Reflections on Counterterrorism Today With Admiral Frank Bradley, Commander, USSOCOM
Check out this interview from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point with Admiral Frank Bradley, Commander, USSOCOM.
Admiral Bradley explains how American counterterrorism strategy has evolved over the past two decades. He describes a counterterrorism enterprise built on dense interagency and allied cooperation and on a matured “by, through, and with” approach that leans heavily on empowered local partners in places like Iraq, Syria, and Somalia.
The conversation sketches a detailed threat environment that blends violent extremists and powerful criminal organizations. Bradley highlights:
- Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS Khorasan as affiliates with clear intent and growing capability to threaten the US homeland
- Mexican and South American drug trafficking organizations as a strategic concern that corrodes governance and fuels the overdose crisis
- The possibility that designating Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations could enable a Plan Colombia-style campaign centered on SOF training and advising with host nation forces
Looking ahead, he points to unresolved grievances, weak governance, and conflicts from Gaza across the wider Middle East as drivers of radicalization, particularly as inexpensive smartphones connect vulnerable populations to extremist content, while expressing guarded confidence in the adaptability and cohesion of Western alliances facing these pressures.
