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About Us

The Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism (S/CT) coordinates and supports the development and implementation of all U.S. Government policies and programs aimed at countering terrorism overseas.

The predecessor organization to S/CT was the Office for Combatting Terrorism, created in 1972 upon the recommendation of a special committee appointed by President Richard Nixon following the Munich Olympics terrorist attack. The committee determined that an office was needed within the Department of State to provide day-to-day counterterrorism coordination and to develop policy initiatives and responses for the U.S. Government. The Office for Combatting Terrorism became the Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism in 1985, and the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in 1989.

In 1994, Congress officially mandated the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in Public Law 103-236 [H.R. 2333]. In 1998, Congress further defined the role of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in Public Law 105-277 [H.R. 4328]:

There is within the office of the Secretary of State a Coordinator for Counterterrorism...who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.... The principal duty of the coordinator shall be the overall supervision (including policy oversight of resources) of international counterterrorism activities. The Coordinator shall be the principal adviser to the Secretary of State on international counterterrorism matters. The coordinator shall be the principal counterterrorism official within the senior management of the Department of State and shall report directly to the Secretary of State...The Coordinator shall have the rank and status of Ambassador at Large.

While S/CT has undergone several changes in name and reporting channels since its inception, it continues to serve as a primary coordinating mechanism for the Executive Branch in dealing with international terrorism.

In this section of the S/CT website, you can read about:

• Our Mission - the S/CT mission statement, guiding principles, strategic approach and examples of how we lead the U.S. Government counterterrorism team.
• Leadership - biographical information about S/CT's senior leadership team.
• Organization - the S/CT organization chart and descriptions of our four directorates.
• Programs and Initiatives - detailed descriptions of eight elements of our counterterrorism work.

To view this information, please choose a selection from the list in the left-hand column.