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Strategy, History, & Goals

Ends, ways, and means. Terrorist organizations are familiar with these concepts and the development of strategy too. Over the course of our history the CTC has studied and released reports and articles about terrorist goals and strategy. Browse the content below to learn more.

June 28, 2021

Structure of a State: Captured Documents and the Islamic State’s Organizational Structure

Daniel Milton

December 30, 2020

Rising in the East: The Evolution of the Islamic State in the Philippines

Amira Jadoon, Nakissa Jahanbani, Charmaine Willis

October 15, 2020

Desert Drift, Declining Deadliness: Understanding the Evolution of AQIM’s Suicide Bombings

Jason Warner, Ellen Chapin, Caleb Weiss

July 20, 2020

Rising in the East: A Regional Overview of the Islamic State’s Operations in Southeast Asia

Amira Jadoon, Nakissa Jahanbani, Charmaine Willis

December 21, 2023

The Path to October 7: How Iran Built Up and Managed a Palestinian ‘Axis of Resistance’

Phillip Smyth

Iraq’s New Regime Change: How Tehran-Backed Terrorist Organizations and Militias Captured the Iraqi State

Michael Knights, Hamdi Malik, Crispin Smith

November 28, 2023

Commentary: No Good Choices: The Counterterrorism Dilemmas in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Asfandyar Mir

Texts or Praxes: How Do We Best Understand Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad After October 7?

Erik Skare

October 8, 2013

Letter from UBL to `Atiyatullah Al-Libi 3

Mustafa Hamid’s Analysis of Mujahidin Activities

Interior Organization

Letter from Usama Bin Laden to `Atiyatullah Al-Libi

May 7, 2014

CNN Cites the CTC Sentinel

August 30, 2013

CNN Cites the CTC Sentinel

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August 29, 2013

USA Today Cites the CTC Sentinel

N/A

August 27, 2013

Fox News Cites the CTC Sentinel

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May 1, 2015

The Great War of Our Time: The CIA’s Fight Against Terrorism – From Al-Qa`ida to ISIS

Michael Morell

March 14, 2013

Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012

Don Rassler, Vahid Brown

January 1, 2013

Al-Qaeda – A Five Volume Series

Paul Cruickshank

January 30, 2012

Jewish Terrorism in Israel

Arie Perliger

October 23, 2012

CTC Briefs Professional Staffers on Yemen

October 3, 2012

Dr. Lahoud Presents Lecture at Princeton

September 18, 2012

Collins and Rassler Attend World Summit on CT

Don Rassler, Liam Collins

September 6, 2012

CSA Odierno Visits CTC

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