Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program

The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program (WITT) focuses on the activities and capabilities of countries like China, Russia, and Iran as well as the threat and evolution of paramilitary groups and terrorist networks

Led by Dr. Daniel Byman, the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program (formerly known as the Transnational Threats Project) conducts research and analysis on irregular and hybrid warfare, terrorism, and military operations. The program examines Chinese, Russian, and Iranian irregular and hybrid warfare activities, such as covert action, economic warfare, support to non-state partners, cyber operations, disinformation, political warfare, and espionage. It also assesses terrorist and paramilitary activities by such organizations as Lebanese Hezbollah, Shia militias, the Houthi movement (or Ansar Allah), the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and far-right and far-left extremist networks. Finally, the program researches the military capabilities of China, Russia, and other U.S. adversaries and examines how the United States and its allies can best respond.

The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program conducts fieldwork overseas, builds and analyzes data sets, and utilizes satellite imagery and other types of qualitative and quantitative analysis. It also draws from an extensive network of policy experts from the U.S. and partner governments, Congress, academia, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. In partnership with CSIS’s Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab, the program translates its research into high-quality videos, podcasts, reports, visualizations, and other products designed to engage audiences and inform policy discussions through objective analysis. The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program's work is highly valued by government officials, corporate executives, and other influential leaders seeking to understand, prevent, and counter transnational threats.

Contact Information

Media Queries

Featured Analysis

Photo: Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Photo: Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Russia’s Battlefield Woes in Ukraine

Russia has performed poorly on the battlefield in Ukraine and will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025. New CSIS data details Russia's slow rate of advance, heavy losses of equipment, and significant casualties.

Listen to Audio Brief

Brief by Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe — June 3, 2025

Related

Latest Analysis

Photo: AUDU MARTE/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: AUDU MARTE/AFP/Getty Images

Why Did the United States Conduct Strikes in Nigeria?

Isolated strikes like the ones carried out by the United States are unlikely to significantly reduce the terrorist threat in the region or reverse Nigeria’s growing insecurity.

Critical Questions by Alexander Palmer and Erin Oppel — December 26, 2025

All Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 314 results

Why Did the United States Conduct Strikes in Nigeria?

Isolated strikes like the ones carried out by the United States are unlikely to significantly reduce the terrorist threat in the region or reverse Nigeria’s growing insecurity.

Critical Questions by Alexander Palmer and Erin Oppel — December 26, 2025

Strengthening National Security Resilience in Japan

Japan has many strengths that give it tremendous potential for resilience. However, further investments are required to bolster relatively undeveloped elements of national security resilience that China or another foe may seek to exploit.

Report by Daniel Byman, Nicholas Szechenyi, and Riley McCabe — December 18, 2025

Questions to Ask After a Terrorist Attack

Confusion reigns after a terrorist attack. Initial reporting is often flawed, and misperceptions endure even after being debunked by experts. Asking the right questions can help policymakers, journalists, and the public distinguish signal from noise, avoid costly overreaction, and prepare for future threats.

Commentary by Daniel Byman — December 16, 2025

Ideological Trends in U.S. Terrorism

The Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program examines the state of terrorism in the U.S., finding left-wing violence has risen in the last decade but from very low levels and still well below historic levels of violence by right-wing and jihadist actors.

Analysis by Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe — September 26, 2025

Audio Briefs

Will, Cohesion, Resilience, and the Wars of the Future

An audio version of “⁠Will, Cohesion, Resilience, and the Wars of the Future⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Daniel Byman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Daniel Byman — September 16, 2025

Audio Briefs