Counterterrorism
489 Articles
A Path for Renewing Guantanamo Closure
Although closing the 20-year-old detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) may not be a marquee issue among the many significant challenges Joe Biden will face as president…
Plan to Pull U.S. Troops from Somalia is Cold Comfort Amid Civilian Toll of Air War
AFRICOM insists its aim is to ‘degrade’ al-Shabaab. But the US military campaign is taking a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Militarized Counterterrorism in Africa: Moving Beyond a Failed Approach
Leading with a heavy military response, particularly when government partners are repressive, ultimately makes things worse. The need for a new approach is clear. It should focus…
The Necessity of Enforcing Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in the Context of Counterterrorism
International legal norms risk marginalization in the rush to embrace ill-defined counterterrorism standards in multiple settings.
Investigation Highlights Transparency Need on US, UK Roles in Kenyan Counterterrorism
If true, the cases further spotlight the doublespeak by the US and the UK on accountability for security force abuses in Kenya.
Great Power Competition Versus Counterterrorism: A False Dichotomy
Not only are these strategic priorities not necessarily at odds with one another, but in fact, they often overlap and complement each other.
GIFCT: Possibly the Most Important Acronym You’ve Never Heard Of
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) raises questions about who decides what counts as terrorism or the even more loosely defined extremism.
What a Few Cakes Say About the US Drone Program
Fondant creations on cakes - yes cakes - provide a rare window into a largely closed culture of national security policymaking. Their creation in 2013, publication, and re-emergence…
Repatriating ISIS Family Members: A North Macedonia Model?
One of the smallest members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS has adopted a comprehensive plan to bring home its citizens from squalid camps in Syria.
Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: Uphold the Prohibition on Torture
A full reckoning for state-sanctioned American torture remains unfinished. The Obama administration took important steps towards fulfilling US obligations but fell short of what…
Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: End Unlawful, Secret, and Unaccountable Use of Lethal Force
A core component of post-9/11 counterterrorism policy has been the use of secretive and unaccountable killings of terrorism suspects. The killings must stop. Here's how the president…
Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: Close Guantanamo and End Indefinite Detention
Closing Guantanamo responsibly is not an intractable problem, the checkered history of prior efforts notwithstanding. It can be done, and in relatively short order, if decision-making…