OPINION:
The State Department lists 94 groups as foreign terrorist organizations. As we reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing 2,977 people — we should ask: What more must we do to ensure that this never happens again?
The State Department lists 94 groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Some continue to operate in Afghanistan, which has a Taliban government that permits these terrorist organizations to operate with impunity. Al Qaeda, responsible for 9/11, maintains a presence in Afghanistan, with close ties to the government.
Al Qaeda is one of an array of terrorist organizations targeting innocent civilians, including: the Islamic State group, operating from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Africa; al-Shabab, in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, with operations in Kenya and Ethiopia; Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel region of West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger); Hamas, in the Gaza Strip and West Bank; and Hezbollah, in Lebanon, with operations extending into Syria and parts of the Middle East.
These are just a few of the increasing number of terrorist organizations that have become more decentralized in recent decades, relying on networks of regional franchises, localized cells and independent actors. They rely on online platforms, encrypted communications, artificial intelligence and gaming spaces to spread propaganda, fund operations and radicalize individuals.
Indeed, this has contributed to a rise in “lone wolf” attacks, especially in Western countries.
The United Nations Security Council assessed that the global terrorist threat is now more diffuse, agile and difficult to track. Although the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy helps build member state capacities with a focus on human rights and the rule of law, the United Nations can do more.
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, a tech-led nonprofit, brings together technology companies that work with governments, civil society and academia to monitor and prevent extremist groups from exploiting digital platforms.
The White House 2026 U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy identifies Islamist groups such as the Islamic State group and al Qaeda, narcoterrorist organizations and left-wing extremists as primary threats, employing offensive cyber operations and border security among its tools. The State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community share threat intelligence and coordinate efforts to harden critical infrastructure.
Critics of current U.S. counterterrorism efforts contend that there is “counterterrorism fatigue” and that the U.S. focus has shifted to Russia and the war in Ukraine, economic, military and geopolitical competition with China, the war with Iran and myriad other international and domestic issues.
Given that terrorist organizations are more decentralized and are using online recruitment operations, gaming spaces and new technologies, they have become more sophisticated and are more difficult to discover and counter.
International organized criminal groups and narcotraffickers often infiltrate open societies such as the U.S. through neighboring countries, knowing the difficulty of directly penetrating America. The intelligence community and law enforcement routinely share terrorist-related information with foreign counterparts.
Are we doing enough to protect our people from these terrorist organizations, whose sole objective is to kill innocent people?
This is just one of many reasons we need good relations with our allies and partners: to ensure that we receive timely information on any imminent or planned threat to the U.S.
On the day those terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, I received a call from a relative in California who asked how this could happen in the U.S.
Why did the U.S. not prevent it, given the number of agencies responsible for protecting the U.S. and its people? my relative asked.
Indeed. We failed to protect the 2,977 victims of 9/11. We must work harder to ensure this never happens again.
• The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
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