Dear NCITE Community,
This newsletter comes on the heels of stunning news: President Biden tells us tonight that al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, "who carved a trail of murder and violence," was killed in a counterterrorism operation in Afghanistan.
Al-Zawahiri played significant roles in the terrorist organization, helping plan the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, the U.S.S. Cole in 2000, and the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. He also launched a major biological weapons program in the years following. When Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011, al-Zawahiri took over as leader.
For many of us who got into this field after the 9/11 attacks, this news is important in more ways than I can articulate here.
It is times like these when I look to the academic experts I trust to make sense of what comes next – fragmentation, more violence, reduced capacity, or some combination of all of it.
I am grateful to have an active research program on malign and violent extremist leaders here at NCITE, and I am eager to read and amplify what our other consortium experts Austin Doctor, Sam Hunter, Lorenzo Vidino, Seamus Hughes, Martha Crenshaw, Evan Perkoski, Shane Connelly, Victor Asal, and Shiraz Maher have to say about what his death means for the future of this group and broader movement.
For now, I feel most grateful for the intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who have worked the past 20 years to find al-Zawahiri — the person who was the right hand of Osama bin Laden and actively led al-Qaida in its pursuit to harm the United States.
Like the U.S. counterterrorism apparatus, the United Kingdom has dedicated significant resources to preventing and countering terrorism such as the threat al-Zawahiri posed.
I recently attended the CREST Behavioral and Social Sciences in Security (BASS) research conference, held at Lancaster University. CREST, or Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats, is our sister center in the U.K. It is funded by the British government to develop research to support and inform the way security operations are conducted and determine what evidence underlies policy changes.
I spent three days with the best security researchers in the U.K., Canada, and the European Union. We heard about new advancements in risk assessment for extremism, ways to deter and disrupt devoted actors, and how to assess information in a digital world.
I was struck by at least three ways this conference strengthened the fabric of the security community abroad.
First, a specific focus was made on disseminating cutting-edge CREST research. Through lightning talks, panels, long-form talks, and posters, not one moment was wasted at this conference. Bravo.
Second, organizers focused on networking between government and researchers. The U.K. government offices in attendance were engaged — they asked difficult questions about implementation, measurement, and of course – how does this help me in my job?
Third, a concerted effort was made to develop early-career researchers (ECRs). Leading up to the conference, the CREST team prepared this group through workshops about how to share a pitch for their research. It paid off — they were poised, passionate, and prepared. Stay tuned for how we can implement this via NCITE for our own early-career researchers.
The BASS conference did best what all conferences aim for — it strengthened and reinforced the community. In a time when our lives have been disrupted by COVID-19 and remote work, it was refreshing to share afternoon tea with the leading minds in security research. Most of all, it inspired me for what we can do in the U.S. through our now 26-university member NCITE consortium.
In this issue of the NCITEr, you will read about our Year 3 projects. We were able to fund eight new projects this year, and with continued research efforts with us since Day 1, we have a total 20 projects.
We continue to focus on the measurement of emerging threats, as well as what ways we can support the government in countering and preventing them. You will read about one new research thread pulled by our own Austin Doctor, NCITE director of counterterrorism initiatives. His story of field work in Iraq feels particularly poignant today.
Finally, you will read how the importance of your work was illustrated by a senior leader visit from DHS – Deputy Secretary John Tien, who took time out of a packed schedule to encourage and inspire a group of students – NCITE’s early career researchers and practitioners. As Deputy Secretary Tien shared and I echo, researching how to prevent and stop terrorism in our communities is one of the most important callings we can answer.
Today I feel that stronger than ever, and I hope you do too.
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