counterterrorism

The U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria and the subsequent Turkish invasion of the region has brought new urgency to the question of how to handle the foreign fighters who are now detained in Syria and Iraq.

Editor’s Note: Perhaps the biggest counterterrorism challenge facing European states is how to handle their citizens who went to fight in Iraq and Syria and now seek to return. Europe's response has been muddled, with many states reluctant to take responsibility for their nationals yet not advancing an alternative policy. Thomas Renard and Rik Coolsaet of the Egmont Institute assess the problems European states face and outline ways to make the return of foreign fighters less risky and more sustainable.

Daniel Byman

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Editor’s Note: To the surprise of many observers, the al-Qaeda core under Ayman al-Zawahiri has not launched a major terrorist attack in the West for years, and the rise of the Islamic State seemed to signal the group’s further decline. Asfandyar Mir of Stanford argues that this lack of focus is a mistake. He contends that al-Qaeda remains resilient and that the group continues to pose a major terrorism threat.

Daniel Byman

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Editor’s Note: As Brexit looms, predictions of chaos dominate the headlines. Brexit’s critics have expressed fears of financial disaster, the collapse of key services and risks to the security of the United Kingdom. Richard English of Queen’s University assesses how Brexit might affect U.K. and European counterterrorism. He argues that counterterrorism cooperation is likely to continue and that, on this issue at least, the danger of Brexit to the United Kingdom is minimal.

Daniel Byman

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