| ID | 092890 |
| Title Proper | When heads roll |
| Other Title Information | assessing the effectiveness of leadership decapitation |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Jordan, Jenna |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Leadership targeting has become a key feature of current counterterrorism policies. Both academics and policy makers have argued that the removal of leaders is an effective strategy in combating terrorism. However, leadership decapitation is not always successful, and existing empirical work is insufficient to account for this variability. As a result, this project answers three primary questions: (1) Under what conditions does leadership decapitation result in the dissolution of a terrorist organization?; (2) Does leadership decapitation increase the likelihood of organizational collapse beyond the baseline rate of collapse for groups over time?; and (3) In cases where decapitation does not result in group collapse, to what extent does it result in organizational degradation and hinder a group's ability to carry about terrorist attacks? I develop a dataset of 298 incidents of leadership targeting from 1945-2004 in order to determine whether and when decapitation is effective. First, I identify the conditions under which decapitation has been successful in bringing about organizational decline. The data show that a group's age, size, and type are critical in identifying when decapitation will cause the cessation of terrorist activity. As an organization grows in size and age, it is much more likely to withstand the removal of its leadership. Organizational type is also significant in understanding the susceptibility of an organization to decapitation. Ideological organizations are most likely to experience a cessation of activity following the removal of leader, while religious organizations are highly resistant to leadership decapitation. |
| `In' analytical Note | Security Studies Vol. 18, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2009: p719-755 |
| Journal Source | Security Studies Vol. 18, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2009: p719-755 |
| Key Words | Leadership ; Terrorism ; Terrorist ; Social Network |