28 Articles
👁 Military unmanned aerial vehicle at sunset.
Is the U.S. Conducting Air Strikes Against Al Qaeda in Yemen?
Despite official silence, multiple reports indicate renewed U.S. drone strikes in Yemen targeting AQAP militants, reviving debates on transparency and endless war.
Feb. 12, 2026
David Sterman
👁 Image
Eleven Precedents of ISIS-Inspired Vehicle Rammings: Precursors to New Orleans Attack
On New Year’s Day, at least 14 people were killed and dozens more wounded when a man drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. The…
Jan. 4, 2025
Tom Joscelyn
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Wake Up Call: UN Security Council’s Report on ISIS and al-Qaeda
UN analysts' report sets a new baseline for understanding the current organization, planning, and threats posed by ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Aug. 5, 2024
Tom Joscelyn
👁 The dome of the US Capitol Building against a blue sky.
Why “Associated Forces” Should be Kept Out of Any New AUMF
Any new AUMF must be limited to only the clearly specified non-state armed groups Congress has voted to authorize war against.
Sep. 26, 2023
Tess Bridgeman
👁 Just Security
Still at War: The United States in Yemen
Relying on military force alone in Yemen, a longstanding front in the "forever war," will not promote US interests or regional stability.
Mar. 24, 2022
Luke Hartig and Oona A. Hathaway
👁 Trump
Ten Days that Show Why Trump’s Wrong on Terrorism
Three events in the past 10 days have shown that, for all of his talk about getting tough on terrorists, President Donald Trump lacks any real understanding of how to protect America…
May 27, 2020
Joshua Geltzer and Luke Hartig
👁 An Afghan National Army officer, right, informs his U.S. Army counterparts from the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, left and center, about ANA troop movements May 6, 2013 while pursuing Taliban fighters in Babus, Afghanistan.
Part III: The Muddy Middle: A New Framework for Use of Force
We may not have wanted to land in this muddy middle between peace and war that we currently find ourselves in, but this is the reality of the current moment in the counterterrorism…
Aug. 16, 2019
Luke Hartig and Stephen Tankel
👁 A picture taken near the Iraqi city of Qaim at the Iraqi-Syrian border on November 11, 2018, shows US Army vehicles patrolling the Syrian side of the border.
Part II: The Muddy Middle: Challenges of Applying Use of Force Policy Guidance in Practice
In part two of a three-part series, the authors explain how new operational models for both why and how the U.S. used force outside areas of active hostilities created tensions…
Aug. 15, 2019
Luke Hartig and Stephen Tankel
👁 A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.
The Muddy Middle: The Disappearing Lines in America’s Counterterrorism Wars and How to Restore Order
In three articles, the authors explain how the lines have blurred between U.S. military operating procedures for use of force in hot war zones versus outside areas of active hostilities…
Aug. 14, 2019
Luke Hartig and Stephen Tankel
👁 An 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief launches a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft during Exercise Operation Varsity 19-01 on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 28, 2019.
Legal Explainer: German Court Reins in Support for U.S. Drone Strikes
Unpacking the legal issues discussed in this major decision by German court.
Mar. 22, 2019
Jürgen Bering
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Full Accounting Needed of US-UAE Counterterrorism Partnership in Yemen
Congress needs to scrutinize the specific legal and moral compromises we have made by going all in with the UAE in exchange for progress against terrorist groups in Yemen.
Dec. 7, 2018
Luke Hartig
👁 A world map showing Yemen and surrounding countries.
U.S.-Supported Government in Yemen Has Ties to Al-Qaeda
Defense secretary Jim Mattis has described Syria as “the most complex civil war probably raging on the planet at this time,” but Yemen is giving it a run for its money. In…
Apr. 24, 2017
Kate Brannen