Tactical and technological innovation in terrorist campaigns

Abstract

This thesis explores the subject of tactical and technological innovation in terrorist campaigns. The key question concerns the global historical trends in terrorist innovation, as well as the critical factors that are responsible for the differences in innovative practices among individual terrorist organizations. The principal method used is based on the model of structured, focused comparison developed by Alexander George. The final product then is a historical explanation of the trends in terrorist innovation, which besides contributing to theory development also has a policy relevant value by identifying the distinct characteristics of especially innovative terrorist organizations. The question of these factors is highly important, as a terrorist organization’s willingness and ability to innovate is one of the key components necessary for achieving a mass-destruction CBRN capability. Our ability to identify signature characteristics of innovation-prone terrorist organizations is thus a critical element in predictive threat assessment of future terrorist violence.