La Liberte, L'Afrique prise en otage, 26 March 2021
«Cette filiale [l’EIGS] est celle qui a eu le développement le plus fulgurant du continent sur un territoire où al-Qaïda avait le monopole total jusque-là, analyse Olivier Guitta. «Elle a réussi à s’implanter durablement, en débauchant des cadres d’al-Qaïda. Elle s'est appuyée sur une structure plus souple que celle de son concurrent et a pu compter sur son aura: avoir été le seul groupe djihadiste au monde à avoir créé un califat.»
The Iran-China Crucial Link, Akhbar al-Aan TV, 18 Mar 2021
In the possible deal of the century, that is both snubbing U.S. sanctions and saving the regime in Tehran, China will invest a whopping $400 Billion in Iran over the next 25 years. The breakdown will allegedly be: $280B to develop Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemicals sectors and $120B to upgrade Iran's transport and manufacturing infrastructure, which can be front-loaded into the first five-year period.
Lebanon in the Abyss, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 8 March 2021
Hezbollah controlling Lebanon for years with a toothless and corrupt political class has brought only desolation to the Lebanese people, forcing many now to board smugglers' boats for risky crossings to Europe.
Iran's Stake in the Nuclear Deal, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 1 March 2021
Despite the fact that it was widely expected that the new incoming Biden Administration’s first foreign policy priority was going to be China, Iran has stolen the show. For now, the Biden team is following Barack Obama's playbook on Iran, bending backwards to get a nuclear deal with Tehran.
'ISIS 2.0' now 'a reality', Daily Star, 1 March 2021
Terror expert Olivier Guitta, Managing Director of security consultancy firm GlobalStrat, believes “ISIS 2.0” has now become "a reality". He told the Daily Star: “It’s been over two years that ISIS had been regrouping in Iraq after going underground and preparing for the next phase. “ISIS had been controlling a lot of villages in the country, racketeering the population at night and instilling fear in the heart of the residents.
The Sahel Conundrum, Akhbar al-Aan TV, 24 Feb 2021
In just the past 15 months, more than 6,600 civilians have been killed by jihadist groups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Local governments are now actively looking to negotiate with these terror groups while the West with France leading the way is very reticent to do so. What will happen there?
Russia's Energy Weapon, Akhbar al-Aan TV, 8 Feb 2021
The Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 is almost online and will basically give Russia a blackmail weapon over Europe and in particular over Germany. The U.S. has been trying to stop the project with sanctions because it is worried that Russia could de facto control Europe without NATO being able to counter Moscow.
China needs to be punished, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 30 Jan 2021
China is getting a free pass from politicians but people around the world have not forgotten the responsibility of China in the spread of the Wuhan Virus, the treatment of Uighurs and Tibetans and the illegal takeover of Honk Kong. The E.U. because of Germany just signed a disgraceful investment agreement with China. The real question is what will the U.S. under President Biden do? The new cold war is actually bound on accelerating and Taiwan could be at risk.
Africa, Terrorist Playground, Ahram, 29 Jan 2021
The French Global Strat Risk Consultancy expert on jihad Olivier Guitta concurred: “There is a deadly rivalry taking place between supporters of Al-Qaeda and IS. This rivalry is becoming intense. Africa is going to be the battleground of jihad for the next 20 years and it’s going to replace the Middle East.”
Morocco's Jewish Heritage, Akhbar, Al-Aan TV, 17 Jan 2021
The Moroccan Jewish community was the largest in the Arab world; at one point of the twentieth century, Morocco’s Jewish community accounted for 10% of the total population of the kingdom. Quite tellingly, the main government-linked daily in Morocco, Le Matin, still mentions every day the date in the Jewish Calendar.
Morocco’s Jewish Heritage Cemented the Normalisation Deal with Israel, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 4 Jan 2021
The Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said, “Morocco has an important history with its Jewish Community, unheard of in any other Arab nation.” That Moroccan Jewish community has been lobbying for years for this peace agreement with Israel and the emotional link between Moroccan Jews and their home country should cement that deal in order to make it a lasting one.
Deciphering the Israel-Morocco Normalization Deal, The Levant News, 26 Dec 2020
While the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has underlined that the relations between the two countries were “already normal”, to establish official diplomatic relations, direct air links and foster trade is massive. The positives of this move should not obscure the risks and consequences of this deal.
The Arab Spring changed everything-in Europe, Foreign policy, 24 Dec 2020
Olivier Guitta, the head of a security firm that offers advice to governments in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, said Europe’s refusal to intervene militarily in Syria was the cardinal sin that pushed Muslim Westerners into the arms of the Islamic State.
U.S. Mainstream Media Siding with the Islamists, IPT, 11 Dec 2020
Macron complained to the Times about its coverage of the terror attacks in France. He criticized the paper for its lack of solidarity with France, notably because of its first title after the assassination of teacher Samuel Paty. The newspaper's headline was: "French police shoot man after deadly knife attack." The title was changed quickly enough, but it left its mark.
Is Africa overtaking the Middle East as the new jihadist battleground?, BBC News, 3 Dec 2020
Expert on jihad Olivier Guitta from GlobalStrat Risk Consultancy even predicts: "Africa is going to be the battleground of jihad for the next 20 years and it's going to replace the Middle East".
Al-Qaeda and IS share a common loathing for secular, Western-supported rulers whom they call "apostates".
European schools, hospitals are next terror targets, SCMP, 9 Nov 2020
Olivier Guitta said countries across Europe needed to raise their threat levels – as Britain did last week – following attacks in Nice and Vienna, as jihadist groups had been calling for further attacks at a time when “antagonism with Western values” was increasing.
After Vienna and Nice, new worries about terrorism, Berliner MorgenPost, 6 Nov 2020
Sagte der britische Sicherheitsexperte Olivier Guitta unserer Redaktion. „Es könnte morgen in Deutschland, Spanien, Dänemark, Großbritannien oder Belgien passieren“, so der Direktor von Globalstrat in London. „Die wahrscheinlichen potenziellen Ziele für Dschihadisten sind in den nächsten Monaten Schulen und Krankenhäuser.“
Vienna Terror Attack, VOA 3 Nov 2020
Counterterrorism expert Olivier Guitta tweeted within minutes of the shooting spree in the Austrian capital: “Important to note that the multiple terror attacks in #Vienna, #Austria happened on the last evening before Austria goes into lockdown. The #Nice attack at the church also took place the day before #France went into lockdown.”
Terror attacks in France over Mohamed cartoons, USA Today 31 Oct 2020
Guitta said he foresaw a scenario where over the next few weeks demonstrators in Arab Gulf states, in Pakistan, in Turkey and across Muslim areas of South East Asia took to the streets in violent protest, as happened when the Danish cartoons were first published, and before that when Rushdie's book was slapped with a fatwa by Iran.
France’s Fight against Islamism, The Levant News 18 Oct 2020
Macron’s challenge remains huge: how does one turn around a situation where 74% of French Muslims under 25 consider their religious values to be above those of the Republic? One answer might lie in Obin’s conclusions: the schools that have fared the best in terms of radicalization are the ones where Muslim radicalism, violence towards girls, Jews and teachers has not been tolerated. In short, the only solution against the Islamists is being tough and not yielding on anything.
China Turning up The Heat, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 2 Sep 2020
First and foremost, China has been focusing on re-taking territories it considers an integral part of the Chinese nation. So, while the forceful illegal takeover of Hong Kong has been extensively documented, Beijing’s aggressive stance against Taiwan has been less of a burning issue. It is a mistake though and the international community has to warn China not to try anything against Taipei.
Islamic State Rapid Progress in Mozambique, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 26 August 2020
There is a huge story that is not getting a lot of attention these days: it is the advance of the Islamic State in the gas-rich country of Mozambique. One of the reasons for that is that the Mozambican government has banned journalists, researchers and civil society from doing their work in the conflict province of Cabo Delgado. Despite that censorship, very concerning information is trickling down, indicating how Islamic State has made progress in controlling strategic territory under the nose of the central government.
Hezbollah Played with the Lives of Lebanese People, IPT 17 Aug 2020
A generation of corrupt and incompetent politicians has been complicit in letting Hezbollah take over Lebanon. It is therefore smart for the Trump administration to prepare to impose anticorruption sanctions against prominent Lebanese politicians and businessmen in an effort to weaken Hezbollah's influence. For too long, Hezbollah has hijacked the beautiful country of Lebanon and its incredible people.
Turkey is on a War Path, The Levant News, 2 August 2020
Erdogan: “Our vision of a big powerful Turkey has slowly started to flesh out, yielding concrete results. There is no power that can stand in the way of a nation that marches into battle with a mindset of “If we die, we become martyrs; if we live, we become veterans””
Iran's Expansion in Africa, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 26 July 2020
Iran has also actively tried to set up terror cells in Central Africa, notably in the CAR, Chad and Sudan. Known as the “Zahraa Brigade”, the aim of this shadowy network would be to attack American other Western targets including military bases, embassies and officials.
France sends a strong signal to the Muslim Brotherhood, The Levant News, 26 July 2020
Indeed, for the first time in the West, a very important body of the State has deemed the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) a dangerous organisation, whose leaders should be banned from French territory.
China Re-Building its Empire, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 15 July 2020
When Xi Jinping came to power in China in 2013, he made crystal clear that he was on a collision course with the West. Today the Coronavirus outbreak has shown how Beijing’s nefarious projects that include coverups and lies has cost the world hundreds of thousands of lives. China is on a war path and will stop at nothing to rebuild its lost empire.
The Hezbollah/Iran-Venezuela Nefarious Connection, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 6 July 2020
Hezbollah has had cells in Venezuela since the 1990’s; it controls large swaths of territory in Venezuela; it leads the drug trafficking and illegal gold mining as well; Margarita Island off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela serves as its base of operations where it runs terror training camps and is a major hub for its drug trafficking activities.
Turkey's Pushing Egypt to War in Libya, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 26 June 2020
Turkey gave the green light to massively extend the deployment from troops to warships and submarines as well as more drones, warplanes and freighters. That game-changer has rightfully so worried Egypt that President al-Sisi has talked about a possible military intervention.
Terrorism:Is the Ivory Coast Next?, Akhbar Al-Aan TV, 21 June 2020
In just the past three years, the number of attacks in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has been multiplied by five. The jihadists ambition is unbridled and targeting larger African countries is a must. A recent attack in the Ivory Coast may signal that it might be the next major target for the jihadists.