Terrorist activity in Central Asia traces its roots back to the Soviet era - but following the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, suppressed religious movements evolved into underground Islamist networks, fuelling the rise of jihadist groups in the region. Today, Central Asia faces an increasingly complex terrorism landscape. 

In this episode of the podcast, Lucas Webber speaks to Bruce Pannier, a Central Asia Fellow at the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a veteran journalist covering the region. Together, they explore the origins of jihadism in Central Asia, the rise of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) there, and the potential impact of the Assad government’s fall in Syria in 2024 on regional jihadist movements. We also hear about the role the internet has played for terrorist networks there. 

🎧 Listen to learn:

➡︎ How suppressed religious movements evolved into jihadist networks in CA
➡︎ How Central Asian jihadist groups use the internet to recruit and spread propaganda
➡︎ The role of regional governments in countering extremism

📱Connect with Bruce Pannier. 

📚Learn more about the Foreign Policy Research Institute here. 

⚡Follow Tech Against Terrorism on Bluesky and LinkedIn. 

🌐Check out the Tech Against Terrorism website.

💬 Connect with our host, Lucas Webber. 

📄 Read a full transcript of this episode here. 

🎙️ An OG Podcasts Ltd production.