Counterterrorist Center
1
4.5
- noun
- /ˈkaʊntərˌtɛrəˌrɪst ˈsɛntər/
- Formal
:
Centro Antiterrorista
- The Counterterrorist Center provides critical intelligence that helps prevent terrorist attacks in the U.S.
Examples
-
Even its new Counterterrorist Center couldn't kill Osama bin Laden, only keep track of his whereabouts.
Academic text (2009) -
In 1996, the New York Times ran an article leaking information that Counterterrorist Center trainers were secretly instructing Palestinian Authority police on how to interrogate terror suspects.
Academic text (2009) -
Moreover, the Counterterrorist Center, like every other part of the CIA, reflected the new legalism of the 1990s.
Academic text (2009) -
One could argue that the Counterterrorist Center and its interrogation of terror suspects were the best things the CIA still had going for it.
Academic text (2009) -
Even its new Counterterrorist Center, created in 1986, couldn't kill Osama bin Laden but could only keep track of his whereabouts and forbid people from doing business with him or handling his bank accounts.
Academic text (2009) -
The Counterterrorist Center coordinates operations between multiple agencies to thwart terrorist threats.
-
After the attacks, the Counterterrorist Center intensified its efforts to gather information about potential threats.
Synonyms
3
7.7
An agency that coordinates US intelligence to stop terrorism
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an agency for coordinating anti‑terrorism efforts' is directly and transparently composed from 'counterterrorist' (pertaining to anti‑terrorism) + 'center' (a place or organization providing a service), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the overall sense. This follows a common adjective+noun composition pattern with clear cross‑linguistic parallels, though the precise institutional scope (e.g., within U.S. intelligence) may need contextual specification.
Etymology
Counterterrorist Center comes from the parts counter (meaning 'against'), terrorist, and center (a place where people work together). The image is 'a place that works against terrorists', so it now means an office or team that helps different groups work together to prevent and stop attacks.