Bottom Line Up Front Over the course of the past several weeks, more Western nations have taken steps to repatriate their citizens and children of Islamic State fighters or their family members who may have been born in the caliphate.

The terrorist threat is vastly different today than it was on 9/11. Social media has empowered extremist movements and terrorist groups to network and organize online, making it far easier for them both to recruit newcomers and to direct or inspire attacks.

The U.S. State Department issued its annual report outlining country reports on terrorism to provide a global snapshot of the threat landscape, highlighting counterterrorism progress in several key areas while acknowledging that numerous challenges lie ahead.