Whack-a-Mole or Coup de Grace? Institutionalization and Leadership Targeting in Iraq and Afghanistan

Bibliographic Data

ID6121363
AuthorsAustin Long (corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume23
Issue3
Pages471-512
Publication date2014-07-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSecurity Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0963-6412 • E-ISSN: 1556-1852
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09636412.2014.935229
OpenAlexW1973631314
LanguageEN
Citations received13

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

Institutionalisation · Political science · Public relations · Terrorism · Law · Military History and Strategy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Public Administration · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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