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September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks

Report

The Evolution of U.S. Military Policy from the Constitution to the Present, Volume IV: The Total Force Policy Era, 1970–2015

The authors show that there is no such thing as a "traditional" U.S. military policy. Rather, the laws that authorize, empower, and govern the U.S. armed forces emerged from long-standing debates and legislative compromises between 1903 and 1940.

Jun 23, 2020
News Release

Islamic State Proves Greater Draw for U.S.-Born Recruits Than al Qaeda

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been more successful than its predecessor organization, al Qaeda, in drawing Americans to its cause. Whereas al-Qaeda was more reliant on preexisting connections to the region or Islam, an ISIL candidate recruit is more likely to be younger, less educated, and a U.S.-born citizen.

Dec 18, 2018
Report

Trends in the Draw of Americans to Foreign Terrorist Organizations from 9/11 to Today

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been more successful than its predecessor organization, al Qaeda, in drawing Americans to its cause. Americans drawn to ISIL are more likely to be younger, less educated, Caucasian/white or African American/black, and to have been born in the United States.

Dec 18, 2018
Blog

Reflecting on the Past to Counter Future Terrorism

One Night with RAND brought together leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy to pay tribute to Brian Michael Jenkins and mark his 50-year affiliation with RAND and his substantial body of research on terrorism. Jenkins and other experts discussed the evolution of terrorism and strategies for countering it in the future.

Nov 14, 2018
Journal Article

Terrorism Before and After 9/11: A More Dangerous World?

This research aims to present a focused and balanced reckoning of the "global war on terror" (GWOT) by comparing it to the era immediately preceding it. The results do not generally comport with popular or mainstream accounts of terrorism.

Apr 3, 2018
Commentary

Can We Predict Where Terrorists Will Strike Next?

Terrorism has escalated horizontally, not vertically. Instead of weapons of mass destruction, there has been a proliferation of low-level attacks. The trick will be to predict and prevent new plots.

Jun 19, 2017
Commentary

September 11: The Day That Changed My Country (and My Career Path) Forever

New York City native Colin Clarke discusses how terrorism has evolved since the September 11 attacks and how the tragedy motivated him to become a terrorism expert.

Sep 11, 2016
Commentary

Fifteen Years After 9/11, What Is the State of the 'War on Terror'?

Much has changed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Counterterrorism efforts have made progress, and Americans are safer. But it's unclear how much further the fight against terrorism has to go.

Sep 7, 2016
Commentary

The Response to Every Terrorist Attack Cannot Be Another Checkpoint

The Istanbul attack will renew calls to extend security screening at the front doors of terminals. But checkpoints create bottlenecks and queues of people waiting to get through them, which then become an easy target.

Jul 1, 2016
Report

Toppling the Taliban: Air-Ground Operations in Afghanistan, October 2001–June 2002

This report describes the preparations for Operation Enduring Freedom, Army operations and support activities, coalition issues, and civil-military operations in Afghanistan from October 2001 through June 2002.

Jan 4, 2016
Commentary

The 1970s and the Birth of Contemporary Terrorism

While terrorism worldwide has increased over the past four decades — and the threat of terrorism continues to dominate Americans' fears — the 14 years since 9/11 have been tranquil on the home front compared to the violent 1970s.

Jul 30, 2015
Blog

Terrorism and Television: A Conversation with Howard Gordon

Television producer and writer Howard Gordon discusses 9/11, television's 24, and responsible entertainment.

Jun 19, 2015
Commentary

TSA's Cellphone Rule Part of Deadly Race

While placing explosives inside a cellphone is plausible, it is almost impossible to do so with iPhones without rendering them non-functional, which is why the TSA is now checking cell phones are actually working.

Jul 29, 2014
Commentary

3 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Facts for Congress to Consider

With the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act set to expire this year, Congress is currently revisiting a crucial question: What is the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets? As the debate unfolds on Capitol Hill, policymakers should consider three key research findings.

Jun 12, 2014
Commentary

What Might Terrorists Do Next?

No one can predict with any certainty what terrorists might do next. If there is one lesson America learned about counterterrorism on 9/11, it's that the coming attack may look nothing like those that preceded it.

Feb 24, 2014
Commentary

Al Qaeda Is Down — Al Qaedism Isn't

The counterterror campaign is a marathon run against a slowly declining revolutionary idea, al Qaedism, which will take many more years to stamp out fully. The U.S. should not lose sight of the fact that while 12 years of counterterrorism efforts have helped keep it safe, many more years of vigilance lie ahead.

Jan 6, 2014
Q&A

Whither al Qaeda: A 'Tri-alogue' with Brian Michael Jenkins, Seth Jones, and Andrew Liepman

Recent comments by key U.S. lawmakers have again raised the issue of where the United States is in its campaign against al Qaeda. This has left some to wonder if the terrorism threat is increasing and if Americans are not as safe as they were a year or two ago. Three senior RAND analysts offer their take.

Dec 10, 2013
Commentary

Is the War on Terror Over? Not Yet.

Over time, al Qaeda could just fade away. Always resilient, it may morph to survive. Developments on any of several fronts might even enable it to rise again. In a long contest, surprises must be expected, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

May 2, 2012
Multimedia

After bin Laden

Seth Jones, Director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation, speaks about the latest developments in Afghanistan following the death of Osama bin Laden.

Jun 15, 2011
Commentary

The Torture Debate, Redux

Former Vice President Cheney has been insisting again that the coercive interrogation techniques used against terrorism detainees after 9/11 prevented attacks on the United States. His assertions merit more careful examination, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

Apr 1, 2009