Terrorist Bombings

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Terrorism Research: How RAND Defined and Built a New Field of Knowledge

In the early 1970s, amid a worldwide rash of bombings, hijackings, and hostage-takings, RAND researchers began creating the first international database of terrorist incidents. Maintained until 2009, it chronicles more than 40,000 terrorist attacks since 1968.

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Deadly Terrorist Threats Abound in U.S. and Abroad. Here Are Key Dangers

Today's self-selecting solo terrorists answer only to their god, whether seeking to destroy all government, pursuing racial separation or genocidal goals, expressing sexual dissatisfaction, or simply wanting to leave their mark. Military operations are irrelevant. This is a deeper societal problem.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Baghdadi Resurfaces: What It Means for ISIS's Global Terror Campaign

With last week's release of a video of Abu Bakr Baghdadi, ISIS showed that it's still got some life left—literally. The most important message to take away from the Baghdadi video may be that the Islamic State does not need territory to survive and even thrive.

Colin P. Clarke

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Sri Lanka's Easter Attacks: Dismantling Myths to Prevent the Next Attack

On Easter Sunday, suicide bombers hit six locations across Sri Lanka, killing more than 250 people. Even before ISIS claimed responsibility, there was no obvious connection to the quarter-century of violence that afflicted the nation until 2009. It is worth dismantling a few myths that might prevent better preparation for future attacks.

Jonah Blank

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Austin Bombings Highlight a Potential Vulnerability in the Mail Delivery System

USPS is better than private couriers at identifying and detecting suspicious packages. Given that they are increasingly handling

Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis, Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard

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Will Al Qaeda Make a Comeback?

Al Qaeda's revival will likely hinge on its ability to take advantage of opportunities such as the withdrawal of counterterrorism forces from key battlefields, more revolt in the Middle East, U.S. or European policies that feed the perception of Muslim oppression, or the rise of a charismatic jihadist leader.

Seth G. Jones

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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.

Colin P. Clarke, Chad C. Serena

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How Russia Became the Jihadists' No. 1 Target

Russia is fast replacing the United States as the number-one enemy of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other Sunni jihadist groups motivated by violent and puritanical Salafist ideology. This shift is rooted in recent Russian actions in the Middle East.

Colin P. Clarke

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How Will Jihadist Strategy Evolve As the Islamic State Declines?

As ISIL experiences ongoing battlefield losses it will have to rework its strategy to sustain itself as a preeminent jihadist brand. Meanwhile, the group will likely place greater emphasis on smaller scale strikes that require less central direction.

Colin P. Clarke, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

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U.S. More Able Than Ever to Combat Terrorism

Acts of pure terrorism are truly arbitrary and extremely difficult to protect against, but they are rare. Improved domestic counterterrorist efforts have uncovered and interrupted close to 90 percent of jihadist terrorist plots in the U.S. since 9/11.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Is the Surge in Terrorist Attacks Coincidence or Coordinated Campaign?

Whatever the investigations of recent terrorist attacks reveal, the facts may be portrayed (or ignored) to fit narratives written even before the blood has dried.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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To Defeat ISIL's Brand, Its Territory Must Be Reclaimed

ISIL has been forced out of 56 places it once controlled, including five major cities. Taking its territory and diminishing its brand is required to reduce the group's operational capacity for carrying out or influencing local or distant attacks.

Colin P. Clarke, Chad C. Serena

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Out of Line: How to Better Protect Airports from Terrorist Attacks

In airport security, it's not the size of a potential terrorist bomb that matters most, it's where it detonates. Fortunately, new technologies may present opportunities to get travelers out of line and keep them safe.

Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis, Michael A. Brown

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What It Was Like Being in Brussels During the Terrorist Attacks

Bearing witness to a terrorist attack was a startling and surreal experience, one that tragically drove home the need for an expanded knowledge base on terrorism and radicalization.

Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens

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Terror Attacks in Brussels: Insights from RAND Experts

RAND experts weigh in on the timing of the deadly bombings in Brussels, why the attack was inevitable, Salah Abdeslam's arrest, and more.