Targeted killings have become a central component of U.S. counterterrorism operations around the globe. Despite pointed criticism over transparency and accountability issues, analysts say the controversial practice seems likely to expand in the future.

Laurie Garrett discusses the mistakes and misjudgments made by government officials in response to the anthrax attacks of 2001 and provides recommendations for what should be done now.

Laurie Garrett says making a superbug that can infect thousands of people is easier than ever and examines if there is anything governments can do to prevent terrorists from learning how to make a devastating bioweapon.

Laurie Garrett discusses the public policy implications of bird flu and bioterrorism.

Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi discusses the factors behind anti-Americanism in Pakistan. He says the two countries have failed to develop a strategic relationship because of their differences in Afghanistan.

A top New York City police official and author of a new book on al-Qaeda, Mitchell Silber, discusses with CFR's Ed Husain the persistent threat of a homegrown U.S. radical mounting a terrorist attack.

Laurie Garrett says man-made killer bird flu is now a reality and asks if governments can--and should--try to stop it.

Brian Fishman explains why Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadi thinkers are concerned with China's rise, as the country becomes increasingly tied to regimes they believe are fundamentally corrupt.

Attacks on Shia Muslims in Afghanistan claimed by a Pakistani militant group are a disturbing omen -- for sectarian ties and the prospects for a peace deal with insurgents, says counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman.

This session was a meeting of the Civil Society, Democracy, and Countering Radicalism Roundtable.

Pakistan has emerged as a terrorist sanctuary for some of the world's most violent groups, including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and homegrown militants, that threaten the stability of Pakistan as well as the region.

The White House released this strategy document in December 2011. The introduction states, "The SIP details how we are implementing the National Strategy for Empowering Local Partners. ...The SIP provides a blueprint for how we will build community resilience against violent extremism. It does not address our overseas CVE efforts, other than ensuring we coordinate domestic and international activities."

Anand Gopal argues that the recent attacks on a Shia Muslim procession in Afghanistan, which killed fifty-eight people, are only the latest in a string of violent episodes that indicate profound lack of control in the region.

Detainee policy that would mandate military custody for al-Qaeda suspects captured in the United States could have a detrimental impact on U.S. counterterrorism operations, say CFR legal experts Matthew C. Waxman and John B. Bellinger III.

Micah Zenko analyzes the unexpected invasion by Kenyan forces into Somalia to defeat the militant group, al-Shabaab.

This six-part series from the Army Times looks at U.S. military operations in the Horn of Africa after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

President Obama vowed in January 2009 to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. Two years later, the White House continues to face challenges to that promise, leaving critics to suggest the facility will remain open for the foreseeable future.

A resurgent al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is reportedly exploiting the mounting political unrest in Yemen. This Backgrounder profiles the group and discusses U.S. counterterrorism operations against its members.

Abdul Raziq and his men have received millions of dollars’ worth of U.S. training and equipment to help in the fight against the Taliban. But is our ally--long alleged to be involved in corruption and drug smuggling--also guilty of mass murder?

Recent data on organized violence shows that conflicts between a state and one or more nonstate armed groups vastly outnumber interstate conflicts. As a result, argues former international affairs fellow Payton L. Knopf in a new CFR Working Paper, the State Department needs clear guidelines as to why, when, and how its diplomats should conduct outreach to these groups.