Aftermath of Paris Attacks: police officers control vehicles in Lyon. Demotix/ serge mouraret. All rights reserved.Today, counterterrorism, or the whole national and international system of responses designed to combat terrorism, includes a variety of tools, ranging from diplomacy, international cooperation and direct engagement to physical security actions, economic sanctions, covert action and military force.
Terrorism is both a global phenomenon and a pressing political problem. As such, it requires maximum international cooperation. In the meantime, there are crucial policy challenges. In a CRS Report for Congress from January 2007, these are presented as conflicting goals and courses of action: (1) limiting the freedom of individual terrorists, terrorist groups and support networks to operate unimpeded in a relatively unregulated environment; versus (2) maintaining individual freedoms, democracy and human rights.
