CIAO DATE: 07/2012
June 2012
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Targeting militant leaders is central to many states' national security strategies, but does it work? What should policymakers expect when government armed forces kill or capture militant leaders? Is leadership decapitation more likely to succeed or fail under certain conditions? These questions have never been more pressing than since the May 2011 killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Resource link: The Effectiveness of Leadership Decapitation in Combating Insurgencies [PDF] - 466K