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.

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

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.

A profile of the Islamist militant organization based in southern Somalia.

This video is part of a special Council on Foreign Relations series that explores how
9/11 changed international relations and U.S. foreign policy. In this video, Ed Husain, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, who was previously a member and strategist for radical Islamist organizations in London discusses the impact of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Islamist extremism as well as global counter-terrorism efforts. "The most important thing that happened after 9/11," says Husain, "is not just the so-called 'War on Terror', but more importantly, the unspoken and often unheard developments within Islamist extremism globally." Husain argues that "the global Islamist movement then split into two, immediately after 9/11," into global jihadists like al-Qaeda on one side and non-violent extremists on the other.

Stewart M. Patrick, Director of the Council on Foreign Relations' International Institutions and Global Governance Program, explains why some weak and failing states such as Pakistan are more attractive than others as safe havens for transnational terrorist groups.

Ed Husain says the United States must engage the Arab world to defeat al-Qaeda.

Steven Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, expects that bin Laden's death will not have a significant impact on al-Qaeda or organizations like it. Extremist activity targeting countries in the Middle East and the United States is likely to continue, says Cook.

Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that bin Laden's death helps the drive for democracy in the Middle East and weakens the influence of al-Qaeda in the Arab world.

Elliott Abrams discusses the importance of the timing of Osama bin Laden's death.

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Mohamad Bazzi says that without a strong central state that can defend itself, Hizbollah remains the most powerful force in Lebanon.

A profile of the Lebanese terrorist organization.

Pakistan's latest moves to exert influence in Afghanistan, including possible brokering of talks with militant Taliban allies, could pose difficulties for U.S. stabilization efforts, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

Ties to Pakistan in the Times Square bomb case suggest a direct al-Qaeda influence on the goals of some of Pakistan's Taliban militants, says counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman.

Nicholas Schmidle discusses the growing--and murderous--divide between old and new guard jihadists in Pakistan.

U.S.military officials have called al-Qaeda in Iraq 'public enemy No. 1,' but some experts question the militant group's capabilities and relevance.

Chechnya has been plagued by two wars and an ongoing insurgency since the fall of the Soviet Union. In recent years, Chechen militants have escalated attacks in the North Caucasus and revived bombings in Moscow.