Research Guides: Terrorism and Counter-terrorism: Select Websites

Websites

This About.com page covers the history of terrorism, introduces the global insurgency theory, profiles known terrorist groups, and much more.

The National Security Archive
The National Security Archive, based at George Washington University's Gelman Library, has established an extraordinary track record of highly credible, award-winning investigative journalism and scholarship. Forbes magazine named it a "Top Site" on the Web for terrorism-related information (2005).
START - National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
START is the national consortium for the Study of Terrorism And Responses to Terrorism, A Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence headquartered at the University of Maryland. START is a research and education center comprised of an international network of scholars committed to the scientific study of the causes and human consequences of terrorism in the United States and around the world. This extraordinary website offers a wealth of data and information on the subject of terrorism.

United States Government

Congress.gov
Access legislation, committee reports, the Congressional Record, and more. An excellent source for primary documents.
Department of Justice
The Mission of the Justice Department:
"To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans." (source: website)
Department of State
The State Department's Mission Statement: "Shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere." (source: website)

Also, see:

Country Reports on Terrorism (State Department)
U.S. law requires the Secretary of State provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation.
State Dept.'s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism website
"The Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism’s mission is to promote U.S. national security by taking a leading role in developing coordinated strategies and approaches to defeat terrorism abroad and securing the counterterrorism cooperation of international partners." (source: website)

The HSDL website produces Critical Releases of Documents every two weeks, which it believes are of particular interest or of potential importance.

Office of Foreign Assets Control
"The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States." (source: website)

International

Canadian Incident Database (CIDB)
The Canadian Incident Database (CIDB) features information on terrorism and extremist crime incidents since 1960 with a Canadian connection. The purpose of the CIDB is to provide unclassified information to national security researchers, which can be used to identify patterns and trends in order to improve our understanding of terrorism and extremist crime in Canada. The CIDB was developed under the National Security Data Initiative (NSDI) of the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP).
EUR-Lex
EUR-Lex provides free access, in the 24 official EU languages, to the Official Journal of the European Union, EU law (EU treaties, regulations, etc., international agreements, EFTA documents, and other public documents, and much more). It also allows you to follow the procedures leading to the adoption of legal acts. The database is updated daily with some texts dating back to 1951. (source: website)
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
The EUISS is the European Union’s agency dealing with the analysis of foreign, security and defense policy issues. The Institute’s core mission is to provide analyses and fora for discussion that can be of use and relevance to the formulation of EU policy. In carrying out that mission, it also acts as an interface between European experts and decision-makers at all levels. (source: website)
Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development
The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development is a diplomatic initiative aimed at addressing the interrelations between armed violence and development. (source: website)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - Countering Terrorism
NATO’s work on counter-terrorism focuses on improved threat awareness and preparedness, developing adequate abilities and enhancing engagement with partner countries and other international actors. (source: website)
Organization of American States (OAS) - Actions Against Terrorism
"The OAS and its member states have developed comprehensive policies to combat the threat of terrorism in the Hemisphere. The Inter-American Convention against Terrorism seeks to prevent the financing of terrorist activities, strengthen border controls and increase cooperation among law enforcement authorities in different countries."(source: website)
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
United Nations Action to Counter Terrorism
A highly informative website of the UN detailing policies and steps to counter terrorism, with links to additional useful information.

Key documents included on this site:

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Terrorism Prevention (UNODC)
"For over a decade, the Terrorism Prevention Branch [of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)] has been the key United Nations entity providing legal counter-terrorism technical assistance to Member-States. As mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, the Branch works to assist Member-States, upon request, with the ratification, legislative incorporation and implementation of the universal legal framework against terrorism." (source: website)
Uppsala University Department of Peace and Conflict Research
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) collects information on a large number of aspects of armed violence since 1946. UCDP has recorded ongoing violent conflicts since the 1970s. The data provided is one of the most accurate and well-used data-sources on global armed conflicts and its definition of armed conflict is becoming a standard in how conflicts are systematically defined and studied.

Also, see:

Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP): Conflict Encyclopedia
UCDP online database on armed conflicts and organized violence

Benghazi Time Line: The Long Road from "Spontaneous Protest" to Premeditated Terrorist Attack

2012 article by Eugene Kiely, posted on FactCheck.org (updated June 29, 2016)

Report of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11–12, 2012 together with Additional Views
In the Senate version of the Benghazi investigation, the committee focused primarily on the analysis by and the actions of the intelligence community leading up to, during, and immediately following the attacks. The committee conducted hearings, briefings, and meetings with representatives from multiple agencies, reviewed thousands of intelligence reports and internal documents, and viewed surveillance videos. The results were 14 findings of fact, with corresponding recommendations. Majority and minority members of the committee each presented their own analysis. Most of the criticism by both groups focused on the “talking points” provided by the CIA and the failure to bring the perpetrators to justice.
U.S. House of Representatives: The Select Committee on Benghazi

Reports: New Information

Timeline of progress regarding the Report of the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. Includes a link to the Final Report published with the Government Printing Office in December 2016.

Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all." Now the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency, ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all. (source: website)
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Brookings is proud to be consistently ranked as the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tank. The institute conducts research and, based on that research, provides innovative, practical recommendations. The goal of Brookings is to strengthen American democracy; foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity for all Americans; and secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system. (source: website)
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a unique global network of policy research centers in Russia, China, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Our mission, dating back more than a century, is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decisionmakers in government, business, and civil society. Working together, our centers bring the inestimable benefit of multiple national viewpoints to bilateral, regional, and global issues. (source: website)
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center’s 220 full-time staff and a large network of affiliated scholars conduct research and analysis and develop policy initiatives that look to the future and anticipate change.
The Center on Law and Security, New York University School of Law
The Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law is a non-partisan multidisciplinary research institute established in 2003 to focus on cultivating an informed dialogue and conducting groundbreaking research on the most important national security, legal, and strategic issues of the post-9/11 era. The site lists programs, publications, and events.
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) - Terrorism
CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.
The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence
The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) is dedicated to the study of the causes, dynamics, characteristics and consequences of terrorism and related forms of political violence. In doing so, it is committed to rigorous, evidence-based, scholarly analysis that is policy-relevant but independent. (source: website)
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all (source: website). This page is here to remind us that terrorism is an affront to the human dignity but, too often, so is the response to it, often with government support and sponsorship.
International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict.
International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT)
The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) is one of the leading academic institutes for counter-terrorism in the world, facilitating international cooperation in the global struggle against terrorism. Located at IDC Herzliya, in Israel, ICT is an independent think tank providing expertise in terrorism, counter-terrorism, homeland security, threat vulnerability, risk assessment, intelligence analysis, national security, and defense policy. (source: website)
more...less...
Link to YouTube for more information about ICT.
The National Security Archive
The National Security Archive, based at George Washington University's Gelman Library, has established an extraordinary track record of highly credible, award-winning investigative journalism and scholarship. Forbes magazine named it a "Top Site" on the Web for terrorism-related information (2005).
Rand Corporation
Rand Corporation is a think tank whose stated vision is "to be the world's most trusted source for policy ideas and analysis." (source: website)
START - National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
START is the national consortium for the Study of Terrorism And Responses to Terrorism, A Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence headquartered at the University of Maryland. START is a research and education center comprised of an international network of scholars committed to the scientific study of the causes and human consequences of terrorism in the United States and around the world. This extraordinary website offers a wealth of data and information on the subject of terrorism.
Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC)
The Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) is the first center in the United States devoted to understanding the links between terrorism, transnational crime and corruption, and to teach, research, train and help formulate policy on these critical issues. TraCCC is a research center within the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. (source: website)
Terrorism Watch and Warning
Terrorism Watch and Warning is operated by OODA to provide intelligence, research, analysis, watch, and warning on international terrorism and domestic terrorism related issues. The Terrorism Watch and Warning database contains: more than 100,000 OSINT (open-source intelligence) excerpts from 1999 to present on terrorism and security related issues, attack database of more than 10,000 attacks, original terrorism analysis, terrorism document repository, terrorism and Homeland Security fact sheets, and more than 500 terrorist/threat group profiles. (source: OODA website)

CIA Library
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) releases millions of pages of documents each year and frequently releases items of public interest on this website. The Library contains a wealth of information, from unclassified current publications to basic references, reports, and maps.
more...less...
The Library features the CIA's most popular publication, The World Factbook, Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments, the Studies in Intelligence journal, and a Video Center. (source: website)
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
The DIA provides military intelligence to warriors, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition. They plan, manage, and execute intelligence operations during peacetime, crisis, and war. (source: website)
FBI: Terrorism
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website that focuses on the efforts to counter terrorism and to bring terrorists to justice
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
According to its website, INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization. A cooperative of 190 countries, INTERPOL shares policing intelligence and expertise to fight 21st century crime.
National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
NCTC serves as the primary organization in the U.S. government for integrating and analyzing all intelligence pertaining to terrorism possessed or acquired by the U.S. government (except purely domestic terrorism). The Center serves as the central and shared knowledge bank on terrorism information and provides all-source intelligence support to government-wide counter-terrorism activities. (source: website)
National Security Agency / Central Security Service (NSA/CSS)
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is home to America's code-makers and codebreakers. The National Security Agency has provided timely information to U.S. decision makers and military leaders for more than half a century. The Central Security Service was established in 1972 to promote a full partnership between NSA and the cryptologic elements of the armed forces.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
TSA was created to strengthen the security of the nation’s transportation systems and ensure the freedom of movement for people and commerce. TSA uses a risk-based strategy and works closely with transportation, law enforcement, and intelligence communities to set the standard for excellence in transportation security. (source: website)

International Humanitarian Law

International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.
~International Committee of the Red Cross

International Committee of the Red Cross: War & Law
"International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare." See also the ICRC: What is International Humanitarian Law? and the Wikipedia description of the Geneva Conventions. (source: website)
International Humanitarian Law (archived page)
Archived Study Guide from the Human Rights Education Associates website.
Laws of War
Page from the Avalon Project website from Yale Law School. Includes the text of documents form the Hague Conventions and the Geneva Conventions as well as miscellaneous treaties and agreements.

Counterterrorism Guide: Terrorist Groups
From the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
Foreign Terrorist Organizations
From the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism
List of Designated Terrorist Groups
From Wikipedia, a list of designated terrorist groups by national governments, former governments, and inter-governmental organizations, where the proscription has a significant effect on the group's activities.
Proscribed Terrorist Organisations
From the UK government's Home Office, a list of proscribed terrorist organisations banned under UK law and details of proscription criteria.

Terrorism and Counter-terrorism: Select Websites

Websites

United States Government

International

Anti-Defamation League