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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.

March 23, 2020

Broken, but Not Defeated: An Examination of State-led Operations against Islamic State Khorasan in Afghanistan and Pakistan (2015-2018)

Amira Jadoon, Andrew Mines

June 5, 2019

From Battlefront to Cyberspace: Demystifying the Islamic State’s Propaganda Machine

Asaad Almohammad, Charlie Winter

December 3, 2018

Allied and Lethal: Islamic State Khorasan’s Network and Organizational Capacity in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Amira Jadoon

August 28, 2018

Pulling Back the Curtain: An Inside Look at the Islamic State’s Media Organization

Daniel Milton

September 26, 2025

Feature Commentary: Confronting Cartels: Military Considerations South of the Border

Brian Michael Jenkins

September 8, 2025

The Global State of al-Qa`ida 24 Years After 9/11

Colin Clarke, Clara Broekaert

August 20, 2025

Understanding China’s New Counterterrorism Ambitions in Africa

Jason Warner

Tehran’s Homeland Option: Terror Pathways for Iran to Strike in the United States

Matthew Levitt

July 3, 2024

Caliphate Complaint Box 400

Caliphate Complaint Box 399

Caliphate Complaint Box 398

Caliphate Complaint Box 397

May 10, 2012

Wall Street Journal Cites the CTC Sentinel

May 13, 2011

CTC Commentary on the Death of Usama bin Ladin

Alex Gallo, Don Rassler, Nelly Lahoud, Reid Sawyer, Scott Helfstein, William Braniff

December 2, 2009

Assessing Somalia’s Terror Threat

International Relations Security Network

November 20, 2009

Local Links to Master Taliban Strategist

The Australian

May 9, 2011

Perspectives on Terrorism Publishes Bill Braniff & Assaf Moghadam

Assaf Moghadam, William Braniff

April 1, 2011

Revisiting the Early Al Qaeda: An Updated Account of its Formative Years

Peter Bergen, Paul Cruickshank

October 12, 2010

The Jihadis’ Path to Self-Destruction

Nelly Lahoud

November 8, 2008

Al-Qa’ida Secedes From Iraq

Brian Fishman

November 17, 2011

CTC Lectures at World Affairs Council

Brian Dodwell

October 6, 2010

Professor Bruce Hoffman Presents Lecture to Cadets

Bruce Hoffman

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