Responsibility for safeguarding the homeland often falls to state and local governments in spite of the increased federal role after 9/11. Of these thousands of agencies, New York City has moved the most aggressively, creating a counterterrorism bureau complete with overseas agents and intelligence analysts.

According to this report from Amnesty International, in cooperating with the US-led "war on terror", the Pakistani government has committed human rights violations against hundreds of Pakistani and foreign nationals. Hundreds of people have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in secret; becoming victims of enforced disappearance. Many have been tortured, with their families subjected to harassment and threats. The right to habeas corpus has been systematically undermined, and hundreds of detainees have been unlawfully transferred (sometimes in return for money) to other countries. Amnesty argues that such transfers violate Pakistan’s Extradition Act and the principle of ‘non-refoulement,’ which prohibits the transfer of people to countries where there is a risk of them being subjected to serious human rights violations such as torture and other forms of ill-treatment or enforced disappearance.

Richard A. Posner and Juliette Kayyem debate whether a domestic intelligence agency, such as Britain's MI5, would benefit U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

The EU Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was adopted by the European Council in December 2005, reflects the EU's aim of forming a network of the member states' foreign and domestic policies in the fight against terrorism. The accompanying action plan contains 160 separate measures in the four strands of work of the EU strategy (prevent, protect, pursue and respond). The main objective of this EU policy is to confront "the networks of terror with networks against terror".

Counterterrorism agencies in the United States proudly point to the lack of a “second 9/11 attack” in response to critics of their methods. Here’s a look at the continuing debate over the proper organization of U.S. counterterrorism agencies.

Though there has not been a major attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, experts say new expertise and some self-criticism will be required if America’s counterterrorism agencies are to keep that record intact.

Counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman discusses the White House's new National Strategy for Combatting Terrorism, which he says is imperfect, but a substantial improvement on its predecessor.

Counterterrorism and urban security expert R.P. Eddy discusses what New York City is doing to prevent another terrorist attack.

Foreign Policy and the Center for American Progress have created a "Terrorism Index."

A newly obtained video of a May 2005 massacre of civilians in the Uzbek city of Andijan casts new light on an event that led to a marked decrease in U.S. influence in the region.

Throughout the 1990s, Central Asia's Fergana Valley emerged as a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism. A clash in the Fergana city of Andijan last year, variously described as a "massacre" or a "counterterrorist operation," caused a serious break in Uzbek-U.S. ties. Now, a new video has some questioning the facts of that event.

Henri Barkey, a Middle East expert at Lehigh University, says Iraqi plans for an amnesty can seriously undercut the Iraqi insurgency.

A former Guantánamo Bay prisoner, Mourad Benchellali, writes an op-ed piece for the New York Times, describing his life leading up to his time in the prison, his two year period in Guantánamo, and his release.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, celebrating its five-year anniversary summit, has blossomed into a full-fledged security alliance, as well as a foil to U.S. influence in Central Asia.

The nation's capital is a target-rich area by both absolute and symbolic measurements. Yet security officials at this CFR meeting warn that the DC region's ability to respond to terrorism remains limited.

Calling the war on terrorism “far less a class of civilizations than a clash about civilization,” UK Secretary of State for Defense John Reid argues that the multitudinous, asymmetrical, and technologically networked dimensions of international terrorism require a refined response from the West.

Efforts to reform the sprawling operations of U.S. intelligence agencies, led by Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, are drawing new attention as the first anniversary of his confirmation nears.

A United Arab Emirates-owned company is set to take control of terminals in six major U.S. ports, raising questions about security.