Targeting Terrorist Leaders: A Case Study

Abstract

Targeting terrorist leadership is a common strategy used by governments. The appeal of a quick strike with minimal casualties, combined with the possible swift defeat of the terrorist organization, makes it a very attractive approach. It is important to understand the circumstances under which targeting terrorist leaders will be effective, and the circumstances where such an attack will increase support for the terrorists. This thesis utilizes the Freeman Terrorist Leadership Targeting Model to analyze the effectiveness of Israel's campaign to target Hamas leaders from 1987-2007. Israel's campaign to target Hamas leaders produced mixed results. Hamas' political influence increased in spite of (and possibly in some degree because of) Israeli operations. However, targeting leadership deprived Hamas of key leaders and contributed to a declining frequency and effectiveness of Hamas suicide attacks.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA542956

Entities

People

  • James D. Varden

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Case Studies
  • Casualties
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • International Law
  • Leadership
  • Man Borne Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Military Operations
  • Military Training
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Recreation
  • Societies
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.