Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

Between Syria and Gaza: Urgent Challenges for Israel's Security

A Discussion with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman

In a rare public address in Washington, D.C., Israel's defense minister explained his government's strategy for dealing with challenges including the emergence of a direct Iranian front to the north and recurrent mass protests along the Gaza border to the south.

Apr 19, 2018

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Avigdor Liberman

Protesters hold Syrian and Hezbollah flags

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah Will Be the Big Winner in Lebanon's Elections

The group has essentially guaranteed itself a victory by coopting opponents and shuffling electoral districts, but the West can still contain the damage by pressing Beirut on economic reforms.

Apr 19, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Libya After Haftar

Given the potentially imminent demise of a key powerbroker, Washington will need to refocus on transition issues in Libya and help the UN implement its action plan.

Apr 18, 2018

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Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

Examining Iran's Global Terrorism Network

A former senior CENTCOM advisor offers a comprehensive breakdown of the specific forces and mechanisms Tehran uses to sponsor terrorism abroad and destabilize its neighbors.

Apr 17, 2018

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Nader Uskowi

Brief Analysis

Escalating Tensions in Western Sahara

As the Security Council prepares to vote on extending the peacekeeping mission, a mounting war of words between the conflict's three parties warrants a careful U.S. response.

Apr 11, 2018

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Sarah Feuer

Brief Analysis

Europol and the EU Threat Picture: Developing a Global Response

Read a statement for the record by Europol's deputy executive director, who addresses the EU's evolving approach to global jihadists and homegrown terrorists.

Mar 21, 2018

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Wil van Gemert

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Articles & Testimony

In Search of Nuance in the Debate over Hezbollah's Criminal Enterprise and the U.S. Response

While a desire to protect the nuclear deal had some effect on the Obama administration's posture toward the group, interagency coordination problems were a much bigger factor.

Mar 20, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

A Survey of the Near East: Implications for U.S. National Security

The national intelligence manager for the Near East discusses the post-ISIS 'peace dividend,' the intelligence facets of Syria's humanitarian crisis, the sectarian hurdles to Iraq's reconstruction, and more.

Mar 13, 2018

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David Cattler

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

Foreign Fighters in Libya: Consequences for Africa and Europe

As the fight against the Islamic State shifts from retaking territory to preventing regrowth, a jihadism scholar and the former deputy head of AFRICOM discuss what Washington should learn from the group's activities in Libya.

Feb 21, 2018

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Aaron Y. Zelin
Michael T. Franken

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Pushing Iran to Take Steps Against Terrorist Financing

By focusing on Tehran's struggle to reach an acceptable legal definition of terrorism, Washington can avoid further politicizing the traditionally technocratic effort to bring Iranian banks in line with international norms.

Feb 20, 2018

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Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

Letters from Home: Hezbollah Mothers and the Culture of Martyrdom

For many Lebanese Shia, blindly accepting the group's narrative may be less emotionally wrenching than questioning whether a youth's death was worth the pain.

Feb 16, 2018

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Kendall Bianchi

Articles & Testimony

Mideast's Turmoil, Terror Rooted in '73 Oil-Price Spike

If princes and commentators want to make political points with history, historians should debate the merits of what is being said.

Feb 13, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Hush-Hush Deal That Keeps the Middle East from Exploding

Israeli and Palestinian officials may growl at one another, but their soldiers are quietly cooperating behind the scenes to keep the peace -- as long as the Trump administration doesn't pull their funding.

Feb 12, 2018

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Neri Zilber
Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

Next Stage in the Battle Against the Islamic State

Focused targeting of jihadist funds, the use of biometric data, and continued cooperation among UN member states all constitute promising answers to threats posed by the group.

Feb 8, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

Rolling Back Iran's Foreign Legion

Two experts diagnose the Shia militia problem in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, offering concrete advice for reducing the power of Iran's proxies.

Feb 6, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar
Phillip Smyth

In-Depth Reports

Iran's Foreign Legion:

The Impact of Shia Militias on U.S. Foreign Policy

The leading such group is Lebanese Hezbollah, but Iraq's PMF and Yemen's Houthis also pose serious threats.

Feb 1, 2018

Brief Analysis

New Palestinian and Egyptian Designations Highlight Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood

The State Department is upping the pressure on Tehran and the Brotherhood's violent progeny in Gaza and Egypt.

Jan 31, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah Has Destroyed the Lebanon I Once Knew

The message of recent legal pressure on Lebanese journalists is clear: citizens have the right to speak only if they conform to the group's dictates.

Jan 28, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

The Evolution of Shia Insurgency in Bahrain

With Iran's help, militant cells are poised to add unmanned vehicles, anti-armor weapons, and other potent capabilities to their existing IED and combat skill set.

Jan 24, 2018

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Michael Knights
Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah Is a Terrorist Group in Its Entirety; UK Must Recognize That

As British officials consider how to designate Hezbollah's supposed 'wings,' they should take the group's own words to heart.

Jan 24, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Supported by the

Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

The Washington Institute's Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence serves as Washington's premier center for the study of international terrorism.

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Featured experts

Matthew Levitt

Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Senior Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.

Devorah Margolin

Devorah Margolin is the Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Aaron Y. Zelin

Aaron Y. Zelin is the Gloria and Ken Levy Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where his research focuses on Sunni Arab jihadist groups in North Africa and Syria, foreign fighting, and online jihadism.

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Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

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Terrorism

Policy Analysis on Terrorism

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