• Factors Linked to Radical Attitudes and Intentions

    There are many risk factors associated with radical attitudes, intentions, and behaviors (including terrorism) by individuals in democratic countries. A new systematic review finds that the most significant factors are traditional criminogenic and social-psychological factors.

  • Al Qaeda Releases “America Burns” Video, Framing U.S. as Nation in Crisis

    A new propaganda video released by A; Qaeda seeks to portray the United States as weakened, divided, and declining, while Al Qaeda and other extremist groups are positioned as ascendant. This propaganda provides two key pieces of information: first, that Al Qaeda continues to see attacking the U.S. as a critical objective in its overall mission, and, second, the video’s references to lone wolf attacks implies that Al Qaeda may still lack the means to direct sustained attacks within the U.S., and instead hopes one or more individuals take the initiative on their own.

  • Can Drone Warfare in the Middle East Be Controlled?

    Drone attacks are causing a crisis in the Mideast and experts are calling for a better regulatory regime. The drone attacks are part of a worrisome trend in the region: The escalating use of UAVs, both for surveillance purposes and to attack opponents, by countries in the region — but also by nonstate actors there, like militia groups in Iraq, Yemen and Syria, among others. But would more rules even have an impact in the region?

  • Deterring Terrorist Attacks in Sports Megaevents

    Large sports events – the Olympic Games, the Superbowl, the Soccer World Cup – are ideal targets for terrorists. What is the best method to identify the most effective defense measures to minimize the chances of a terrorist attack during a sports mega-event?

  • DHS Can Bolster Its Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism

    There were eighty-one fatal violent extremist attacks in the United States from 2010 through 2020, resulting in 240 deaths. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) strategy for preventing targeted violence and terrorism, including its efforts to counter violent extremism.

  • Norway Mourns Victims of Worst-Ever Terror Attack 10 Years On

    The bomb and shooting attacks by a far-right extremist have been described as the Nordic country’s worst peacetime violence. On Thursday, Norway came to a standstill to remember those who died.

  • Drone Popularity, Potential Risk Soar, So Too Should Preparedness

    Benign hobbyists often use drones, but these small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) can be exploited for any number of illegal activities, thereby posing a significant threat to facilities related to critical infrastructure and national security.

  • MI5 Director: U.K. Faces Growing Threats from Russia, China, Iran—and Far-Right Extremists

    The director-general of MI5, the U.K. domestic intelligence service, said the agency is doubling the resources it devotes to tackling threats from Russia, China and Iran, and shifting more resources to tackle the rapidly growing posed by right-wing extremists, many of whom are teenagers.

  • An Urgent NATO Priority: Preparing to Protect Civilians

    Russia’s hybrid warfare approach calls for attacking the populations of Russia’s adversaries not through WWII-like carpet bombing, but rather with a combination of disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, supporting proxy forces, and backing terrorist attacks. “Should NATO prepare for this scenario? Absolutely,” Victoria Holt and Marl Keenan write.

  • Taliban Advances in Afghanistan Give Kashmir Militants a Boost

    As NATO troops continue their withdrawal from Afghanistan, experts fear that a spike in armed insurgency in India-administered Kashmir could follow. After the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the late 1980s, an anti-India armed insurgency erupted in India-administered Kashmir. India has managed to bring the insurgency – for which it blames Pakistan – under control, but with the Taliban set to control Afghanistan, the Kashmiri insurgents may find a new and eager ally.

  • Extremism, Paramilitarism Threats in Europe

    A new report examines case studies from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine and outlines potential security risks as well as avenues to mitigate threats associated with extremism in paramilitary groups throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

  • The Role of Local Police in Countering Domestic Terrorism

    The Biden administration’s National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism lays out a multi-tiered approach to a growing threat. The White House strategy rests, in part, on increased federal-local cooperation, which remains difficult to achieve in practice. The administration’s strategy presumes local police departments have more insight into local permutations of violent extremism – and that federal agencies should have the capabilities to counter it. However, differing priorities and capabilities between local police departments will remain a significant challenge for federal agencies as they attempt to counter domestic terrorism.

  • Financing Violent Extremists

    Ethnically or racially motivated terrorism (EoRMT) is a complex phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of actors. These range from individuals, that operate as lone actors or so called “lone wolves” to small and medium organizations, as well as transnational movements which span borders, and sometimes even continents. A new report finds that the funding of such terrorist attacks varies from country to country, adding to the challenge of tackling such financing.

  • SEC's Increasing Focus on Terrorism May Limit Financial Oversight

    When SEC asks companies about potential ties to terrorism, it catches fewer reporting errors. The SEC’s shift of attention to firms’ financial ties to states sponsoring terrorism (SSTs) began at Congress’s behest in 2003, leading to a shift in the composition of SEC review staff — the number of lawyers the review staff has grown while the number of accountants has decreased.

  • What Do Former Extremists and Their Families Say about Radicalization and Deradicalization in America?

    Violent extremism has become a serious and complex threat in the United States. This development raises several questions: Who is at risk of joining violent extremist organizations? How do they find groups of like-minded people to join with? Can families and friends recognize whether someone is becoming radicalized? How do individuals change their minds and walk away from extremism? What can communities do to stop the growth of extremism in their areas?