Law Enforcement as a Counterterrorism Tool

With prosecutions under way involving the alleged Times Square bomber and the accused Christmas Day airline bomber, the disruption of an al-Qaeda plot to attack the subways in Manhattan, and the conviction of a key figure in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the U.S. Department of Justice has had a number of high-profile counterterrorism successes of late. Under the direction of Attorney General Eric Holder, how does the administration view combating the ongoing threat of terrorism, preventing future attacks and prosecuting suspected terrorists?

On June 11, the Brookings Institution hosted David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security at the U.S. Department of Justice, for a discussion of the role of law enforcement as a counterterrorism tool. Mr. Kris examined the recent history of U.S. counterterrorism strategy; provided a conceptual framework for thinking about how law enforcement can disrupt plots, incapacitate terrorists, and collect intelligence; and described how law enforcement has been used in coordination with other vital counterterrorism methods.

Brookings Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes moderated the discussion.