National secur it y

Combat the Persistent Threat of Terrorism

The threat of catastrophic attacks against our homeland by terrorists has diminished but still persists. 

An array of terrorist threats has gained traction in areas of instability, limited opportunity, and broken 

governance. Our adversaries are not confined to a distinct country or region. Instead, they range from 

South Asia through the Middle East and into Africa. They include globally oriented groups like al-Qa’ida 

and its affiliates, as well as a growing number of regionally focused and globally connected groups—

many with an al-Qa’ida pedigree like ISIL, which could pose a threat to the homeland. 

We have drawn from the experience of the last decade and put in place substantial changes to our efforts 

to combat terrorism, while preserving and strengthening important tools that have been developed 

since 9/11. Specifically, we shifted away from a model of fighting costly, large-scale ground wars in Iraq 

and Afghanistan in which the United States—particularly our military—bore an enormous burden. 

Instead, we are now pursuing a more sustainable approach that prioritizes targeted counterterrorism 

operations, collective action with responsible partners, and increased efforts to prevent the growth of 

violent extremism and radicalization that drives increased threats. Our leadership will remain essential to 

disrupting the unprecedented flow of foreign terrorist fighters to and from conflict zones. We will work 

to address the underlying conditions that can help foster violent extremism such as poverty, inequal-

ity, and repression. This means supporting alternatives to extremist messaging and greater economic 

opportunities for women and disaffected youth. We will help build the capacity of the most vulnerable 

states and communities to defeat terrorists locally. Working with the Congress, we will train and equip 

local partners and provide operational support to gain ground against terrorist groups. This will include 

efforts to better fuse and share information and technology as well as to support more inclusive and 

accountable governance.

In all our efforts, we aim to draw a stark contrast between what we stand for and the heinous deeds of 

terrorists. We reject the lie that America and its allies are at war with Islam. We will continue to act lawfully. 

Outside of areas of active hostilities, we endeavor to detain, interrogate, and prosecute terrorists through 

law enforcement. However, when there is a continuing, imminent threat, and when capture or other 

actions to disrupt the threat are not feasible, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. We will always 

do so legally, discriminately, proportionally, and bound by strict accountability and strong oversight. The 

United States—not our adversaries—will define the nature and scope of this struggle, lest it define us. 

Our counterterrorism approach is at work with several states, including Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. 

In Afghanistan, we have ended our combat mission and transitioned to a dramatically smaller force 

focused on the goal of a sovereign and stable partner in Afghanistan that is not a safe haven for interna-

tional terrorists. This has been made possible by the extraordinary sacrifices of our U.S. military, civilians 

---