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Terrorist Organizations

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Terrorist organizations have long threatened the security, infrastructure, and citizens of nations and communities throughout the world. Since the early 1970s, RAND has explored the structure and activities of terrorist organizations—most recently ISIS and its offshoots—to understand their motivations, their recruitment and training methods, and why some are more successful than others.

Report

How to Reduce Violent Nonstate Actors' Abilities to Adapt

Jun 6, 2022

Violent nonstate actors—terrorist groups, drug trafficking organizations, and others—pose durable and direct threats to U.S. security interests. Why are they so capable of adapting to changes in their environments, and how might the Army detect and mitigate such adaptations before they occur?
Report

Implications of the Pandemic for Terrorist Interest in Biological Weapons

May 31, 2022

Some policymakers and analysts have expressed concern that weaknesses in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will motivate terrorists to seek biological weapons. While the prospect of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda pursuing biological weapons is not zero, it is unlikely, given the difficulties involved and the availability of simpler alternatives.

Explore Terrorist Organizations

Commentary

Will U.S. Air Power Work in Iraq?

There are many key questions regarding deployment of U.S. air power to Iraq to halt the progress of the Islamic State. How effective would it be? Would it cause a lot of civilian casualties? Is air power alone enough to achieve U.S. objectives?

Jun 18, 2014
Blog

With More Opportunities for Recruitment, the ISIS Threat Could Grow

As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) rolls through northern Iraq, taking two cities, Mosul and Tikrit, in as many days last week, experts are concerned not only about territory and resources seized by the militants, but also about growing opportunities for ISIS to bolster its ranks.

Jun 18, 2014
Commentary

Obama's Iraq Dilemma

On the surface, President Obama faces a classic foreign policy dilemma: The Iraqis are asking for U.S. military assistance to halt ISIS's dangerous offensive, but Obama has long promised the American people that he would withdraw the U.S. military from involvement in Iraq.

Jun 17, 2014
Commentary

Key to Iraq May Rest with Syria

The answer to the fighting and instability may lie in a settlement which includes negotiating with Syrian President Assad, perhaps brokered through the Russians and Iranians. As unpalatable as it may be to the West, such a settlement would acknowledge the political and geographical realities on the ground.

Jun 16, 2014
Commentary

The Risks of Rescue

As appealing as a successful mission to rescue the 200 school girls held hostage by Boko Haram in Nigeria might appear, the use of U.S. military assets to mount a rescue attempt would be a mistake.

Jun 13, 2014
News Release

Increase in Jihadist Threat Calls for New U.S. Strategy to Combat Terrorism

Since 2010, there has been a 58 percent increase in the number of jihadist groups, a doubling of fighters, and a tripling of attacks by al Qaeda affiliates. The U.S. cannot afford to withdraw or remain disengaged from key parts of North Africa, the Middle East, or South Asia.

Jun 4, 2014
Report

Increase in Jihadist Threat Calls for New U.S. Strategy to Combat Terrorism

Since 2010, there has been a 58 percent increase in the number of jihadist groups, a doubling of fighters, and a tripling of attacks by al Qaeda affiliates. The U.S. cannot afford to withdraw or remain disengaged from key parts of North Africa, the Middle East, or South Asia.

Jun 4, 2014
Blog

The Bergdahl-Taliban Prisoner Exchange Isn't New, but Presents Unique Questions

While it's been many years since the United States secured the release of a POW via prisoner exchange, RAND's Jonah Blank, a former Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff member, says that such deals are nothing new.

Jun 4, 2014
Commentary

The Accelerating Spread of Terrorism

The number of al Qaeda and other jihadist groups and fighters are growing, not shrinking. U.S. disengagement—or even risking the return of terrorists to the field by freeing them from detention—is not the answer to the threat they pose.

Jun 3, 2014
Commentary

Nigeria, Boko Haram, and the Difficulty of Rescuing the Kidnapped Girls

The historical record suggests that when many hostages are involved, rescues are bloody affairs. Early RAND research on hostage situations showed that of all the ways hostages may be killed—during the initial abduction, trying to escape, murdered by their captors or during the rescue—79 percent died during the rescue.

May 19, 2014
Commentary

When Terrorists Kill Terrorists

Battles between rival rebel groups and within terrorist organizations are not uncommon. Terrorists may compete with each other, sometimes in deadly battles, for the control of sources of financing. Some of the internal struggles are about who will lead.

May 5, 2014
Commentary

A Bigger, but Less Unified, al Qaeda

In the long run, al Qaeda might be able to reel in its more unreliable offspring, assert more control, demand their obedience, and call upon their resources to assist in global operations. But without a stronger center, that possibility seems remote.

Apr 25, 2014
Report

Current Infighting Will Test al Qaeda's Brand

Replacing one big al Qaeda with many smaller ones does not reduce the total number of terrorists but may reduce their overall strategic capability. For the U.S., the biggest opportunities may lie in countering al Qaeda's future recruitment and capitalizing on new sources of intelligence.

Apr 23, 2014
Commentary

After Boston, Beware DIY Attacks: Front & Center

Orlando Sentinel editorial writer Darryl E. Owens interviewed Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the president of RAND. They discussed last year's Boston Marathon bombing and the current threat of terrorist acts in the United States.

Apr 16, 2014
Testimony

Counterterrorism and the Role of Special Operations Forces

Over the long run, the persistent nature of the terrorism threat to the United States suggests that special operations forces should remain a key part of the struggle against al Qa’ida and other Salafi-jihadist groups.

Apr 8, 2014
Testimony

The Extremist Threat to the U.S. Homeland: Addendum

Document submitted on March 12, 2014 as an addendum to testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee on January 15, 2014.

Mar 24, 2014
Commentary

The Internet's Role in Radicalisation

Even as people enjoy the advantages of social networks, online shopping and access to information, concerns are growing about the negative effects of the Internet, such as its potential role in radicalising terrorists.

Mar 21, 2014
Report

Democracy in Afghanistan: The 2014 Election and Beyond

Afghanistan's April 5th presidential election is the most important political event in the country's decade-long transition to democracy. A successful election would be a major blow to the Taliban and al Qaida, and would renew Afghan efforts to bring the war to a favorable conclusion. The international community should recognize that Afghanistan deserves support to get through the process.

Mar 12, 2014
Commentary

Discord Among Terrorists

Overall, divisions in Al Qaeda's ranks are good news for the United States. While the split will not end the jihadists' terrorist campaigns, it will preoccupy Al Qaeda's leaders and create uncertainty in its ranks.

Feb 25, 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

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RAND Topic:
Terrorist Organizations

Topic Synonyms:
Terrorist Cells;
Terrorists

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