Terrorism & Violent Extremism

Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.

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An Afghan National Army officer, right, informs his U.S. Army counterparts from the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, left and center, about ANA troop movements May 6, 2013 while pursuing Taliban fighters in Babus, Afghanistan.

Part III: The Muddy Middle: A New Framework for Use of Force

We may not have wanted to land in this muddy middle between peace and war that we currently find ourselves in, but this is the reality of the current moment in the counterterrorism…
A picture taken near the Iraqi city of Qaim at the Iraqi-Syrian border on November 11, 2018, shows US Army vehicles patrolling the Syrian side of the border.

Part II: The Muddy Middle: Challenges of Applying Use of Force Policy Guidance in Practice

In part two of a three-part series, the authors explain how new operational models for both why and how the U.S. used force outside areas of active hostilities created tensions…
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.

The Muddy Middle: The Disappearing Lines in America’s Counterterrorism Wars and How to Restore Order

In three articles, the authors explain how the lines have blurred between U.S. military operating procedures for use of force in hot war zones versus outside areas of active hostilities…
Security Council meeting on Threats to international peace and security.

A Post-Mortem on UN Security Council Resolution 2482 on Organized Crime and Counter-Terrorism

The creeping conflation of armed conflict, terrorism and organized crime does not lend legal clarity to complex legal and political challenges. In the long run, it may, in fact,…
People pay their respects at the makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting that left a total of 22 people dead at the Cielo Vista Mall WalMart (background) in El Paso, Texas, on August 6, 2019.

To Avoid Future “El Pasos” and “Daytons,” It’s Time to Invest in Prevention

Because darkness is sure to strike again, the nation needs political leaders who can take us all towards viable and comprehensive solutions. Violent extremism requires additional,…
A Collage QAnon supporters at Trump rallies.

Trump’s Encouraging QAnon May Result in Violence—Just ask the FBI

"A few hours after the FBI assessment leaked, the President held a campaign rally in Cincinnati, where the pre-rally speaker Brandon Straka called out the phrase, 'Where we go…
Protestors hold a demonstration against U.S. Customs and Border Patrol funding during a rally inside the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda on June 25, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Border Agents’ Secret Facebook Group Highlights Social Media Vetting Risks for Immigrants

Government social media monitoring is ripe for abuse in any context, but the implications of Customs and Border Protection's environment of racism and lack of oversight demand…
A French soldier looks at a child as he patrols in the streets of Gossi, center Mali, on March 25, 2019.

The International Security Echo-Chamber: Getting Civil Society Into the Room

It is time to make sure the public fully understands the harmful impacts of their governments’ interventions on the lives of others, and to reaffirm that security can be built…
Side-by-side portraits of Secretary Mark Esper, Department of Defense General Counsel Paul Ney and General Mark Milley.

Revisiting General Counsel Ney’s Speech in Light of New Pentagon Leadership

Former Department of Defense official (OSD) Luke Hartig critiques General Counsel Paul Ney's recent speech on the framework governing US military operations.
U.S. Border Patrol agents search a vehicle that was sent to secondary inspection at a highway checkpoint on August 1, 2018 in West Enfield, Maine.

Congress Tackles the “100-Mile” Border Zone for Federal Checkpoints

A long-festering issue affecting the entire U.S. border on the north, south, east, and west is finally getting congressional attention: the so-called “100-mile border zone”…
A girl stands crying at al-Hol camp for displaced people in al-Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on July 22, 2019, as people collect UN-provided humanitarian aid packages around her.

Legislative Responses to ISIS Returnees Take a New Twist in Australia

This week, the Australian Parliament is considering new laws that ban “extremists” from returning home, apparently aimed at preventing Australians, including women and children,…
Hundreds of people gather in lower Manhattan for a "Lights for Liberty" protest against migrant detention camps and the impending raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this coming weekend in various cities on July 12, 2019 in New York City.

The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Conceal Abuse of Migrant Detainees

The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a half-century of precedent on citizens’ rights to know what their government is doing, by making it more difficult for the public to probe…
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