Jacob N. Shapiro
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691157214
- eISBN:
- 9781400848645
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691157214.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
How do terrorist groups control their members? Do the tools that groups use to monitor their operatives and enforce discipline create security vulnerabilities that governments can exploit? This is ...
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How do terrorist groups control their members? Do the tools that groups use to monitor their operatives and enforce discipline create security vulnerabilities that governments can exploit? This is the first book to systematically examine the great variation in how terrorist groups are structured. Employing a broad range of agency theory, historical case studies, and terrorists' own internal documents, the book discusses the core managerial challenges that terrorists face and illustrates how their political goals interact with the operational environment to push them to organize in particular ways. The book provides a historically informed explanation for why some groups have little hierarchy, while others resemble miniature firms, complete with line charts and written disciplinary codes. Looking at groups in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, the book highlights how consistent and widespread the terrorist's dilemma—balancing the desire to maintain control with the need for secrecy—has been since the 1880s. Through an analysis of more than a hundred terrorist autobiographies, the book shows how prevalent bureaucracy has been, and the book utilizes a cache of internal documents from al-Qa'ida in Iraq to outline why this deadly group used so much paperwork to handle its people. Tracing the strategic interaction between terrorist leaders and their operatives, the book closes with a series of comparative case studies, indicating that the differences in how groups in the same conflict approach their dilemmas are consistent with an agency theory perspective. This book demonstrates the management constraints inherent to terrorist groups and sheds light on specific organizational details that can be exploited to more efficiently combat terrorist activity.Less
How do terrorist groups control their members? Do the tools that groups use to monitor their operatives and enforce discipline create security vulnerabilities that governments can exploit? This is the first book to systematically examine the great variation in how terrorist groups are structured. Employing a broad range of agency theory, historical case studies, and terrorists' own internal documents, the book discusses the core managerial challenges that terrorists face and illustrates how their political goals interact with the operational environment to push them to organize in particular ways. The book provides a historically informed explanation for why some groups have little hierarchy, while others resemble miniature firms, complete with line charts and written disciplinary codes. Looking at groups in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, the book highlights how consistent and widespread the terrorist's dilemma—balancing the desire to maintain control with the need for secrecy—has been since the 1880s. Through an analysis of more than a hundred terrorist autobiographies, the book shows how prevalent bureaucracy has been, and the book utilizes a cache of internal documents from al-Qa'ida in Iraq to outline why this deadly group used so much paperwork to handle its people. Tracing the strategic interaction between terrorist leaders and their operatives, the book closes with a series of comparative case studies, indicating that the differences in how groups in the same conflict approach their dilemmas are consistent with an agency theory perspective. This book demonstrates the management constraints inherent to terrorist groups and sheds light on specific organizational details that can be exploited to more efficiently combat terrorist activity.
Alan B. Krueger
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691196077
- eISBN:
- 9781400888979
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691196077.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This introductory chapter looks at the state of discourse on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. Although there is a certain surface appeal to blaming economic circumstances and lack of ...
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This introductory chapter looks at the state of discourse on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. Although there is a certain surface appeal to blaming economic circumstances and lack of education for terrorist acts, the evidence is nearly unanimous in rejecting either material deprivation or inadequate education as an important cause of support for terrorism or of participation in terrorist activities. The popular explanations for terrorism—poverty, lack of education, or the catchall “they hate our way of life and freedom”—simply have no systematic empirical basis. These explanations have been embraced almost entirely on faith, not scientific evidence. The chapter presents a case which argues against the popular explanations.Less
This introductory chapter looks at the state of discourse on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. Although there is a certain surface appeal to blaming economic circumstances and lack of education for terrorist acts, the evidence is nearly unanimous in rejecting either material deprivation or inadequate education as an important cause of support for terrorism or of participation in terrorist activities. The popular explanations for terrorism—poverty, lack of education, or the catchall “they hate our way of life and freedom”—simply have no systematic empirical basis. These explanations have been embraced almost entirely on faith, not scientific evidence. The chapter presents a case which argues against the popular explanations.
Steven J. Davis, Kevin M. Murphy, and Robert H. Topel
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262012812
- eISBN:
- 9780262255387
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262012812.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter examines the cost of the war in Iraq. It investigates the resources required to contain a hostile Iraqi government had the U.S. and coalition partners not intervened and evaluates the ...
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This chapter examines the cost of the war in Iraq. It investigates the resources required to contain a hostile Iraqi government had the U.S. and coalition partners not intervened and evaluates the costs of the war in Iraq, including occupation, military fatality, and injury costs. It also considers the cost of Iraqi lives lost and the cost if containment allowed for additional terrorist activity in the U.S. The analysis reveals that the cost for containment of Iraq would have been just under $18 billion, which is almost as expensive as the cost of the war.Less
This chapter examines the cost of the war in Iraq. It investigates the resources required to contain a hostile Iraqi government had the U.S. and coalition partners not intervened and evaluates the costs of the war in Iraq, including occupation, military fatality, and injury costs. It also considers the cost of Iraqi lives lost and the cost if containment allowed for additional terrorist activity in the U.S. The analysis reveals that the cost for containment of Iraq would have been just under $18 billion, which is almost as expensive as the cost of the war.
Husband Charles and Alam Yunis
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428011
- eISBN:
- 9781447303381
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428011.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Urban and Rural Studies
This book examines the apparent tension between the inherent logics of the two constructions of the Muslim population, as the two related policies of Community Cohesion and counter-terrorism ...
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This book examines the apparent tension between the inherent logics of the two constructions of the Muslim population, as the two related policies of Community Cohesion and counter-terrorism (Prevent) emerge to address them. Both Community Cohesion and counter-terrorism policies have a generic remit that provides for them to address the majority white population, all minority communities, and Muslim communities. Community Cohesion appears to offer an invitation to greater participation in civil society by Muslim communities at the cost of biting the assimilationist bullet, while the counter-terrorism strategies of Prevent unambiguously assert that they must share a common burden of being targeted as legitimate objects of suspicion through the assertion that terrorist activity is being nurtured within their communities. An overview of the chapters included in this book is provided in this chapter.Less
This book examines the apparent tension between the inherent logics of the two constructions of the Muslim population, as the two related policies of Community Cohesion and counter-terrorism (Prevent) emerge to address them. Both Community Cohesion and counter-terrorism policies have a generic remit that provides for them to address the majority white population, all minority communities, and Muslim communities. Community Cohesion appears to offer an invitation to greater participation in civil society by Muslim communities at the cost of biting the assimilationist bullet, while the counter-terrorism strategies of Prevent unambiguously assert that they must share a common burden of being targeted as legitimate objects of suspicion through the assertion that terrorist activity is being nurtured within their communities. An overview of the chapters included in this book is provided in this chapter.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226043586
- eISBN:
- 9780226043463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226043463.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
In the days and weeks after 9/11, some worried that the government's offensive against terrorist activity might undermine the democratic foundations of American society. To address this concern, a ...
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In the days and weeks after 9/11, some worried that the government's offensive against terrorist activity might undermine the democratic foundations of American society. To address this concern, a number of scholars and media organizations conducted in-depth investigations of America's commitment to civil liberties and political tolerance in late 2001. On the whole, public support for the protection of civil liberties was lower than it had been before the attacks. On the other hand, aggregate support for measures designed to preserve civil liberties remained strong. This chapter shows that civil liberties judgments during times of war differ in their depth and scope—not in their structure—from civil liberties judgments during times of peace. By looking to the same kinds of processes that motivate judgments concerning domestic politics, we can understand the nature of public opinion during war. This chapter also shows that threat and, in some cases, group attachments and enmities, structured civil liberties judgments during World War II, the Vietnam War, and the present day.Less
In the days and weeks after 9/11, some worried that the government's offensive against terrorist activity might undermine the democratic foundations of American society. To address this concern, a number of scholars and media organizations conducted in-depth investigations of America's commitment to civil liberties and political tolerance in late 2001. On the whole, public support for the protection of civil liberties was lower than it had been before the attacks. On the other hand, aggregate support for measures designed to preserve civil liberties remained strong. This chapter shows that civil liberties judgments during times of war differ in their depth and scope—not in their structure—from civil liberties judgments during times of peace. By looking to the same kinds of processes that motivate judgments concerning domestic politics, we can understand the nature of public opinion during war. This chapter also shows that threat and, in some cases, group attachments and enmities, structured civil liberties judgments during World War II, the Vietnam War, and the present day.
Uma Das Gupta (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780199481217
- eISBN:
- 9780199091133
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199481217.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, History of Ideas
For the country and for the three friends, there was a mounting struggle in the 1930s. The struggles were particularly over the Provisional Settlement, Indian terrorist activities, and the absence of ...
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For the country and for the three friends, there was a mounting struggle in the 1930s. The struggles were particularly over the Provisional Settlement, Indian terrorist activities, and the absence of a Hindu–Muslim agreement. Those problems held Gandhi back from attending the Round Table Conference in London. He went finally in September 1931. Speaking at the Federal Structure Committee, he presented India’s demand for complete independence. Andrews was in Britain preparing for Gandhi’s visit by writing about Gandhi’s life, ideas, and work for the general uninitiated public. He was also interviewing Lord Irwin, Lord Sankey, Sir Samuel Hoare, and Ramsay MacDonald.Less
For the country and for the three friends, there was a mounting struggle in the 1930s. The struggles were particularly over the Provisional Settlement, Indian terrorist activities, and the absence of a Hindu–Muslim agreement. Those problems held Gandhi back from attending the Round Table Conference in London. He went finally in September 1931. Speaking at the Federal Structure Committee, he presented India’s demand for complete independence. Andrews was in Britain preparing for Gandhi’s visit by writing about Gandhi’s life, ideas, and work for the general uninitiated public. He was also interviewing Lord Irwin, Lord Sankey, Sir Samuel Hoare, and Ramsay MacDonald.
