Daniel Byman is foreign policy editor of Lawfare. He is a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he focuses on counterterrorism and Middle East security. He is also a professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. He is the author of "Road Warriors: Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad."
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In 2022, no discussion of foreign policy should occur without considering the role of major tech companies. The costs of passivity in coordination are high, and missed opportunities for democracy and human rights promotion abound.
The growing prevalence of terrorist ideologies that organize and encourage attacks without formal organizational structures will require analysts and policymakers to rethink their definitions.
Technology companies are more active than ever in trying to stop terrorists, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and other hateful individuals, organizations, and movements from exploiting their platforms, but government and public pressure to do more is growing. This paper presents a range of content moderation options for technology companies, discussing how they work in practice, their advantages, and their limits and risks.
The failed assassinaton plot against the former U.S. national security adviser has demonstrated the need for plans to deter future attempts on the lives of senior officials while avoiding a spiral of retaliation with Iran.
The future of a post-Zawahiri al-Qaeda rests in the hands of the terrorist group’s next leader, whomever that may be.
The war today differs from jihadists conflicts and even the more limited recent civil conflict in Ukraine, but these and other experiences offer some lessons to consider about any future role for foreign fighters.
Foreign fighters remain a powerful jihadist force worth understanding.