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Sara Harmouch

PhD Candidate, School of Public Affairs, American University
Sara Harmouch, a Lebanese national and doctoral candidate at American University’s School of Public Affairs, specializes in counterterrorism and violent extremism. She has firsthand experience with the impacts of terrorism and militancy through her upbringing and extensive fieldwork conducted across the Middle East and North Africa region. Harmouch consults for the U.S. government and the private sector and has recently briefed NATO on religious militant groups. Her research focuses on asymmetric warfare, militant groups, political violence, and threats to democracies. Her work has been featured in War on The Rocks, The Long War Journal, Lawfare, Voice of America, Orion Policy Institute, Irregular Warfare Initiative, Globe Post, and American Intelligence Journal, among others. Follow her on Twitter: @sara_harmouch

Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?

Dec 10, 2024 05:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The fall of President Bashar al-Assad has left a critical question: After a half-century of brutal dynastic rule has come to an end, who speaks for Syrians now? One group staking a major claim for that role is Hayat...

What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And how did the Islamist group evolve into a key player in Syria’s civil war?

Dec 03, 2024 15:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views

A major offensive has seen rebel groups in Syria retake the countrys second city, Aleppo and demonstrated the growing prominence of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the 13-year-long civil war. The surprise...

How Moscow terror attack fits ISIS-K strategy to widen agenda, take fight to its perceived enemies

Mar 25, 2024 05:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Russia is reeling from the worst terror strike on its soil in a generation following an attack on March 22, 2024, that killed at least 137 concertgoers in Moscow. The attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group....

Global Geopolitics Series

US raids in Iraq and Syria: How retaliatory airstrikes affect network of Iran-backed militias

Feb 05, 2024 07:18 am UTC| Insights & Views

U.S. bombers struck dozens of sites across Iraq and Syria on Feb. 2, 2024, to avenge a drone attack that killed three American service members just days earlier. The retaliatory strikes were the first following a deadly...

Economy

European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground

European car sales recorded strong growth in April 2026, driven by rising demand for electric and hybrid vehicles across the region. According to the latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers...

European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions

European stock markets opened higher on Wednesday as investors balanced ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations with growing optimism over artificial intelligence-driven market momentum. The positive...

UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 3.1% as Supermarket Price Pressures Ease in May 2026

UK grocery inflation slowed to 3.1% in the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, marking the lowest increase in supermarket prices since December 2024, according to new data released by Worldpanel by Numerator. The latest report...

Nikkei Hits Record High as AI Chip Stocks Power Japan Market Rally

Japans Nikkei share average surged to a fresh record high on Wednesday, driven by strong gains in chip-related stocks as investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continued to fuel global technology markets. The...

RBNZ Holds Interest Rates Steady but Signals More Hikes Ahead in 2026

New Zealands central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but warned that further monetary tightening may be necessary later this year as rising global tensions increase inflation risks and slow economic...

Politics

Baltic Drone Incursions Raise NATO Security Concerns Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

Recent Ukrainian drone incursions into Baltic airspace have heightened security concerns across Eastern Europe, increasing tensions between NATO members and Russia. The incidents come as Ukraine intensifies long-range...

Trump Administration Weighs Halting International Flights at Sanctuary City Airports

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Trump administration is considering plans to suspend customs and immigration processing for international travelers and cargo flights arriving at airports located...

Israel Says It Killed New Hamas Military Chief in Gaza Strike

Israel announced on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammad Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamass armed wing in Gaza, as military operations intensified across Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. The Israeli military said...

Biden Sues DOJ to Block Release of Audio From Classified Documents Probe

Former U.S. President Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) in an effort to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to Special Counsel Robert Hurs investigation into Bidens...

US Plans Kenya Ebola Quarantine Facility Amid Congo Outbreak

The Trump administration is preparing to deploy U.S. public health officers to Kenya as part of a proposed Ebola quarantine facility designed to support Americans exposed to the deadly virus during the ongoing outbreak in...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Xiaomi Shares Drop After Weak Q1 Earnings Amid Rising Smartphone Costs

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) shares declined on Wednesday after the Chinese tech giant reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings, pressured by rising component costs and intense competition in the smartphone market....

Samsung to Invest $1.5 Billion in Vietnam Semiconductor Testing Plant by 2027

Samsung Electronics is expanding its semiconductor operations in Southeast Asia with plans to invest nearly 39 trillion Vietnamese dong, or about $1.5 billion, in a new semiconductor testing facility in Vietnam. According...

Samsung Workers Approve Wage Deal, Avoiding Major Strike and Boosting Chip Supply Confidence

Samsung Electronics workers have approved a new wage agreement, preventing a large-scale strike that could have disrupted global semiconductor supplies and impacted South Koreas economy. The deal was supported by nearly...

Elon Musk Explores Possible Tesla-SpaceX Merger Amid Growing AI Investments

Elon Musk has reportedly discussed the possibility of combining Tesla and SpaceX, according to a CNBC report released Tuesday. The potential merger has become a major topic of discussion within both companies as they...

SK Hynix Joins $1 Trillion Club as AI Chip Demand Fuels Stock Surge

SK Hynix Inc. became the second South Korean company to surpass a $1 trillion market valuation on Wednesday, as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to drive investor confidence in global semiconductor stocks....