Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,268 Articles

18 Years After 9/11, We Face a New International Terrorist Threat
"We as a society should be talking about a new form of international terrorism—white supremacist terrorism—rather than insisting on calling it 'domestic terrorism.'"

Questions on Legality of Israeli Strikes in Iraq and Lebanon
A flurry of news reports during the final week of August detailed recent Israeli air strikes against Iranian affiliated groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. The Washington Post…

Why a Judge’s Terrorism Watchlist Ruling is a Game Changer: What Happens Next
Leading expert and author of a book on the subject, Jeffrey Kahn explains what happens now that a court declared a major terrorist watchlist unconstitutional.

Q&A on Court Decision Invalidating Administration’s Terrorism Watchlist
Expert Backgrounder on the big questions coming out of the court's ruling. The case involved US citizens. How might the ruling affect foreign nationals? What were the judge's key…

Protections Fall for Vietnamese Immigrants as Trump Pushes Deportations
The Trump administration has reinterpreted a 2008 agreement with Vietnam in multiple ways to expand the categories of refugees it can deport. The effort appears to have affected…
“Domestic Terrorism” Bills Create More Problems Than They Solve
Lack of will and focus are the real impediments to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators. What's more, proposals to expand the definition of “terrorism” could harm activity…

The Tit-for-Tat Dynamics of 21st Century Extremism
After two decades of focus on militant jihadist terrorism, a broader understanding is developing of another form of extremism – that of the violent far-right or ultra-nationalist…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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,…