Daniel Byman

Director, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
Daniel Byman

Daniel Byman is the director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the foreign policy editor for Lawfare. He has served as a senior adviser to the Department of State on the International Security Advisory Board and held positions at the Brookings Institution, the RAND Corporation, the U.S. intelligence community, the 9/11 Commission, and the Joint 9/11 Inquiry Staff of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Dr. Byman is a leading researcher and has written widely on a range of topics related to terrorism, insurgency, intelligence, social media, artificial intelligence, and the Middle East. He is the author of nine books, including Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism (Oxford, 2022); Road Warriors: Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad (Oxford, 2019); Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2015); and A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism (Oxford, 2011). He is the author or coauthor of almost 200 academic and policy articles, monographs, and book chapters, as well as numerous opinion pieces in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other leading journals. Dr. Byman is a graduate of Amherst College and received his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Spreading Hate

Spreading Hate

Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism examines the evolution of the white power movement around the world, explaining its appeal and the threat it poses as well as many failures. In this sweeping, authoritative account, Daniel Byman traces the key moments in the white power movement's evolution in the United States and around the world and then details its many facets today. Using a wide range of sources, Byman explodes several myths about white power terrorism and exposes dangerous gaps in current policies.

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The Last Line of Defense

25 Years After 9/11: Is America Prepared for the Next Crisis?

Host Dr. Seth Jones sits down with Dr. Dan Byman, director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at CSIS and professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Daniel Byman — September 11, 2026

The Last Line of Defence

The Rise and Fall of Global Jihadism

Although the United States experienced many setbacks, the war on terrorism has not been a complete failure either, argues Dan Byman in Foreign Affairs.

Commentary by Daniel Byman — September 8, 2026

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism

AI will not transform terrorism overnight. Its more likely effect is subtler: lowering barriers for extremist propaganda, recruitment, disinformation, and planning while strengthening counterterrorism tools and surveillance risks.

Brief by Daniel Byman and V.S. Subrahmanian — July 10, 2026

Wartime Footing: A Two-Front Strategy to Confront China and Russia

The United States and its allies face a growing threat from an axis led by China and Russia. This report outlines a two-war planning construct focused on Asia and Europe, and a wartime industrial base focused on low-cost unmanned systems and long-range precision strike.

Report by Seth G. Jones, Seamus P. Daniels, Riley McCabe, and Daniel Byman — June 8, 2026

The Terrorist Threat to the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest sporting event ever held and a magnet for terrorists of all stripes. A new CSIS brief examines who might attack, what targets are at greatest risk, and the countermeasures being deployed.

Brief by Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe — May 27, 2026