The Counterterrorism Czar Without a Counterterrorism Plan

White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka has yet to release a national counterterrorism strategy, nearly a year after promising it was "imminent," despite a series of domestic attacks in March and ongoing conflict in Iran. Current and former national security officials warn that redirecting resources towards mass deportation and deep cuts across agencies have diminished the U.S. ability to respond to threats. FBI Director Kash Patel recently fired a dozen personnel from a counterintelligence unit monitoring Iran, part of a wider purge of 300 counterterrorism agents. This leadership disarray and loss of expertise occur as hostilities in the Middle East heighten the risk of attacks, with Gorka reportedly angling for the National Counterterrorism Center director role after Joe Kent's resignation. Critics expect Gorka's eventual strategy to be politically motivated, lacking detail on combating threats amid "unprecedented personnel constraints" at the Justice Department and the elimination of the State Department's threat prevention team.