Follow us on social

Are you a terrorist?

Are you a terrorist?

New episode of 'Always at War' with Elizabeth Beavers explores how U.S. laws have been used to quash dissent

Analysis | Video Section

What is terrorism? And who decides who is a terrorist and who isn’t? This vague, politically malleable concept has become the justification for a global American war against terrorism that spans 78 countries — more than a third of all nations. At home, it's handed local police departments $34 billion to buy military equipment, turning terrorism into a catch-all excuse for militarizing American communities.

In this episode of Always at War, we talk with national security law expert Elizabeth Beavers to unpack how terrorism designations work as political tools rather than security measures — keeping Nelson Mandela out of America until 2008, shutting down the biggest Muslim charity in the country, and now threatening Gaza protesters with prosecution.

We trace how terrorism laws originated in anti-Palestinian activism and evolved into a legal framework so broad that it criminalizes giving "expert advice" to designated groups. Through examples like the Holy Land Foundation — whose leaders went to prison for charity work the government admitted reached legitimate recipients — we show how these laws are designed not to stop violence, but to suppress political dissent and enforce American geopolitical interests.

The episode reveals how America’s Global War on Terror did little to eliminate “terrorism” – a potentially impossible goal – but to create an endless justification for global American dominance.

By declaring war on a concept rather than specific enemies, we've built a system where peace becomes impossible and every corner of the globe becomes a potential battlefield — all while the vague definition of "terrorism" expands to include anyone who challenges American interests.

Please check out the latest episode:



- YouTube
Analysis | Video Section
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
Top image credit: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev via Madina Nurmanova / Shutterstock.com

Is Trump's Armenia-Azeri peace plan yet another road to nowhere?

Asia-Pacific

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan — two longstanding foes in the South Caucasus who fought bloody wars in the 1990s and again in 2020 — was imminent.

He credited his administration’s diplomatic efforts: “Armenia and Azerbaijan. We worked magic there and it’s pretty close — if not, it’s already done,” he declared during a dinner with Republican senators.

keep readingShow less
Zelensky Putin
Top photo credit: Volodymyr Zelensky (Shutterstock/Pararazza) and Vladimir Putin (Shutterstock/miss.cabul)

There'll be no Ukraine peace breakthroughs today — or this year

Europe

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said that a further round of talks between Ukraine and Russia could start as early as this week, and indicated that “everything had to be done to get a ceasefire.” Yet it is far from clear that a ceasefire will be possible. And it’s likely that the war will continue into 2026.

In June, Zelensky was pressing the European Union to go further in its sanctions against Russia, including calling for a $30 per barrel cap on Russian oil shipments. Washington effectively vetoed a lowering of the oil price cap at the recent G7 Summit in Canada. However, on July 18 the European Union agreed its 18th round of Russian sanctions since war began, overcoming a blocking move by Slovakia in the process.

keep readingShow less
syria damascus bombing
Top image credit: A man walks with a Syrian flag, after powerful airstrikes shook Damascus on Wednesday, targeting the defense ministry, as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demanded their withdrawal, in Damascus July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Israel blindsides Trump in self-serving effort to break up Syria

Middle East

Just days before Israeli F-35s screamed over Damascus, the improbable seemed within reach. U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack, leveraging his dual role as Ambassador to Turkey and point man on Syria, was brokering painstaking back-channel talks between two historic enemies.

The Syrian government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former Islamist militant turned statesman, signaled openness to a non-aggression pact with Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly welcomed Syria into “the peace and normalization circle in the Middle East.”

keep readingShow less

LATEST

QIOSK

Newsletter

Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters, as well as staff analysis, opinion, and news promoting a positive, non-partisan vision of U.S. foreign policy.