| ID | 134005 |
| Title Proper | Whack-a-Mole or coup de grace |
| Other Title Information | institutionalization and leadership targeting in Iraq and Afghanistan |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Long, Austin |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Targeting the leadership of terrorist and insurgent groups has become a major component of US strategy since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Despite attracting modest scholarly attention, the conditions that increase or decrease the efficacy of leadership targeting remain unclear. A major limitation of current scholarly work is the lack of exploration of the internal organization of these groups and the relationship of that organization to leadership targeting effects. A close examination of leadership targeting of armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan reveals that leadership targeting is highly effective against groups that are poorly institutionalized but has limited effects against well-institutionalized groups. This suggests that the level of resources devoted to leadership targeting should be inversely proportional to the level of institutionalization of the target. |
| `In' analytical Note | Security Studies Vol.23, No.3; Jul-Sep.2014: p.471-512 |
| Journal Source | Security Studies Vol.23, No.3; Jul-Sep.2014: p.471-512 |
| Key Words | Iraq ; Afghanistan ; United States - US ; Military Strategy ; Terrorism ; Terrorist Organization ; Insurgency ; Counter-Insurgency ; Leadership ; US Strategy ; Military Operation ; Iraq Operations ; Afghan Operations |