In 2023, the U.S. and the international community confronted a terrorist threat landscape that was fast moving, complex, and ideologically diverse. In addition, terrorists and other violent extremists continued to leverage emerging technology, exploit geopolitical tensions, and societal vulnerabilities to further their malicious aims, according to two recently published government reports.
The first report is the Department of State’s, “2023 Country Reports on Terrorism (CRT),” which provides a detailed look at how the counterterrorism environment and associated threats have evolved over the past year. The report starts by emphasizing that “the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, which killed 32 U.S. citizens – with five others still held hostage as this report is being drafted – were a stark and horrific reminder that terrorist groups overseas remain a persistent and pervasive threat to the United States and U.S. citizens and facilities abroad.” Accordingly, despite key counterterrorism successes, terrorist groups around the world remained resilient and determined, with some of the key findings from the report highlighted below.
- In 2023, Iran remained the leading state sponsor of terrorism, facilitating a wide range of terrorist and other illicit activities in the U.S. and globally.
- Al-Qa’ida (AQ) and its affiliates remained resilient and determined, and senior AQ leaders continued to oversee a global network to target the U.S. and U.S. interests, particularly in Africa and the Middle East.
- The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) maintained an enduring global enterprise, promoting a large-scale terrorism campaign across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
- Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) constituted a growing and transnational threat to the United States and our allies.
Read the full report at the State Department here.
The second report is Europol’s “EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (EU TE-SAT) 2024,” offers a detailed overview of the evolving terrorism landscape in the European Union in 2023. The report is informed by qualitative and quantitative data provided by EU member states on terrorist attacks, arrests and court decisions issued for terrorist offences, with some of the key findings from the report highlighted below.
- Geopolitical tensions amplifying terrorist narratives: The 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent military response in Gaza have triggered global reactions. Hamas widely shared propaganda from the initial attack to mobilize jihadist groups globally.
- Leveraging today’s youth and technology: The involvement of young people in terrorism-related activities is growing. Terrorist groups increasingly exploit online platforms and gaming environments to reach younger audiences.
- Jihadist terrorism, a continuous and lethal threat: Jihadist terrorism remains the most significant threat to EU security. In 2023, 5 of the 14 attempted jihadist attacks were completed. All these were carried out by lone actors, highlighting the challenges of preventing attacks by isolated individuals.
- Right-wing terrorism, exploiting digital tools: While only two right-wing terrorist attacks took place in 2023, and both were foiled, the ideological and operational threat posed remains significant.
- Left-wing and separatist terrorism: persistent activities: Left-wing and anarchist terrorism accounted for 32 attacks in 2023, mostly targeting property and critical infrastructure. Separatist groups were responsible for the majority of completed attacks.
