All Policy Analysis by Michael Jacobson

In the wake of the July 2005 terrorist subway and bus attacks in London and the disrupted terrorist plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes flying from Heathrow airport in August 2006, the British government recently launched a new strategy to combat terrorism financing. Ed Balls, Britain's economic secretary to Her

On September 7, 2006, Michael Jacobson, Telmo Baltazar, and Jeremy Shapiro addressed The Washington Institute’s Special Policy Forum. Telmo Baltazar is the political justice and home affairs counselor for the European Commission’s mission to Washington. Jeremy Shapiro is director of research at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States

Since the September 11 attacks, Europe has become one of the most important battlegrounds in the global fight against terrorism. Accordingly, U.S. cooperation with European counterterrorism efforts is more vital than ever. Despite often-heated rhetoric, authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have adopted many of the same methods --

The London bombings served as an unpleasant reminder that Britain remains a primary target of the global Islamist terrorist movement. Michael Jacobson's forthcoming book on legal and law enforcement changes in the United States and Europe is particularly pertinent in light of such attacks. The following excerpts from his analysis

On April 27, the State Department publicly released its annual report on global terrorism trends, Country Reports on Terrorism 2004 ( read a PDF of the full report). Previously called Patterns of Global Terrorism, the renamed report has generated considerable controversy for the second year in a row, again centered

In calling for a demonstration in Damascus on March 10, Haitham Maleh, an opposition figure with close connections to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, proclaimed, “We are 85 percent of the country”—an apparent gesture of solidarity against Syria’s ruling Alawite minority. The group of about 100 demonstrators who answered his call

There is a consensus in Europe that President George W. Bush's visit marks a transition after three difficult years of transatlantic relations. Europe cannot ignore this administration for another four years. Rather, it is in Europe's best interests to work with President Bush, because Europeans see the Middle East as

President Bush's current trip to Europe is being viewed as a means to ease tensions and promote better relations. The often heated rhetoric over the past few years between the U.S. and Europeans has obscured the fact that they are facing many of the same challenges and have encountered similar

U.S. president George W. Bush heads to Europe next week, where he will meet with European leaders, including German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. While Bush and Schroeder will certainly spend time discussing and attempting to iron out the differences between the two countries, it is also a good opportunity for the

President Bush will visit Brussels next week and meet with leaders of the European Union (EU). While the Iranian nuclear program and the war in Iraq will undoubtedly be the top items on the agenda, counterterrorism is also certain to be a topic of discussion. This meeting-and the more conciliatory

Today, President George W. Bush will sign the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), which represents the most dramatic and fundamental changes to the U.S. intelligence community since 1947, when the CIA was created. While public and media attention has been focused on the establishment of a

After an extended absence from public view, Osama bin Laden reappeared in video excerpts aired on al-Jazeera several days before the November 2 election, issuing warnings to the U.S. public about al-Qaeda's intention to continue striking the United States. The incident raises new questions about the extent to which bin

FBI officials recently announced that they are trying to retrace the steps of Dhiren Barot, a suspected al-Qaeda operative who spent time in New Jersey in 2000 and 2001. The FBI is particularly focused on determining whether any of Barot's associates remain in the area. Recently, however, the bureau's ability