America’s long arm of counterterrorism

In the 25 years since 9/11, the US has pursued counterterrorism operations in dozens of countries around the world. Brown University’s Cost of War Project tracked operations in nearly 80 countries between 2021 and 2023, or roughly 40% of countries worldwide. In most countries where the US conducted operations, it trained or assisted local security forces’ counterterrorism efforts. In the Middle East and North Africa, the US has also carried out proxy missions, called “127e” programs, where local operatives carry out US objectives.