Like all other terrorist movements, al-Qaeda will end. While it has traits that exploit and reflect the current international context, it is not utterly without precedent: some aspects of al-Qaeda are unusual, but many are not. Terrorist groups end according to recognisable patterns that have persisted for centuries, and they reflect, among other factors, the counter-terrorist policies taken against them. It makes sense to formulate those policies with a specific image of an end in mind.
Understanding how terrorism ends is the best way to avoid being manipulated by the tactic. There is vast historical experience with the decline and ending of terrorist campaigns, yet few policymakers are familiar with it. This paper first explains five typical strategies of terrorism and why Western thinkers fail to grasp them. It then describes historical patterns in ending terrorism to suggest how insights from that history can lay a foundation for more effective counter-strategies. Finally, it extracts policy prescriptions specifically relevant to ending the campaign of al-Qaeda and its associates, moving towards a post-al-Qaeda world.
By:
Audrey Kurth Cronin Imprint: Routledge Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 5mm
Weight: 160g ISBN:9780415450621 ISBN 10: 0415450624 Series:Adelphi series Pages: 88 Publication Date:30 April 2008 Audience:
General/trade
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College/higher education
,
Professional & Vocational
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction 1 The Strategies of Terrorism 2 Historical Patterns in Ending Terrorism 3 Ending Al-Qaeda Conclusion Notes
Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University
