Researchs Archive - The Soufan Center

December 09, 2025

Media and Communications Considerations in Contemporary Hostage-Taking: An Exploratory Analysis

This Issue Brief will explore the relationship between media and contemporary hostage-taking. When a loved one is taken hostage by a state or non-state actor, families often find themselves navigating a complex and opaque information ecosystem while advocating for the release of the hostage. One of the very first decisions families will face is the difficult question of whether media coverage will support or hinder the release of their loved one.…...

October 22, 2025

War Against the Cartels: Prospects and Perils for the Trump Administration’s Military-Led Campaign

It appears the United States may be preparing to start a major, military-led counterterrorism operation against several Mexican drug cartels, and perhaps also against some gangs in Venezuela and elsewhere throughout Latin America. U.S. President Donald Trump has reached the determination that the United States is now engaged in “armed conflict” with violent criminal organizations and drug cartels, which the Administration has rebranded as terrorist groups. We acknowledge and encourage action…...

May 28, 2025

TSC Insights: The Legacy and Evolution of Foreign Fighters in Syria

The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, following the launch of the “Deter Aggression” campaign by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied opposition factions, marked a turning point in Syria’s conflict and the role of foreign fighters within it. As the war shifted, so too did the presence and influence of tactical units made up of foreign fighters – groups that have since played a critical role in reshaping modern…...

February 18, 2025

A Roadmap to Criminal Justice Accountability for SGBV Linked to Terrorism

Since the emergence of the prevalent perpetration of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) by terrorist actors as a weapon of warfare, few individuals or groups have faced accountability for their crimes. In a recent report by the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), it was acknowledged that “[d]espite global condemnation of these acts of violence and the acknowledgement of the instrumentality of SGBV for terrorist groups, accountability for…...

September 10, 2024

Accelerating Hate: The Impact of October 7 on Terrorism and Political Violence in the West

The horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, fundamentally shifted the security posture of the Middle East, while also having severe humanitarian consequences and ripple effects in countries throughout the globe, including many in the West. This TSC Special Report, generously sponsored by the Airey Neave Trust, aims to explore how October 7 impacted several Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. While the conflict…...