Assessing Americas Counterterrorism Capabilities

Assessing America's counterterrorism capabilities : hearing before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, August 3, 2004.

Witnesses: John Brennan, Terrorist Threat Integration Center; John Pistole, Counterterrorism & Counterintelligence, FBI; Patrick Hughes, Info. Analysis, Dept. of Homeland Security; Philip Mudd, Counterterrorist Center, CIA; & Philip Zelikow & Christopher Kojm, Nat. Comm. on Terrorist Attacks Upon the U.S. Appendix: Chuck Hagel, Sen., NE, prepared statement; Chart entitled The 9/11 Commission's Recommend. for Restructuring the Intell. CommunityÓ; Table of Org. Chart; Letters from Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen., NY, dated Aug. 2, 2004, to Sen. Collins & Lieberman, & to Pres. Bush; Article dated Aug. 3, 2004, The Wash. Post,Ó entitled Intell. Reform & False Urgency,Ó by Chuck Hagel; & Q&A from members, Senate Comm. on Gov'l. Affairs.

"Together we must affirm that domestic terrorism has no place in our society." -President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (June 2021) National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (June 2021) conveys the Biden Administration's view of domestic terrorism and strategy on how to deal with it. What is domestic terrorism? As defined by this report, it is based on a range of violent ideological motivations, including racial bigotry and anti-government feeling, and it can take several forms, from lone actors and small groups to violent militias.

This report offers a preliminary conception of how to determine the capabilities the United States needs to remain safe from international terrorism. The framework provides an indicative assessment of competing demands for high-priority counterterrorism means, especially considering the prioritization of the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility in the emerging national defense strategy that seeks to deter war with great powers.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.