How do we stop terrorism? Seems like a big question, but after a decade of war, it’s hard to say anyone has a good answer.
So what are we to do? First, here’s the good news.
Why is it that terrorist groups stop committing acts of terrorism? It’s not because they’re outgunned or bombed away, at least not most of the time.
The next biggest reason is effective infiltration.
Seems a lot less bloody than a full-fledged reason, doesn’t it?
Together, those two reasons account for why 80% of all terrorist groups eventually split up. So how much credit does military action get?
Mind you, knowing how terrorist groups split up is not the same as knowing what to do as a result. But we might conclude that military action should be pursued at best as an option secondary to counterintelligence.
