Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,228 Articles

Bringing ISIS to Justice: Running Out of Time?
The international community and key actors in Syria and Iraq need to develop a coherent plan to bring ISIS members to account for war crimes, not just counterterrorism crimes,…

Syria Found Liable for the Death of War Correspondent Marie Colvin
Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the D.C. District Court, has unsealed a $302 million judgment against the Syrian Arab Republic, finding it liable for the assassination of intrepid…

“We are all Darfur!” – Sudan’s Unity Protests Stand a Real Chance. Time for the West to Step Up
A series of student-led protests in Sudan that started in the provinces has grown into a bona fide movement. Hesitation by the U.S. and its allies to support a nonviolent, gradual,…

National Security at the United Nations This Week
Editors’ Note: Just Security is now producing a new weekly series that keeps readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

The Status of Guantanamo 17 Years In
Seventeen years ago today, the United States brought twenty Afghan men, alleged to be members of the Taliban or al-Qaeda, to its Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Images of the…

What the Dublin Tram System Hack Reveals about the Future of Hostage Taking
Imagine hackers commandeered a capital city’s transit system, holding it hostage for a cryptocurrency ransom. Consider the implications of this attack: beyond a data breach,…

A Congo War Crimes Decision: What It Means for Universal Jurisdiction Litigation in Germany and Beyond
The German Federal Court of Justice, the country's court of last resort in criminal and private law, recently announced its much-anticipated decision in a Congo War Crimes case.…

Annotation of the Pentagon Report to Congress on Detainee Abuse by U.S. Partners in Yemen
In a mere two pages of carefully parsed prose, DoD has provided what can only be described as a deliberately misleading and deceptively evasive account of U.S. and Emirati actions…

Terrorists and the Southern Border: Myth and Reality
"The Intelligence Community is almost certainly not able to stand publicly behind what the White House and DHS are saying."

Wrecking the Government to Build a Wall
Washington has muddled into and out of shutdowns before, but this one has the potential to be dangerously historic. The current impasse may become the straw that breaks the camel’s…

If Trump’s Syria and Afghanistan Decisions Seem Bad, Imagine What He’d Do in a Crisis
National security advisors for presidents of both parties have developed a process over 70 years to optimize decision-making. That's particularly critical in those moments of extraordinary…

Research Shows Terrorists Aren’t Necessarily Uneducated. So How Can Education Prevent Terror?
Researchers say ideology and grievance are necessary drivers of extremism. Educators are in a position to challenge grievance narratives.