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.
The Carnegie Endowment's Christopher Boucek discusses the developing situation in Yemen and what strategies the U.S. might pursue to most successfully reduce violence in the country.
Authors: Stuart Levey and Christy Clark Foreign Policy
Stuart Levey and Christy Clark argue that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the world's premier standard-setting body for combating terrorist financing and money laundering, and it should develop and enforce standards for sanctions implementation.
Following the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 and the six-year anniversary of the London subway bombings, Theresa May discusses counterterrorism strategy in the United Kingdom. The meeting focused on the nature of the threat, its evolution, the impact of events like the Arab Spring, and the United Kingdom's response, particularly as it prepares for the 2012 Olympics.
John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, gave these remarks at Harvard Law School on September 16, 2011.
Speakers: Richard A. Falkenrath, John E. McLaughlin, and Juan Carlos Zarate Presider: Gideon Rose
Experts discuss how changes to U.S. domestic and international policy since September 11, 2011 have enhanced counterterrorism approaches and contributed to preventing planned terrorist attacks.
This session was part of a CFR symposium, 9/11: Ten Years Later, which was made possible by the generous support of Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis.
Speakers: Richard A. Falkenrath, John E. McLaughlin, and Juan Carlos Zarate Presider: Gideon Rose
Experts discuss how changes to U.S. domestic and international policy since September 11, 2011 have enhanced counterterrorism approaches and contributed to preventing planned terrorist attacks.
This session was part of a CFR symposium, 9/11: Ten Years Later, which was made possible by the generous support of Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis.
President Obama issued this executive order on September 9, 2011. Among its provisions, it calls for a new body, the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, to "coordinate, orient, and inform Government-wide public communications activities directed at audiences abroad and targeted against violent extremists and terrorist organizations, especially al-Qa'ida and its affiliates and adherents, with the goal of using communication tools to reduce radicalization by terrorists and extremist violence and terrorism that threaten the interests and national security of the United States."
Authors: Barry Pavel and Matthew H. Kroenig Foreign Policy
Barry Pavel and Matthew Kroenig argue that while a deterrence approach holds great potential for helping to thwart future al Qaeda attacks, it remains a poorly understood and underutilized element of U.S. counterterrorism strategy.
The CIA has expanded its focus to include more paramilitary missions rather than intelligence collection, write Greg Miller and Julie Tate of The Washington Post.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press indicates that the American public generally views the government's response to terrorism favorably, yet fewer than half of those surveyed believe that government policies have prevented another major attack on the United States.
Within days of the 9/11 attacks, Congress authorized U.S. military and intelligence agencies to kill and detain terrorists. It is time to revise that authority on matters like detentions and drone attacks, says CFR's John B. Bellinger III.
Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Adviser to the President of the RAND Corporation, revisits the topic of homegrown terrorism, expands on earlier writings about domestic counterterrorist strategy, and updates the numbers and case descriptions to include all of 2010.
A near absence of terrorist incidents in the United States since 9/11 points to the success of the Bush administration's counterterrorism measures that once stirred controversy but now have bipartisan acceptance, writes CFR's Max Boot
Drones have become a cost-effective default tactic for dealing with potential terrorist threats since 9/11, but this policy could lead to drone strikes by other countries as well as pushback from targeted states, says CFR's Micah Zenko.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
Two experts argue that despite myriad development strategies, only one can succeed in alleviating poverty in India: the overall growth of the country's economy. More