Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,225 Articles
How to Recover a Role for Congress and the Courts in Decisions to Wage War
A recent set of cases on congressional standing opens up an opportunity to restore Congress’ recourse to the courts for serious war powers violations—if Congress is willing…
Why the 2002 AUMF Does Not Apply to Iran
There is no congressional statute authorizing military attacks on Iran.
Reevaluating Our Counter-Terrorism Information Sharing Methods
Senator Hassan writes for Just Security about bipartisan legislation that she introduced with Republican Senator Johnson of Wisconsin, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental…
Mark Esper vs. Mark Esper on the 2002 AUMF and Iran
In his recent nomination hearing for Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper told Senator Duckworth the 2002 AUMF would not cover military action against Iran.
Lawful Self-Defense vs. Revenge Strikes: Scrutinizing Iran and U.S. Uses of Force under International Law
Here's what Congress should examine to determine if the U.S. strike complied with the law that we as a nation and our military champion. The same law that applies to Iran's actions.
Trump’s Threat to Target Iranian Cultural Sites: Illegal Under International, Domestic and Military Law
In response to a potential Iranian armed retaliation following the United States’ killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. military…
As Conflict with Iran Intensifies, the U.S. Intelligence Community Is Still Leaderless
At a time when policy decisions that should be based on intelligence assessments are being made that bring us ever-closer to full-blown war, it’s critical that we have leadership…
The Targeted Killing of General Soleimani: Its Lawfulness and Why It Matters
Analyzing the killing of Soleimani from an international law standpoint matters a great deal. Reasserting the primacy of international law in such times of crisis is a solemn and…
Iran’s Unlawful Reprisal (and Ours)
"By Iran’s own standard, last night’s operation was unlawful." So was the US strike on Soleimani. Time to stop this cycle of unilateral illegal acts.
Soleimani Strike Marks a Novel Shift in Targeted Killing, Dangerous to the Global Order
"President Donald Trump’s decision to target Soleimani ... brings the signature technique of the so-called 'war on terror' – the targeted killing of individuals outside any…
CVE’s Relevance and Challenges: Central Asia as Surprising Snapshot
With its traditional over-emphasis on security-heavy responses to threats, experts didn't expect the region to be so receptive to "whole-of-society" approaches to counter violent…
Trump’s Fatal Mistake: Killing Soleimani vs. Countering ISIS
The fight against ISIS is on hold. It’s unclear how exactly it will ever resume. An article by Luke Hartig, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at National Security Council,…