Splitting to survive: understanding terrorist group fragmentation

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice,Volume 3, Issue 3, Page 222-232, September 2017. Purpose From Al-Qaeda to the IRA, almost all terrorist organisations have experienced splits in some shape or form. This can spell the dawn of violent spoiler groups, but it may equally play a significant role in the overall politicisation of a group. The purpose of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of these splits by assessing the issue from a political organisational perspective. Design/methodology/approach The author proposes that by addressing splits through the lens of organisational survival, we may gain a greater insight into the process which takes place in the lead up to, and in the aftermath of, organisational cleavage. Findings It is posited that the rationale behind schism can, at times, be the result of a desire from at least one side to maintain the survival of the organisation in a form they both respect and recognise. In order to achieve this, it might require forming an independent, autonomous organisation, or alternatively promoting the exit of internal factional competitors. Research limitations/implications Within the paper, three organisational hypotheses are proposed. It is vital that in order to assess their validity, these are empirically tested by future researchers. Practical implications To be able to counter terrorist organisations, one must first have an understanding of the external and internal events and processes. While ...

Source: Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice - September 12, 2017 Category: Criminology Source Type: research