The US government has created a host of counterterrorism programs to deal with variety of terrorist threats. Overtime, multiple American presidential administrations have used several these programs and initiatives to assist governments in Africa in confronting local and transnational terrorism. Unknown to most, many of these programs are directed…
In a clear indication of a change in strategy, in late March of 2017 “Trump Declares Somalia a War Zone.” This post addresses two questions. First, what is behind the administration of Donald Trump’s decision to target Al Shabaab? And second, how and in what ways is the administration’s…
Thus far, the administration of Donald Trump has not created and released a National Security Strategy document. Similarly, no official in the administration has delivered a speech outlining the president’s counterterrorism strategy. That said, there is available evidence of what constitutes components of a counterterrorism strategy. This post outlines…
This post addresses an increasingly and disturbing popular belief: once the Islamic State is defeated in Raqqa, their operational hub, the transnational terrorist group will no longer pose a threat. The post will argue the Islamic State still poses a significant threat to regional and global security. Background On…
The battle for Raqqa is the subject of great controversy. Many counterterrorism experts complained about President Barack Obama’s strategy and the failure to intensify the air strikes while others have argued the former American leader should have increased local and US combat firepower to retake the operational headquarters of…
As with everything concerning the Trump presidency, there is always the need for an assessment. Such evaluations are all-too-often partisan. In this early examination, the author is concerned not with the politics but with Trump’s quest to reestablish US leadership and momentum in the war on terrorism. Through the prism…