Counterterrorism
484 Articles
Trump’s Threat to Target Iranian Cultural Sites: Illegal Under International, Domestic and Military Law
In response to a potential Iranian armed retaliation following the United States’ killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. military…
As Conflict with Iran Intensifies, the U.S. Intelligence Community Is Still Leaderless
At a time when policy decisions that should be based on intelligence assessments are being made that bring us ever-closer to full-blown war, it’s critical that we have leadership…
The Targeted Killing of General Soleimani: Its Lawfulness and Why It Matters
Analyzing the killing of Soleimani from an international law standpoint matters a great deal. Reasserting the primacy of international law in such times of crisis is a solemn and…
Iran’s Unlawful Reprisal (and Ours)
"By Iran’s own standard, last night’s operation was unlawful." So was the US strike on Soleimani. Time to stop this cycle of unilateral illegal acts.
Soleimani Strike Marks a Novel Shift in Targeted Killing, Dangerous to the Global Order
"President Donald Trump’s decision to target Soleimani ... brings the signature technique of the so-called 'war on terror' – the targeted killing of individuals outside any…
Trump’s Fatal Mistake: Killing Soleimani vs. Countering ISIS
The fight against ISIS is on hold. It’s unclear how exactly it will ever resume. An article by Luke Hartig, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at National Security Council,…
The Soleimani Strike and War Powers
Key Legal Questions, With Preview of a New Research Database
United States Killed Iraqi Military Official and Iraqi Military Personnel in the Two Recent Attacks
"If these dimensions of the unfolding events are not properly understood by U.S. decision makers and the media, the currently highly volatile situation—between the United States,…
The Inevitable Day of Reckoning in Syria
President Trump's decision to disengage with the YPG and ultimately side with Turkey was rash and immoral, yet fundamentally inevitable.
Nearly 20 Years Later: It’s Time to Reset Our Approach to Countering Terrorism
With the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi another terrorist leader has been taken off the battlefield, but while a notable military and intelligence success, the threat posed by the…
The US Mission Tied to Syrian Oil Fields May Prove the Worst of All Strategic Options
"What seems like a well-intentioned effort to mitigate a mess of Trump’s own making ultimately could make matters worse."
How Trump Could Really End “Endless Wars”
If Trump were serious about his professed desire to end endless wars, he would offer a responsible plan for repealing the statutory authorization that three successive administrations…