Skip to page content

Domestic Intelligence

Domestic Terrorism

commentary
Countering Domestic Terrorism May Require Rethinking U.S. Intelligence Strategy
The United States is deeply divided, its political system polarized. Getting counterterrorism wrong could make the situation worse. The challenge is to isolate and contain violent extremists without turning them into political martyrs or half the country into enemies of the state.
Read More »
Oct 5, 2021
The Hill
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

Open Source Intelligence

commentary
An Early Policy Victory for DNI Haines: Boost the Priority of Open Sources Information
The quantity, quality, and accessibility of publicly available information has exploded over the past decades. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has an opportunity to advance intelligence community mission activities on several key issues shaped by the digital information age, including the role of publicly available information.
Read More »
Mar 4, 2021
The Hill
John V. Parachini @JohnParachini, J.D. Williams, et al.
commentary
Presidential Intelligence Briefings: The Process Is Working. But Is Trump Listening?
President Trump receives intelligence briefings on a fairly regular basis and he appears engaged in discussions with senior staff and the intelligence community about content. Ideally, this process is informing his national security decisionmaking.
Read More »
Feb 15, 2018
Lawfare
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Counterterrorism

commentary
How to Harden America's Soft Targets
The U.S. government must choose where to apply limited resources to defend soft targets. But it could expand its information-sharing efforts with other governments and local law enforcement. Broad intelligence sharing and more training could help identify potential attackers before they can execute their plans.
Read More »
Jul 5, 2017
The National Interest
Colin P. Clarke, Chad C. Serena
Domestic Terrorism

commentary
Domestic Terrorism: Weighing the Challenges
The U.S. is struggling to find an effective way to counter violent extremism at home and counteract the presence of terrorist groups on social media. Policymakers are tasked with managing a military defeat of IS in the Middle East while lowering the risk of blowback in the U.S. at the same time.
Read More »
Apr 13, 2017
The Strategist
Colin P. Clarke
Intelligence Collection

commentary
Three Ways to Improve Australia's Intelligence Capability
Intelligence agencies should become centers of expertise, focus on what matters for their customers, and coordinate a network of partners. To better deliver on these three priorities, the Australian Intelligence Community should consider a leadership structure with authority to guide and coordinate these processes.
Read More »
Apr 4, 2017
Lowy Institute's Interpreter
Arzan Tarapore
Intelligence Community

commentary
Adapting the President's Daily Brief to Trump
President-elect Trump is receiving President Obama's version of the daily briefing; it has yet to be tailored to his preferences, to which every president is entitled. The intelligence community should seek to adapt the briefing to maximize its interest and relevance to the president-elect.
Read More »
Jan 6, 2017
War on the Rocks
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Intelligence Analysis

commentary
Giving Intelligence Analysts Their Voices Back: The Case for Analyst Perspectives
The intelligence community should give analysts a channel to convey their individual insights. This would give policymakers well-reasoned alternative views.
Read More »
Oct 20, 2016
War on the Rocks
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Domestic Intelligence

commentary
Predicting the 'Dangerousness' of Potential Terrorists
Predicting 'dangerousness' of potential terrorists is a hit-and-miss endeavor. Unless someone is waving a gun, it is extremely difficult. Even with direct access to the subject, parole boards, suicide prevention units and even trained clinicians get it wrong.
Read More »
Mar 2, 2015
The Hill
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins, Jean-Francois Clair
Security Cooperation

commentary
Fight Today's Terrorist Threat, Not Yesterday's
Counterterrorism is not just about daring raids and drone strikes. It is about the hard work of collecting and sifting through vast amounts of information and managing relationships among organizations that often regard sharing information as an unnatural act.
Read More »
Feb 7, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins, Andrew Liepman, et al.
Domestic Intelligence

commentary
Needed: Sustainable Spying Oversight
Domestic intelligence in the United States is an activity with a history, and efforts to consider future policy on this issue need to take that history into account, writes Brian Jackson. Public acceptability must be part of the calculus in devising oversight and control of intelligence efforts.
Read More »
Sep 18, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Brian A. Jackson
Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary
Latest Alleged Homegrown 'Terrorists' Fit the Mold
For many U.S.-born terror recruits, the prospect of blowing things up is a solution to an unsatisfactory life. Terrorism does not attract the well-adjusted, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Read More »
Nov 20, 2012
The RAND Blog
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
5 Reasons We're Safer From Terrorists
Why aren't there more Times Square bombers? It is not a complaint, but a question that intrigues terrorism analysts. Why haven't more jihadist terrorist attacks been attempted in the United States since 9/11?, asks Brian Michael Jenkins.
Read More »
May 12, 2010
AOL News
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Transportation Security

commentary
What We Can Learn from the Christmas Day Bombing Attempt
President Obama's nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration said he would like U.S. airport screening to more closely resemble Israel's. Perhaps attention is turning to what really matters about the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253: what it can teach us about aviation security, write
Read More »
Mar 26, 2010
The Washington Post
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins, Bruce Butterworth, et al.
Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary
Terrorists Will Strike America Again
Americans should understand that preventing every attack is simply an unattainable goal, writes Gregory F. Treverton.
Read More »
Jan 19, 2010
Los Angeles Times
Gregory F. Treverton
Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary
How a Decade of Terror Changed America
Two foiled airliner bombings bracket a decade that changed the world's understanding of terrorism as a new form of global warfare and has had profound ramifications we are still coming to grips with in the U.S., writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Read More »
Dec 30, 2009
AOL News
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
Combating Radicalization
Nothing is more important in the global war on terrorism than reducing the production of new terrorists, writes Brian Michael Jenkins in a commentary appearing in United Press International.
Read More »
Aug 23, 2007
United Press International
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Counterterrorism

commentary
The Four Defensive Measures Against Terrorism
Today's terrorists kill in quantity and kill indiscriminately. Preparedness requires improving intelligence, increasing security, developing effective response capabilities, and community involvement.
Read More »
Sep 24, 2004
24 Chasa
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
Fight Terrorism With Intelligence, Not Might
Fight terrorism with intelligence, not might.
Read More »
Dec 26, 2003
Christian Science Monitor
Sara A. Daly
commentary
Connect the Cops to Connect the Dots
commentaries by RAND Staff: insightful commentaries on current events, published in newspapers, magazines and journals worldwide.
Read More »
Jun 1, 2003
The San Diego Union Tribune
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
The Nation: Terrorists' Talk
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
Feb 16, 2003
New York Times
Bruce Berkowitz
commentary
The Big Difference Between Intelligence and Evidence
Usually intelligence does not offer crystal-clear answers, and we should not hang decisions to go to war or do anything else on its ability to do so, writes Bruce Berkowitz in a Washington Post commentary.
Read More »
Feb 2, 2003
The Washington Post
Bruce Berkowitz
commentary
Protecting the Homeland: One Year Later
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
Sep 8, 2002
San Diego Union Tribune
Gregory F. Treverton
commentary
Face Terror with Better Spying, Not Moats of Fear
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
Jul 10, 2002
Los Angeles Times
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
Dissect the Divisions
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
Jun 9, 2002
Baltimore Sun
Gregory F. Treverton