Policy
When China Convinced the US That Uighurs Were Waging Jihad
In the chaos surrounding America’s War on Terror, Washington fell for Beijing’s ruse that the embattled Muslim minority posed a threat to the West.
Threats
The ‘Caliphate’ Is Dead, but Americans Might Not Be Any Safer
Why a terrorist group with land looked so threatening to the United States.
Threats
All ISIS Has Left Is Money. Lots of It.
Even without a physical state, the Islamic State can still fund its main product: political violence.
Ideas
A Nuclear Treaty the Trump Administration Can Support
The U.S. should help advance international proposals to tighten security around nuclear material that terrorists might use.
Ideas
How White-Supremacist Violence Echoes Other Forms of Terrorism
Their enemies are different, but their tactics are often the same.
Threats
Pakistan Says It’s Cracking Down on Terrorists, Again
International pressure and an economic downturn are forcing Islamabad to take anti-India militants seriously.
Ideas
The Dangerous Spread of Extremist Manifestos
Allegations against a Coast Guard lieutenant are a reminder that, by sharing the writings of terrorists, media outlets can amplify their impact.
Threats
This ISIS Citizenship Case Could Set a Terrifying Precedent
An Alabama college student who joined ISIS in Syria wants to come home and take responsibility for her actions. The U.S. government says she was never a citizen—and can’t enter the country.
Ideas
Sunni Jihad Is Going Local
Future extremists will focus not on exporting violence to the West, but on building influence in their own communities.
Ideas
The Terrorism That Doesn’t Spark a Panic
Americans should react to violence from religious and ethnic minorities with the same sense of proportion they reserve for far-right extremists.
Threats
America Still Doesn’t Know What to Do With Terrorism Suspects
Some pre-9/11 plotters have not yet been brought to justice, even as a new generation of suspects is taking their place.
Policy
Trump Just Killed His Own Defense Strategy
The commander in chief has torn up 17 years of counterterrorism plans, offering instead his strange mix of talking points and lies.
Policy
Trump’s New Africa Plan: Fewer US Troops and Aid, More Investment and Deals
To compete with China in Africa, the White House aims to encourage U.S. investment but will continue a troop drawdown and plans a harsh re-evaluation of foreign assistance.
Ideas
Ep. 31: The true origins of ISIS and the future of counterterrorism with Hassan Hassan
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Policy
The US Military Held an American as an Enemy Combatant for Over a Year. Here’s What That Means.
The case could have upended the entire war on ISIS. Instead, it’s changing how we treat some detainees.
Science & Tech
Social-Media Companies Are Scanning for Potential Terrorists — Islamic Ones, Anyway
Big platforms like Facebook others have come a long way in detecting and preventing the spread of Islamic extremist content and tracking potential Muslim terrorists. Why aren’t they doing more about other kinds?
Ideas
If Not Pipe-Bombs, What Counts as Terrorism in 2018?
There is no consensus—in academia, law, or common usage—on when an attack is more than just a crime.
Ideas
‘Light Footprint’ Operations Keep US Troops in the Dark
With fewer troops to gather intelligence, American forces are vulnerable to locals’ manipulation.
Threats
The 'War on Terror' Still Grows in Somalia
“Drone strikes may have a purpose, but they are no substitute for a political strategy.”
Ideas
Stuck Fighting the Last War
It’s 2011—not 2001—that defines the challenge facing the United States and its allies in combatting jihadism.
Almost There!
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