6 Jan 2023
Twenty years after Bali
Indonesia’s police, military and prisons were altered by the 2002 attack. Democratic backsliding may signal an undoing.
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5 Dec 2022
Why outsourcing counter-terrorism online won’t work in future
Policing online hate speech currently falls into a murky space shared between governments and big tech. -
22 Nov 2022
The militarisation of motherhood: repatriating ISIS’s Western women
A “victim” versus “fighter” dichotomy must be overcome to understand the strategic role envisioned for women. -
14 Oct 2022
Enemies of education are back in Malala’s hometown?
Fresh attacks by the Pakistani Taliban mark an alarming regression in the decade-long progress made in the region. -
20 Sep 2022
Right-wing extremists: the danger not of bombs but ballots
The movement is clearly capable of violence yet proved divided and poorly trained. But campaigning is another matter. -
14 Sep 2022
Bali 2002: When global terrorism first came close to home
An extraordinary consular response followed the deadly attack – lessons of crisis that would become all too familiar. -
12 Sep 2022
Understanding global right-wing extremism
Tackling the threat first means appreciating the scope, appeal and transnational character of the narratives driving it. -
11 Aug 2022
The very personal legacy of Ayman al-Zawahiri
I was twice an enemy to al-Qaeda’s leader, both near and far. His influence in seeding militant Islamists was profound. -
2 Aug 2022
Killing the al-Qaeda chief leaves endless questions
The US has declared justice after more than 20 years hunting Ayman al-Zawahiri. But a battle with extremism will go on. -
10 Sep 2021
The many consequences of a clear blue day on 11 September, 2001
The butterfly effect of the global war on terror has had far-reaching impacts on the freedoms it was meant to defend. -
8 Sep 2021
9/11: A President reacts on a day of fear and anger
An absorbing new documentary captures the first response of the Bush administration to the horror inflicted on America. -
8 Sep 2021
Policing national security since 9/11
Terrorist threats set the Australian Federal Police a global challenge. But one to be balanced with priorities at home. -
7 Sep 2021
The evolving Taliban-ISK rivalry
With the US withdrawal, the Taliban must decide if cooperating with an old enemy could risk losing to a new one. -
26 Jul 2021
Bringing home Australian children trapped in Syrian camps
Faced with thorny legal and security obstacles for the adults, it may be better to return children alone. -
15 Jun 2021
Myanmar, terrorism and the demands of international politics
Name-calling is one thing, but the new kind of civil war may cause problems for the opposition movement. -
27 May 2021
Can violent extremist content online be eliminated?
The Christchurch Call is an opportunity for change — but there is much more to be done. -
4 May 2021
Pakistani Taliban turn on China
Any friend of the government in Islamabad appears to be an enemy of the terrorist group. -
19 Mar 2021
The Mozambique Channel is the next security hotspot
An Islamist insurgency is spilling danger into a major shipping lane, and countries must decide who they want to fix it. -
18 Mar 2021
Lessons from Christchurch
The findings of a New Zealand inquiry apply broadly: government leadership is needed to combat far-right extremism. -
23 Feb 2021
Terrorism and New Zealand’s dual citizenship conundrum
This is an age in which dual nationality is widespread, and problems related to alleged ISIS members were foreseeable. -
2 Dec 2020
Al-Qaeda: The core problem
The killing of senior terrorist Abu Mohammed al-Masri on a Tehran street raises questions about al-Qaeda’s ties to Iran. -
24 Nov 2020
After Christchurch: Mapping online right-wing extremists
For all the hate, sometimes extending to talk of violence, the extremist milieu is also a highly social space. -
13 Nov 2020
Jihadist attacks in Nice: The Tunisian connection
Hopes have been dashed for moderate Islamism to undercut dictatorships, eliminate terrorism and strengthen human rights. -
8 Sep 2020
Islamic State’s new battleground – the courts
Two crucial cases at opposite ends of the earth will determine a government’s right to revoke citizenship of terrorists. -
28 Aug 2020
Understanding the full spectrum of hate
Extreme violence garners most attention, but the problems arise much earlier – both online and in the real world. -
1 Jun 2020
Need To Know: Brett McGurk on America’s strategy to defeat ISIS
In a new interview series, the former US special envoy discusses conflict in Syria and maximalist foreign policy goals. -
22 May 2020
A Yazidi genocide trial commences – a Hezbollah ban contemplated
Two recent developments in Germany have implications for Australia’s security interests in the Middle East. -
15 May 2020
To act, or not? Al-Shabaab’s response to a Covid-19 crisis in Somalia
Turmoil offers a chance to radicalise and recruit new members, yet violence also poses a risk of alienating supporters. -
7 May 2020
With US Afghan exit, Russia eyes Central Asian security
An unstable Afghanistan threatens all kinds of trouble for its neighbours. For Russia, it may be a golden opportunity. -
6 May 2020
Thailand: Killings of insurgents ends southern separatist ceasefire
The focus is the Thai state. Foreigners and foreign interest are not targets in this fight. -
24 Apr 2020
ISIS looks to prosper in a world distracted by the virus
Europe could quickly be confronted by another security crisis if the terrorists growing resurgence is left unchecked. -
6 Mar 2020
Counterterrorism: A woman’s game
Two books, neither cheerleading, show the valuable, evolving, and contradictory roles women play in national security. -
2 Dec 2019
Terrorism: The recidivist risk
The London Bridge attack again shows the challenge of what to do with terrorists who have served their sentences. -
7 Nov 2019
The uncertain fate of Islamic State in Pakistan
The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a major blow, but Islamic State in Pakistan is not dead yet. -
28 Oct 2019
The vulnerable state of Islamic State
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely trying to forge an alliance to stave off fighters defecting to other jihadi groups. -
24 Oct 2019
Trump’s troop withdrawal and what’s next for Islamic State
Having pre-emptively declared the militant group “100% defeated”, the pull back from Syria raises different threats. -
15 Oct 2019
The Wiranto attack and the ISIS impact
With events in the Middle East as a constant goad, people such as Syahrial Alamsyah will find excuses for violence. -
9 Oct 2019
The women of ISIS and the fog of law
The case of an Australian stripped of her citizenship illustrates the complexity of handling the fallout of extremism. -
30 Sep 2019
Book review: Common enemies
A look at law-enforcement cooperation between Australia and Indonesia will interest experts and curious observers alike. -
21 Aug 2019
After the attack: Supporting victims of terrorism in Indonesia
The country's revised anti-terrorism law is a step in the right direction, but it needs to go much further. -
2 Aug 2019
The curious case of Hamza bin Laden’s death
Why is the world only now hearing about the apparent death of the al-Qaeda scion, and will it hurt the terrorist group? -
1 Aug 2019
Indigenous roots of the “first” Filipino suicide bombing
A June attack in Sulu could be a rediscovery of an almost forgotten cultural practice rather than ISIS mimicry. -
19 Jul 2019
The changing face of violent extremism
New research suggests students themselves know the best strategies to prevent violent radicalisation in universities. -
15 Jul 2019
ISIS: women’s work?
The courts should regard crucial domestic, educational and other influences by women in ISIS as terrorist “support”. -
11 Jun 2019
En masse Muslim resignations a setback for healing in Sri Lanka
The Muslim community is a vital to combatting terrorism and promoting social harmony so alienating them makes no sense. -
3 Jun 2019
The relativity of the death penalty
Where is the outrage over the capital punishment sentence for ISIS fighter and Australian citizen Ahmed Merhi? -
31 May 2019
Masood Azhar – a global terrorist – and the implications for Pakistan
A symbolic victory for New Delhi will have little lasting effect if past experience is any guide. -
2 May 2019
Caliph emerges without his caliphate
<p>From the clothes to the location, the ISIS leader’s video tells much about the group’s ambition.</p> -
23 Apr 2019
Sri Lanka attacks: Still many puzzles to solve
<p>If NTJ is responsible for this complex, multi-target suicide attack, it probably got external help.</p> -
16 Apr 2019
ISIS: the generational problem
For all the concern about the children of foreign jihadis, thousands of ISIS detainees in Iraq pose a bigger danger.