We Advise

  • The CTC frequently advises senior United States military leaders on counterterrorism strategy.
  • The CTC has a longstanding partnership with the leadership of the Fire Department of New York City.
  • The CTC frequently meets with counterterrorism and military officials from partner nations.
  • The CTC provides its expertise on terrorism and counterterrorism issues to the Fire Department of New York.
  • CTC Staff meets with Admiral Olson, Commander Special Operations Command.

Advising Philosophy & Value

The Center’s advisory mission is to provide unique insights into the terrorism problem set in order to inform policy discussions.  Due to the Center’s deep subject matter expertise and independence, the Combating Terrorism Center is consistently called upon to serve as a trusted, independent analytical voice for senior policymakers as well as practitioners in the field.  To date, the CTC has assisted the FBI, briefed members of Congress, and advised senior military leaders.  In addition, the Center has conducted outreach with the private sector in order to engage leaders outside of government and help them understand the terrorist threat to the United States and around the globe.  The Center also provides substantive presentations to various national security groups and think tanks, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Affairs Council.

The policy advising portion of the Center’s mission is solely a by-product of our focus on rigorous research and education.  The Center does not advocate for specific policy positions and provides advice only on matters that are situated within our subject matter expertise.

Select List of Partner Organizations

When appropriate and when asked the CTC has provided advice to the following organizations

FDNY

Strategy Design – We assisted the FDNY in the development of their first terrorism and disaster preparedness strategy.  This document defines roles and missions through an all-hazards framework to assist FDNY leadership to respond to catastrophic events and has served as a model for first responder organizations across the country.

Schlesinger Task Force

At the request of the Secretary of Defense Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management, the CTC examined the concept of deterrence within the context of two questions: can jihadists and terrorists be deterred, and what role might nuclear weapons and capabilities play in that particular domain of deterrence? The CTC provided a detailed analysis of deterrence as applied to terrorism, focusing on the leading terrorist threats and the role of nuclear weapons in countering these groups.

Operational Support in Afghanistan

In 2009, the Center was asked to conduct an assessment of the strategic targeting efforts in Afghanistan.  The ability to move between operational and strategic realms combined with the Center’s deep knowledge of the enemy was central to  work in Afghanistan.  The results were briefed to key leaders in the Afghanistan including General (Retired) McCrystal, Ambassador Eikenberry.

CENTCOM

The CTC contributed to the 2008 CENTCOM strategic assessment of the Central Command area of responsibility . CTC members provided functional and regional subject matter expertise and co-authored sections of a new plan for the region.

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