2 questions for the ‘Sentinel’: Is terrorism getting boring? Does that mean we won?

Those are the two questions that occurred to me when I saw the table of contents of the new issue of West Point’s Sentinel.

I think the answers are “yes” and “maybe.” But my CNAS colleague Phil Carter rejoined that the two answers instead are “no” and “probably yes”:

You may not be interested in terrorism, but terrorism is still interested in you. 

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end/cycle down, I suspect we’ll see the US embrace a post-war variant of counterterrorism strategy which is heavier on law enforcement and intelligence, lighter on military, and heavily reliant on international relationships and organizations (like INTERPOL and foreign liaison services) for its reach. And we will also return to a view of terrorism that treats it more like international criminal activity than belligerent activity, and responds in kind. Query whether that approach will be sufficient, particularly given advances in technology (i.e. 3D printing + autonomous vehicles + proliferation of CBRNE) which will enable terrorist groups to act with more lethality than ever.”

I must say, I learn more at CNAS than I have a right to.

Here’s the ToC in question:

The June issue contains the following articles:

– The Renewed Threat of Terrorism to Turkey
By Stephen Starr
– The Local Face of Jihadism in Northern Mali
By Andrew Lebovich
– Boko Haram’s Evolving Tactics and Alliances in Nigeria
By Jacob Zenn
– A Profile of Khan Said: Waliur Rahman’s Successor in the Pakistani Taliban
By Daud Khattak
– Tweeting for the Caliphate: Twitter as the New Frontier for Jihadist Propaganda
By Nico Prucha and Ali Fisher
– Rebellion, Development and Security in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas
By Hassan Abbas and Shehzad H. Qazi
– Peace with the FARC: Integrating Drug-Fueled Guerrillas into Alternative Development Programs?
By Jorrit Kamminga
– Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity