Success, Lethality, and Cell Structure Across the Dimensions of Al Qaeda

摘要: While experts understand that Al Qaeda's attack patterns and operational qualities are changing, they struggle to identify generate consensus on strategic center of gravity. By defining different levels Qaeda, core, periphery, movement, this article engages current debates about the threat by focusing differences across these three levels. Contrary conventional wisdom efficiency, social movement has a higher success rate but core imposes greater costs as measured casualties. The cells or networks actually executing attacks also display substantive differences. organize in smaller than either affiliated groups core; however, connectedness. organization fewer connections, suggestive more disciplined procedure despite lower rates. These reflect fundamental characterizations o...