Minor specializes in Eastern European affairs, with an emphasis on Russia. This fall, Clingenpeel took an extra step in her specialization, by going to Russia to study. She is currently a student at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, where she focuses on Russian Language study, through a program provided by the American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS). We caught up with her during a rare break from her many trips throughout Russia and Eastern Europe and asked her a few questions about her study-abroad experience and its connection to her CIB training. Continue reading →

Foiled attack shows shift in focus of Islamist extremists in Indonesia
Analysis

Foiled attack shows shift in focus of Islamist extremists in Indonesia

Early last month, Detachment 88, Indonesia’s counterterrorism unit, foiled an attempt by the Katibah Gigih Ramat (KGR) Cell to launch a rocket at Singapore’s Marina Bay from the island of Batam. The failed attempt indicates the rising popularity of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Indonesia and shows that Indonesian Islamist militants are becoming increasingly globally-oriented. It can be stated with moderate confidence that Jemaah Islamiyah does not continue to pose a security threat today, as it has been overshadowed by ISIS. Continue reading →

Boko Haram negotiates release of Chibok schoolgirls
Analysis

Boko Haram negotiates release of Chibok schoolgirls

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Nigerian insurgency group Boko Haram, has resurfaced in a YouTube video insisting on the release of the Chibok schoolgirls only if the Nigerian government agrees to a prisoner swap. I believe with high confidence that, due to a faction war currently taking place within Boko Haram and now the willingness to negotiate with the Nigerian government, Boko Haram is not growing stronger. Continue reading →

First CIB meetings of the semester see record attendance
meetings

First CIB meetings of the semester see record attendance

Over 100 students majoring in a variety of subjects attended the first two meetings of the year hosted by the Chanticleer Intelligence Brief. Nearly 70 came on Wednesday, August 31, in room 300 of the Coastal Science Center, to attend CIB’s inaugural meeting for the 2016-2017 academic year. Another 50 returned for the group’s second meeting on September 7 at the same location. Continue reading →

CIB presents awards during 2016 banquet
Awards / meetings

CIB presents awards during 2016 banquet

Over 40 Chanticleer Intelligence Brief officers, analysts and members gathered at the HTC Center’s hospitality suite on the evening of Monday, May 2, 2016, for the first annual CIB awards banquet. The event was sponsored by CIB and organized by the organization’s Executive Team. The purpose behind it was to recognize the achievements of the … Continue reading →

Capture of Islamic State engineer likely to delay group’s WMD capability
Analysis

Capture of Islamic State engineer likely to delay group’s WMD capability

By Grant Barratt, CIB Middle East Desk* United States Special Operations forces captured the Islamic State’s (IS) chemical engineer in Iraq last month. It is stated with moderate confidence that the detainment of this individual will delay and heavily impact IS’s ability to pursue the deployment of a large-scale chemical attack. According to both Iraqi … Continue reading →