Counterterrorism

Members of the Wayuu ethnic group watch as a US army helicopter arrives for a joint exercise in the "Tres Bocas" area, northern Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, on March 13, 2020. The helicopter kicks up a large wall of dust that is taller than the people standing nearby.

Give Local Civil Society a Say in U.S. Security Assistance

Certain guidelines can help in navigating the challenges of creating a more prominent and consistent role for those who stand to gain or lose most.

Feb. 9, 2021 Daniel R. Mahanty and Elena Crespo

U.S. special operations service members conduct combat operations in support of Operation Resolute Support in Southeast Afghanistan, May 2019. The image is dark and the service members are lit in a low green light.

Defining “Endless War” is Essential for Proper Strategic Analysis of America’s Wars

Clarifying what makes today’s war endless helps point toward the much-needed changes to existing authorizations and the culture that views military force as the proper response…

Feb. 3, 2021 David Sterman

Prosthetic legs are stacked against a wall with a mirror in the therapy room at the ICRC Orthopedic Center on October 1 2019 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Some of the prosthetics wear sandals or sneakers and others are barefoot.

The Progress Not Made on Protecting Civilians

I was recently asked to reflect on the progress the United States has made on civilian protection after two decades of war and counterterrorism operations since 9/11. I got down…

Feb. 2, 2021 Sarah Yager

Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa, with a focus on countering terrorism and extremism in Africa.

If the US Wants to Push Back on Authoritarian Agendas at the UN, Get Counterterrorism Right

If the Biden administration is serious about promoting democracy and pushing back on authoritarianism, then it’s time for a policy response that confronts the way in which counterterrorism…

Feb. 1, 2021 Chris Rogers and Jordan Street

Soldiers in action during a drill on day three of the China-Russia counter-terrorist Cooperation-2017 on December 5, 2017 in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. They hold guns and speak in a circle.

Violent Extremism and the Governance Challenge

Revisiting "Human rights impact of policies and practices aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism," a recent assessment of the P/CVE field released last year at the…

Jan. 29, 2021 Marc Sommers

US National Guard soldiers guard the grounds of the US Capitol from across a security fence in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2021.

Responding to the Capitol Attack: Accountability Without Overreaction

There are many indisputable facts about last week’s violent and deadly incursion into the Capitol building. It is beyond debate that the fiasco included multiple criminal acts.…

Jan. 12, 2021 Emily Berman

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller address media at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. November 17, 2020.

Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy

Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…

Jan. 5, 2021 Matt Castelli and Colonel (ret.) Bob Wilson

U.S. Army SSG. Tyler Laliberte embraces his family after returning from a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan on December 10, 2020 at Fort Drum, New York.

Military Families are Gunning for Peace this Holiday Season

I share my family’s story to underline the urgency behind avoiding war with Iran. We’ve become a nation that engages in wars of choice. We cannot continue down this current…

Dec. 23, 2020 Heather Aliano

A projection on the Louvre Museum in Paris by Amnesty International members depicting jailed Saudi human rights activists including Loujain Al-Athloul and reading "Mr Macron, demand their release", ahead of the upcoming virtual G20 summit. November 19, 2020

Defending Women’s Rights Is Not Terrorism: A Saudi Prosecution on Human Rights Day

UN entities that support and enable counterterrorism, including in cooperation with the Kingdom, must ensure such abuses end.

Dec. 11, 2020 Mary Lawlor and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC (Hons)

Addressing Our Whole-of-Government Deficit in National Security

From Russ Travers who retired in July 2020 after a 42-year career in the Intelligence Community, having served in senior positions across multiple intelligence organizations --…

Dec. 8, 2020 Russell E. Travers

Iraqi Yazidis attend a candle-lit vigil in the Sharya area, some 15 kilometres from the northern city of Dohuk in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region on August 3, 2020, marking the sixth anniversary of the Islamic State (IS) group's attack on the Yazidi community in the northwestern Sinjar district. Candles are placed on the ground and people hold pictures of those who died.

The Risks of Relying on Counterterrorism Laws to Reduce Wartime Sexual Violence

Proponents risk legitimizing abusive laws and procedures and undermining broader efforts to advance equality and human rights protection for women.

Dec. 7, 2020 Lauren Aarons

A banner from EIPR reading, “Free EIPR Staff.” Cropped greyscale photographs of four EIPR staff that have been detained are shown over the banner – Patrick Zaki, Gasser Abdel Razek, Mohammad Basheer, and Karim Ennarah.

Defending Human Rights Is Not Terrorism: The Egypt Arrests as a Case in Point

The UN's global counterterrorism system creates a permissive and enabling environment that sustains and facilitates abuse of rights defenders,

Nov. 30, 2020 Mary Lawlor and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC (Hons)