Terrorism & Violent Extremism

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

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Logo for Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission United States Congress - Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Tom Lantos Commission: Enhancing U.S. Ability to Pursue Accountability for Atrocities

I had the honor of testifying last week before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing devoted to “Pursuing Accountability for Atrocities.” My written testimony…
Women and children evacuated from the Islamic State (IS) group's embattled holdout of Baghouz arrive at a screening area held by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, on March 6, 2019.

Repatriating ISIS Families: An Opportunity to Show that “Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” Can Work

Working with returning mothers and children may be the best opportunity that any country, or the international community more broadly, will ever have to get preventing/countering…
House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) questions witnesses during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 12, 2018 in Washington, DC.

What’s In the New Draft National Defense Authorization Act

"The baseline draft bill, which is also called the chairman’s mark, touches on key issues ranging from the militarization of the southern border to deterring Russia and reemphasizing…
Fully veiled women and children walk in the northern Kuridish-Syrian city of Qamishli as Uzbek women and children linked to the Islamic State group are handed over to diplomats from the Central Asian country for repatriation, on May 29, 2019.

Time to Bring Women and Children Home from Iraq and Syria

Kazakhstan proves that bringing home the women and children stranded in Iraq and Syria is possible for all countries facing the problem.
US National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks at the United Against Nuclear Iran Summit in New York on September 25, 2018.

Bolton’s Stated Predicate for War With Iran Doesn’t Work

"Bolton has repeatedly threatened that Iran’s support for its 'proxies' could bring 'a very strong response'—even military force. By threatening military action against Iran…
A woman walks past a makeshift memorial outside the Tree of Life Congregation October 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Finding the Federal Data on Domestic Terrorism

Is the government collecting data on acts meeting the definition of “domestic terrorism”? The short answer to the question is: Yes, but clearly more can be done.
Displaced Syrians, who fled their homes in Deir Ezzor city, carry boxes of humanitarian aid supplied by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) at a refugee camp in Syrias northeastern Hassakeh province on February 26, 2018.

Correcting Course: Avoiding the Collision Between Humanitarian Action and Counterterrorism

"When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2462(2019), aimed at combating the financing of terrorism, it included language meant to protect humanitarian action.…
Security personnel stand guard outside a mosque during Friday noon prayer in Colombo on May 3, 2019, following a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Signs outside the mosque read, “Terrorism & Extremism has no place in Islam. Sufism is against terrorism.” “We stand with Christian brethren in grief. You are Us! We condemn terrorism in whatever form. Let us grieve together, let us rise together!”

In Legislation to Reduce Global Violence, Can U.S. Move Beyond a Focus on “Extremism”?

The real priority for the United States is to address not just ‘extremism’ but violent conflict overall by being clear-eyed about the complex factors driving it and what contributes…
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference for the launch the global "Christchurch Call" initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 15, 2019.

Why the Christchurch Call to Remove Online Terror Content Triggers Free Speech Concerns

In deciding whether to endorse the Christchurch Call, the question for U.S. policymakers was whether the text essentially called on the U.S. or others to act inconsistently with…
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Senegal's President Macky Sall, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a launching ceremony for the 'Christchurch call', an initiative pushed by Ardern after a white supremacist gunned down 51 people in a massacre at two mosques in the New Zealand city in March, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 15, 2019.

Christchurch Calls and Washington Isn’t Answering

One of the more predictable diplomatic rituals since 9/11 has been that when terrorists strike a close American ally, Washington stands in solidarity with that country, offering…
Two Pakistani local residents gather around a destroyed vehicle hit by a drone strike in which Afghan Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was believed to be travelling in the remote town of Ahmad Wal in Balochistan, around 160 kilometres west of Quetta. The vehicle is on fire.

‘Flying Ginsu’ Missile Won’t Resolve U.S. Targeted Killing Controversy

Proponents of a new, modified Hellfire missile called the R9X tout it as a game-changer that can spare more civilian lives than traditional Hellfires. But the new technology can…
A copy of the Mueller Report opened to page 166 and 167. Significant portions of the text are redacted.

Enforcing Congressional Subpoenas: A Modest Proposal

A change in the law that would enhance Congress’s ability to extract information from the executive branch is a heavy lift, particularly in the current climate. With that in…
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