It might be tempting to think we have turned the tide on terrorism. After all, the Islamic State is on the run in Iraq and Syria, and terrorist attacks are on the decline globally for the third consecutive year. But that would be a grave mistake. Violent extremists are regrouping and will strike again. The 9/11 Commission, which we chaired 14 years ago, recommended three core goals for U.S. policy: Attack terrorists and their organizations, protect...

Fragility & Resilience

In this episode we’re looking to answer the big question of whether or not the country is safer than before 9/11. There hasn’t been a big terrorist attack on our soil since then, ISIS has lost almost all its territory in Iraq and Syria, Bin Laden is dead, and yet there are still thousands of extremist fighters out there and their ideology persists in attracting new recruits.

Fragility & Resilience

A new report says U.S. counterterrorism efforts need to focus much more on the long-term goal of supporting fragile countries and preventing extremism from taking root. The report, sponsored by the nonpartisan U.S. Institute of Peace, says that after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. response was to protect the homeland and pursue terrorists abroad. Now, the authors say, the U.S. should emphasize the stabilization of countries where...

Fragility & Resilience

Fragility & Resilience

A new report by the leaders of the 9/11 Commission has warned that growing Russian and Chinese influence threatens to create more extremism worldwide, and encouraged the U.S. to fight to retain global leadership. Released on the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the document suggests Russian and Chinese interests could see the two countries support more authoritarian governments across the developing world, which...

Fragility & Resilience

Extremism poses a greater global threat today than it did 17 years ago, despite costly U.S. military action overseas, according to members of the U.S. government commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks. Deaths from terrorist attacks each year have increased substantially since 2001 and violent extremism has spread, according to the report Tuesday from the task force on extremism in fragile states led by...

Fragility & Resilience

The nature of war is changing. Whereas in the 1960s, almost 70% of conflict took place in the poorest countries, by the 2000s, middle-income countries were seeing the largest share of conflict. These are places like Syria, Nigeria and Myanmar — relatively rich countries, at least judging by GDP, but with localized or widespread violence and massive displacement. Before the civil war began in 2011, Syria was one of the wealthiest countries...