Global Islamism Monitor: No. 20

JORDAN MOVES AGAINST THE BROTHERHOOD
In one of its most assertive actions to date against the conservative Islamist movement, Jordan's government has shut down the headquarters of the country's Muslim Brotherhood branch. The official decision comes after the group lost its legal status last year after failing to comply with new governmental requirements. In carrying out the closure, Jordan joins a growing list of regional states that have cracked down on manifestations of the Muslim Brotherhood in their country. But critics warn that the move could have unintended consequences. The headquarter closure is "a dangerous step, because this group was against terrorism and had been part of this country for a long time, and such actions drive people to extremism," a former Jordanian Brotherhood official has warned. (New York Times, April 13, 2016)

ISIS BROADENS ITS REACH IN LIBYA
The ranks of the Islamic State in Libya are growing. According to estimates from the U.S. Africa Command, the size of Islamic State forces in Libya have doubled over the past year, and now stand at between 4,000 and 6,000 personnel, most of them foreign fighters. The militants are said to have their largest presence in the coastal city of Sirte.

This and similar assessments have led U.S. policymakers to conclude that the Islamic State now poses an "imminent threat to U.S. personnel and facilities" in North Africa. President Obama's national security aides are now said to be pressuring him to increase U.S. military involvement in Libya as a response, but to date American policy toward the North African nation remains limited. (Washington Free Beacon, April 7, 2016)

RETHINKING THE SINAI
American troops have been ensconced in the Sinai Peninsula for some 37 years, ever since the signing of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty. Now, however, U.S. officials are strongly considering removing American personnel from the region in response to a rising threat by Islamic State-affiliated militants there. That group, previously known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, has demonstrated increasing capability and reach over the past year with its targeting of Egyptian military forces and installations, thereby precipitating a rethink in Washington. U.S. officials believe that the United states can still fulfill its peacekeeping obligations under the Treaty through the use of unmanned remote sensing technology. Any such changes in forces would need to be agreed upon by Israel and Egypt, however. (CNN, April 5, 2016)

THE WEST'S VULNERABLE NUCLEAR SECTOR
Is the nuclear industry the next target of Islamist radicals? Western governments and officials are increasingly worried about threats to nuclear infrastructure across Europe, and the possibilities for the exploitation of those vulnerabilities by jihadist elements. These fears have only intensified in the wake of last month's terror attacks in Brussels, which turned out to have included initial planning by the perpetrators against a nuclear reactor.

There are multiple causes for concern, officials say. Although sabotage from within the control room of a nuclear facility remains unlikely, it cannot be ruled out. The risk of cyber attacks from the outside, meanwhile, is high. Many nuclear facilities still run off of 20th century analog technology, but as the industry becomes more and more digitized, hacking becomes an increasingly pervasive danger. (Insurance Journal, April 1, 2016)