The United States Should Think Twice Before Intervening Against ISIL

Territory currently controlled by ISIL, Wikimedia Commons By Mitchel Hochberg, Columnist Capitalizing on instability and poor governance in the region, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has employed hybrid military-insurgent tactics to gain control of large swaths of territory. While the group poses a considerable danger to local and regional governments, US … Continue reading The United States Should Think Twice Before Intervening Against ISIL

The Farm Offensive: The Vulnerability of America’s Food Sources

Wikimedia Commons By Evan Thompson, Columnist Typically when referring to biological weapons security, experts mean any organic agent with the capacity to harm or kill humans, but some target plants or animals instead. While these would not directly cause human casualties, an adversary could use these weapons to target a nation’s food supply, causing untold … Continue reading The Farm Offensive: The Vulnerability of America’s Food Sources

Will Cheap Oil Hamper Nigeria’s Fight against Boko Haram?

Boko Haram's Logo, Wikimedia Commons By Jacob Goldstein, Columnist The global community generally regards falling crude oil prices as a positive development. Cheap oil means less expensive gas and lower heating bills. Yet it also indicates future struggles for countries reliant on oil production to raise revenue. Analysts often focus on how low oil … Continue reading Will Cheap Oil Hamper Nigeria’s Fight against Boko Haram?

Using Hate Sites to Counter White Separatist Terrorism in the US

Wikimedia Commons By Joshua Forget, Columnist Since 9/11, terrorist attacks from right wing extremists have been more numerous and more deadly than terrorist attacks from jihadists in the United States.[1] In the wake of President Obama’s immigration decision, the feasibility of a white separatist terrorist attack being carried out on US soil may increase. This … Continue reading Using Hate Sites to Counter White Separatist Terrorism in the US

Book Launch: The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat: From 9/11 to Osama bin Laden’s Death, Edited by Bruce Hoffman and Fernando Reinares

By Ashley Rhoades, Reporter On Thursday, November 13, the Center for Security Studies hosted a special event for the release of Dr. Bruce Hoffman’s latest book, The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat: From 9/11 to Osama bin Laden’s Death. Written in partnership with Fernando Reinares, a senior global terrorism analyst at the Elcano Royal … Continue reading Book Launch: The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat: From 9/11 to Osama bin Laden’s Death, Edited by Bruce Hoffman and Fernando Reinares

The Triple Challenge of Confronting Lone Wolf Attacks

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, Wikimedia Commons By Dan Mahaffee, Columnist The shocking attack in Ottawa on October 22, 2014, demonstrated the challenge of preventing and responding to self-radicalized active shooters. In the attack, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was standing guard at the Canadian National War Memorial. Zehaf-Bibeau then entered the Canadian Parliament, … Continue reading The Triple Challenge of Confronting Lone Wolf Attacks

Indonesia’s Returning Foreign Fighter Threat

Soldiers in the Aceh Insurgency, Wikimedia Commons By Sarah Khederian, Columnist Reports of Western Europeans joining ISIS to fight in the Middle East have inundated Western media, but Southeast Asian nations have been dealing with significant homegrown terrorist threats of their own, in addition to the relatively nascent ISIS recruitment phenomenon. There has been well-informed … Continue reading Indonesia’s Returning Foreign Fighter Threat

The Rise and Fall(?) of Hamas

By Jamie Geller A violent resistance movement born out of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas originated in December 1987 during the First Intifada – or peaceful Palestinian uprising.[i] Primarily operating out of the Gaza Strip, Hamas seeks the establishment of an Islamic society within historic Palestine.[ii] Tactically, Hamas uses violence to achieve broader strategic goals … Continue reading The Rise and Fall(?) of Hamas

The September 12th Generation

Photo by Pete Souza/The White House By Daniel Charles In his speech yesterday marking the thirteen-year anniversary of September 11th, President Obama made a thought-provoking observation amidst the requisite words of comfort and imagery of strength and courage that define the day. “Beginning tomorrow,” he said, “there will be teenagers –- young adults –- who were … Continue reading The September 12th Generation

U.S. Security Partnerships after the fall of Mosul

Photo by Tommy Avilucea/U.S. Air Force By John Rodriguez | After the capture of Mosul in northern Iraq by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), commentators have offered a number of explanations for how this catastrophe came about. Many, including the State Department, point out that “ISIL continues to gain strength from … Continue reading U.S. Security Partnerships after the fall of Mosul