Counter-terrorism strategies for combating Al Qaeda’s adaptive networks
Al Qaeda remains influential in the world jihadist ecosystem despite the deaths of its foundational leaders and consistent military assaults in the last two decades. The resilience and flexibility of the organization are strengthened by the fact that it is no longer a centralized organization but a system of independent affiliates. The counter-terror decisions in […]
New threat matrix: What’s lost and gained in post-9/11 security rollbacks?
Almost 25 years following the events of September 11, 2001, the United States is essentially reevaluating the design of its internal national security policy. The era of post 9/11 was marked with massive surveillance, interventions, and domestic policies aimed to preclude terrorism. A good part of that framework is being reversed in 2025, but not […]
The impact of ICE’s courthouse arrests on immigrant access to justice
When in 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increases its courthouse enforcement activities, issues of immigrant rights, and access to justice become even more acute. This move on the part of the agency of arresting immigrants in and around immigration courts causes significant interference to the efforts of immigrants to participate in the legal system […]
ISIL’s resilience amid global counterterrorism efforts exposes UN coordination gaps
The fact that ISIL remained well-functional as late as 2025 despite the universally-condemned nature of the group and persistent global counterterrorism efforts calls into further question how to counter decentralized, ideological threat. As formerly territorial caliphates ruled by the Islamic State are now gone, its affiliates have become active in fragile states, finding ways to […]
From counterterrorism to canvas: The hidden lives of intelligence operatives
Hirah Khan spent more than a decade as a senior analyst on U.S. counterterrorism, having briefed two presidents, and served national security efforts in a wide range of federal agencies, including FBI, Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Justice. Her job experience was to conduct top level threat analyses, to coordinate and collaborate across […]
Will $346 million in U.S. weapons shift Nigeria’s 2025 anti-terrorism momentum?
The summit in Anchorage, Alaska in August 2025 was ushered in by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin having direct talks during the third year of war in Ukraine. Although both leaders termed the meeting as being productive, it did not result in a ceasefire or a binding agreement of peace. Putin’s […]
Precision warfare in Nigeria: Will the $346M arms package reduce civilian harm?
Nigeria also completed a historic 346 million dollar arms deal with the United States in what is the biggest single purchase of military hardware in recent times. The contract involves more than 1,000 MK-82 500-pound bombs, 5,000+ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rounds, programmable fuzes, air foil groups and extensive logistical and technical assistance. […]
Joint terrorism task forces: The backbone of FBI’s counterterrorism efforts in 2025
As of 2025, Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), created by the FBI, still form the bedrock of the U.S. government counterterrorism infrastructure in that they offer an end-to-end nationwide system of federals, state, and local law enforcement working together to detect, disrupt, and punish terrorist dangers. Having almost 200 task forces that are to be […]
The cost of neglect: how cutting terrorism prevention programs endangers America
That being the case, the move by the Trump administration in 2025 to reduce programs on terrorism prevention amounted to a clear change in the counterterrorism stance in the country. The U.S. over decades has been balancing prevention activities, enforcement and military intervention since it appreciated the worth of prevention at an early stage of […]
U.S. Global Partnerships: Building Counter-Terrorism Capacity Amid Shifting Threats
By 2025 the United States has moved further in the dynamic approach to counter- terrorism where partnerships are the key to the fluid and complex threat environment. Other groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Hizballah have continued to generate plans to strike the interests of the United States and other allies once they are exposed to […]