Hurdles to International Terrorist Alliances

Lessons From Al Qaeda's Experience

Bibliographic Data

ID4903661
AuthorsTricia Bacon (0000-0002-3059-7448, Department of Justice, Law & Criminology, American University, Washington, DC, USA, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume29
Issue1
Pages79-101
Publication date2017-01-02
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTerrorism and Political Violence (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-6553 • E-ISSN: 1556-1836
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09546553.2014.993466
OpenAlexW2065236175
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited1

Despite the threat posed by international terrorist alliances, the conditions that foster and inhibit these relationships remain poorly understood. When seeking allies outside of their primary conflict and political market, groups struggle to forge credible commitments, particularly the requisite ‘shadows of the future’ and reputations conducive to cooperation, without third-party enforcers. Given their suspicious nature and strong in-group identities, terrorist groups sometimes balk at relinquishing independence for security. Alliances risk precipitating counterterrorism pressure, alienating constituents, and increasing the risk of betrayal. Even groups that enjoy alliance success, like Al Qaeda, experience these hurdles in their alliance. What helped to set Al Qaeda apart from most groups was its ability to navigate these obstacles, though some bedeviled its alliances efforts. This offers under-utilized opportunities for alliance disruption

Al qaeda · Alliance · Betrayal · Criminology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Terrorism · Law · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access