By: Andrew Swick, Columnist Photo Credit: The Washington Post Last week marked the expiration of the Pentagon’s 30-day planning period to develop new options for the military to employ against the Islamic State (ISIS). On Monday, in a meeting of the National Security Council Principals Committee, Defense Secretary James Mattis presented several proposals resulting from … Continue reading The DoD’s “New” Plans for ISIS
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
Mosul After ISIL: The Stability Challenges Ahead
By: Andrew Watts, Columnist Photo Credit: Yahoo The four-month operation to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is at a critical juncture. As the Iraqi-led security forces push through the neighborhoods west of the Tigris, the civilian-led push to return the neighborhoods on the eastern bank to a state … Continue reading Mosul After ISIL: The Stability Challenges Ahead
FBI Official Outlines Threats to US National Security
By: Antonia Ward, Reporter Photo Credit: CNN Mr. Steinbach focused his discussion on the paradigm shift that occurred within the organization post-9/11, a shift that changed the overarching activities of the FBI from reactive to preventative and proactive. Likening this to his own experience in countering violent bank robberies at the time of 9/11, he … Continue reading FBI Official Outlines Threats to US National Security
The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making
By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times The United States has been involved in counterterrorism (CT) efforts in Yemen for years, but the special operations raid on an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) compound on January 29 in Al-Bayda governorate indicates a significant shift in the US CT approach in the country. … Continue reading The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making
Avoiding the Next War
By: Doug Livermore, Columnist Photo Credit: New York Times While much remains for the world to do to bring about the ultimate destruction of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a world in which ISIS no longer exists could pose a larger challenge to the United States and the region writ large. Without … Continue reading Avoiding the Next War
Academics and Practitioners Give Open Advice to President Trump on ‘Eradicating’ Terrorism
By: Antonia Ward, Reporter Photo Credit: Georgetown University Center for Security Studies (CSS) January 26th-27th witnessed a convergence of academics and practitioners from across the world descend upon Georgetown University to offer policy lessons and advice to the new administration of President Donald Trump on the pressing issue of terrorism and counterterrorism in a seminal … Continue reading Academics and Practitioners Give Open Advice to President Trump on ‘Eradicating’ Terrorism
Islamist Terrorism: An Existential Threat to the United States?
Photo Credit: The Daily Beast By: Cillian Muldoon, Associate Editor for the Middle East The threat posed by Islamist terrorist organizations, like al-Qa‘ida (AQ) and ISIS, can most aptly be framed by considering that terrorism’s primary objective rests less on the immediate damage inflicted by an attack, and more on the reaction—by policymakers, societies, and … Continue reading Islamist Terrorism: An Existential Threat to the United States?
A New Development in the Fight Against Online Extremism
Photo Credit: Vocativ By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Over the past several years, tech and social media companies have struggled to provide a comprehensive response to the problem of terrorism-related content posted online. In early December, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and YouTube announced a new initiative to share databases of online “hashes” in an effort to curb … Continue reading A New Development in the Fight Against Online Extremism
The Dangers of White Nationalism: The Rise and Normalization of Online Racism in the United States
Photo Credit: RawStory By: William Haynes, Columnist The 2016 presidential elections results have re-invigorated the white nationalist movement and brought its message to the forefront of the mainstream media and online platforms, yet little is being done to combat the radicalization of these groups online. Left unchecked, white nationalism poses a threat to human security … Continue reading The Dangers of White Nationalism: The Rise and Normalization of Online Racism in the United States
Why the Trump Administration Should Embrace CVE
Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune By: Kaitlin Sandin, Columnist Before and since the election, president-elect Trump and his allies have made clear that the new administration is willing to discard policies and programs that they believe add little value, regardless of their popularity within either political party. While some may welcome a dizzying reorganization of the … Continue reading Why the Trump Administration Should Embrace CVE