Leaders May Die, But Terror Still Thrives

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2011. Pete Souza—The White House By: Tina … Continue reading Leaders May Die, But Terror Still Thrives

Rising Security Threats Hinder G5 Forces’ Effectiveness in Mali and the Sahel

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (2-R) review troops during a visit to France's Barkhane counter-terrorism operation in Africa's Sahel region in Gao, northern Mali, on May 19, 2017. French President's visit in Mali is his first trip outside Europe since his inauguration on May 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO … Continue reading Rising Security Threats Hinder G5 Forces’ Effectiveness in Mali and the Sahel

Speculative Terrorism: Preparing Capital Markets for Financial Warfare

By: Xander Causwell, Columnist Photo by: Newsweek The United States’ financial system is vulnerable to a form of financial warfare campaign in which non-state actors employ kinetic or electronic attacks to manipulate capital markets for profit. In April of 2017, Sergei Wenergold bombed the team bus of German football club Borussia Dortmund in an apparent … Continue reading Speculative Terrorism: Preparing Capital Markets for Financial Warfare

Do Terrorist Groups Really Die? A Warning

By: Antonia Ward, Columnist Photo by: Getty Images With the collapse of ISIS and loss of the majority of its territory in Syria and Iraq by the end of 2017, the world was relieved at the news of the “end” of the terrorist-cum-insurgent group.[i] This response paralleled a different, but not altogether dissimilar, celebration following … Continue reading Do Terrorist Groups Really Die? A Warning

Predicting Terrorism: Implications for Big Data in Public Safety

By Ben Schaefer, Columnist Photo by: bloomberg.com In the recent past, the use of predictive technology in public safety seemed like a distant concept, best kept in the realm of science fiction. A 2002 film called Minority Report—hailed even today as the most prominent pop-culture representation of predictive policing—set the standard for using predictive technology far … Continue reading Predicting Terrorism: Implications for Big Data in Public Safety

The Feminist Threat: Why States Fear The Battle of Algiers

By: Hannah Byrne, Guest Contributor Photo by: filmforum.org The film The Battle of Algiers is dangerous because it challenges the assumed objectivity of binary distinctions[i] between state and non-state actors. In order to do so, Director Gillo Pontecorvo applies a feminist critique of the Battle of Algiers, which, according to Cynthia Enloe, is “more realistic” … Continue reading The Feminist Threat: Why States Fear The Battle of Algiers

Georgetown’s SSP and MAGES Hosts Discussion on Transatlantic Counterterrorism Efforts Led by Professor Daniel Byman and Professor Newman

By: Tiffany C. L. Williams, Reporter On February 28, 2018, Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program (SSP) in conjunction with the Master of Arts in German and European Studies (MAGES) Program co-hosted a discussion entitled “Transatlantic Counterterrorism Cooperation” led by Professors Daniel Byman and Abraham Newman (both of Georgetown University). The purpose of the discussion was … Continue reading Georgetown’s SSP and MAGES Hosts Discussion on Transatlantic Counterterrorism Efforts Led by Professor Daniel Byman and Professor Newman

The Cyber Party of God: How Hezbollah Could Transform Cyberterrorism

By: Ben Schaefer, Columnist Photo by: American Security Project Since 1982, Hezbollah, the Lebanese “Party of God” and Iran-backed Shiite terrorist organization, has antagonized its enemies through a potent mix of armed attacks and psychological warfare. Among these tactics, Hezbollah pioneered the use of cyber-operations as a tool of coercion over a decade ago and … Continue reading The Cyber Party of God: How Hezbollah Could Transform Cyberterrorism

Going Viral: Combating ISIS on Its New Battlefield

By: Tina Huang, Columnist Photo by: Wall Street Journal As the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is physically deteriorating, it is digitally strengthening. As of December 2017, ISIS has lost 98 percent of its territory in Syria and Iraq, forcing fighters to continue their movement online.[i] In fact, this past January there was … Continue reading Going Viral: Combating ISIS on Its New Battlefield

Terrorism on Trial: The Problem of Prosecuting International Jihadists

By: Antonia Ward, Columnist Photo by: un.org In January, Syrian Kurdish fighters arrested two prominent Islamic State combatants. Their capture raised a complex question: Where should the British nationals, who were part of an infamous ISIL terrorist cell known as “The Beatles,” be tried? In an interconnected world, with an increasing number of fragile states, … Continue reading Terrorism on Trial: The Problem of Prosecuting International Jihadists