Key facts
- US counter-terrorism efforts are eroding due to budget cuts, personnel losses, and terrorism diminishing as a national security priority.
- Experts warn of complacency and under-resourcing in counter-terrorism, similar to conditions before the 9/11 attacks.
- The US intelligence community is experiencing fatigue and morale issues.
- The Trump administration's counter-terrorism strategy has been criticized for downplaying rightwing extremism and focusing on a political agenda.
- Resources for civilian intelligence agencies totaled $81 billion for the 2026 financial year.
- The designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations has stretched resources.
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, experts are sounding the alarm over the state of US counter-terrorism efforts, warning that resources are being diverted, experienced personnel are leaving, and complacency is setting in. Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University, stated that the counter-terrorism architecture built after 9/11 is eroding due to budget cuts, personnel losses, and a diminished focus on terrorism as a national security priority. He warned this is recreating the conditions of under-resourcing and institutional neglect that preceded the 2001 attacks.
Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center, cited a "basket of factors" including funding, personnel, and complacency, noting a general fatigue after two decades of the global war on terror. While most analysts support a shift away from terrorism towards strategic competition with powers like Russia and China, choices made by the Trump administration have exacerbated existing problems. Clarke mentioned a "real lack of morale" within the intelligence community due to the president's treatment of its personnel.
Intelligence veterans have criticized appointments such as Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel to high-profile national intelligence roles, citing a lack of sufficient experience. For the 2026 financial year, funding requested for the civilian intelligence community totaled $81 billion. However, the designation of criminal groups like Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations has stretched resources thin. The Trump administration's updated counter-terrorism strategy, released in May, has been controversial, with many experts arguing it downplays the threat from rightwing extremism in the US and instead emphasizes battles against leftwing violence, cartels, and gangs.
Devorah Margolin at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy described the new strategy as a significant shift, suggesting it is more focused on a political agenda than the reality of the threat. She noted that the strategy expanded definitions of counter-terrorism and sought to use the bureaucracy for a political agenda, further spreading dwindling resources. The loss of experienced personnel is also a significant problem, with criticism directed at the dismantlement of programs aimed at countering extremist ideologies and preventing radicalization. Don Rassler, director of strategic initiatives at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, warned that the US intelligence community must be careful not to revert to the dynamics that led to the 9/11 attacks, as terrorism has become less of a priority compared to threats from China and Russia.