One of the central pillars of US counterterrorism policy is that capturing or killing a terrorist group's leader is effective. Yet this pillar rests more on a foundation of faith than facts. In Leadership Decapitation, Jenna Jordan examines over a thousand instances of leadership targeting--involving groups such as Hamas, al Qaeda, Shining Path, and ISIS--to identify the successes, failures, and unintended consequences of this strategy. As Jordan demonstrates, group infrastructure, ideology, and popular support all play a role in determining how and why leadership decapitation succeeds or fails. Taking heed of these conditions is essential to an effective counterterrorism policy going forward.

Author: Jenna Jordan
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 11/12/2019
Series: Studies in Violence and Terrorism
Pages: 272
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781503608245


Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2020

About the Author
Jenna Jordan is Associate Professor of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.