Steven Emerson

Steven Emerson
Steven Emerson is considered one of the leading authorities on Islamic extremist networks, financing and operations. He serves as the Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, a non-profit organization that serves one of the world's largest storehouses of archival data and intelligence on Islamic and Middle Eastern terrorist groups. Emerson and his staff frequently provide briefings to U.S. government and law enforcement agencies, members of Congress and congressional committees, and print and electronic media on terrorist financing and operational networks of Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and the rest of the worldwide Islamic militant spectrum. Since 9-11, Emerson has been interviewed frequently on all the major television networks and in the national and international print media. The website of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, which was started in September 2007, is now considered one of the top counter-terrorism websites in the world and can be accessed at www.investigativeproject.org. Emerson launched The Investigative Project on Terrorism in 1995, following the November 1994 broadcast of his documentary film, "Jihad in America," on public television. The film exposed clandestine operations of militant Islamic terrorist groups on American soil. For the film, Emerson received numerous awards including the George Polk Award for best television documentary, one of the most prestigious awards in journalism. He also received the top prize from the Investigative Reporters and Editors Organization (IRE) for best investigative report in both print and television for the documentary. The award from IRE was the fourth he had received from that group. The documentary, which was featured on 60 Minutes, has become standard viewing for federal law enforcement and intelligence organizations. Emerson is recognized as one of the first terrorism experts to have testified and warned about the threat of Islamic militant networks operating in the United States and their connections worldwide. In a pioneering congressional testimony delivered in 1998, he specifically warned about the threat of Osama Bin Laden's network. Nearly every one of the terrorist suspects and groups first identified in his 1994 film have been indicted, convicted, or deported since 9-11. Emerson is the author or co-author of six books on terrorism and national security, including: "Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the U.S." (Prometheus, 2006) "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us" (The Free Press, 2002) "Terrorist: The Inside Story of the Highest-Ranking Iraqi Terrorist Ever to Defect to the West" (Villard Books /Random House, 1991) "The Fall of Pan Am 103: Inside the Lockerbie Investigation" (Putnam's Sons, 1990) "Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era" (Putnam's Sons, 1988) "The American House of Saud: The Secret Petrodollar Connection" (Franklin Watts, 1985) Prior to starting the Investigative Project on Terrorism, Emerson worked as a correspondent for CNN and previously as a senior editor at US News and World Report. His first job in Washington DC in 1977 was as a staff researcher for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has a BA and MA from Brown University and once ran a marathon in 2 hours, 59 minutes, a feat he was never able to repeat again.

ARTICLES BY: Steven Emerson

November 8, 2017 3:52 pm

American Islamists’ Silence on Tariq Ramadan Rape Allegations Speaks Volumes

It's never fun when one of your favorite celebrities gets accused of wrong-doing. The home team quarterback faces a DUI, or a politician gets caught...

November 2, 2017 1:29 pm

Hamas Pursues Reconciliation — With Hezbollah and Iran

Deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri met with Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday in Beirut, according to Hezbollah's Al Manar TV and reported by Ynet. The meeting comes after Israel destroyed an offensive...

October 23, 2017 1:56 pm

Palestinian Factions Unite in Calls for Israel’s Destruction

Amid the recent unity deal between Fatah and Hamas, Palestinian officials of all stripes continue to announce their true objective: to destroy Israel. The official Palestinian mission to Colombia issued...

October 20, 2017 1:51 pm

Hamas Supporter to Receive Award From Harvard Student Group

He has publicly endorsed Hamas, and secretly schemed with Hamas' supporters to thwart US-led peace efforts in the Middle East. Now Nihad Awad is preparing for a prestigious lecture at Harvard University on...

October 17, 2017 2:06 pm

German Intelligence: Hezbollah Fighters Posing as Refugees

Hezbollah terrorists are exploiting Germany's refugee policy and entering the country as part of the recent wave of Middle East migrants, according to a Jerusalem Post review of...

September 19, 2017 8:42 am

Iran Dramatically Increases Funding to Hezbollah in Wake of Nuclear Deal

Iran has drastically increased financial support for its Lebanese-based terrorist proxy Hezbollah since the Iran nuclear deal was signed two years ago, the Jerusalem Post reports. Iran secured $100 billion...

September 6, 2017 3:48 pm

A Lesson in Democracy for Turkey’s Islamist President

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Washington, DC this past May, he was greeted outside the home of the Turkish ambassador by a small...

August 23, 2017 2:50 pm

Palestinian Authority Payments to Terrorists Far Exceed Regular Welfare Payments

Palestinian terrorists and their families are receiving far higher payments than Palestinian welfare recipients, according to an analysis of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) budget that was conducted...

August 18, 2017 2:14 pm

Goodbye and Good Riddance to Rasmea Odeh

Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Odeh is about to be deported to Jordan, after US District Judge Gershwin A. Drain formalized terms of Odeh's plea agreement on Thursday afternoon in Detroit. It was not...

August 15, 2017 11:14 am

Mr. Trump: The Charlottesville Attack Was Domestic Terrorism

The Investigative Project on Terrorism has long criticized those, like President Barack Obama, who refuse to use terms like "radical Islamic terrorism" in the wake of jihadist...

August 14, 2017 2:02 pm

Why Don’t US Islamic Groups Stand Up for Persecuted Former Muslims?

In trying to cast their faith as tolerant and accepting of others, many Muslims like to point to the Koran's verse 2:256. It begins with the phrase, "There...

August 7, 2017 3:49 pm

Muslim Brotherhood Leader Reaffirms ‘Islamic Caliphate’ Ambition

In an effort to reinvigorate the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the group's leaders -- Magdy Shalash -- reminded supporters that the organization's main objective is establishing an "Islamic Caliphate"...

July 30, 2017 4:45 pm

US Islamists Promote Nationwide Protests Despite Israeli Concessions

In solidarity with Palestinian factions and terrorist groups, pro-Palestinian Islamist organizations in the United States geared up for more anti-Israel protests on Friday, even though the original cause...

July 26, 2017 10:27 am

Former Congressman: Saudi Curriculum Used in US Still Promotes Radicalization

Saudi Arabia has made progress in ridding its school textbooks and curricula of comments and statements hostile toward other faiths, former US Congressman Frank Wolf, R-Va., said...