Resolving a Terrorist Insurgency by Addressing Its Root Causes

Abstract

To effectively resolve a terrorist insurgency against a state, it is crucial to map the root causes underlying the conflict because terrorism does not emerge in a political, socio-economic, religious or even psychological vacuum. Root causes form the initial components driving the terrorist life cycle (TLC), e.g., why terrorist groups are formed, how they are led and organized, the nature of their grievances, motivations, strategies and demands and their relations with their constituency, while the terrorist attack cycle (TAC) refers to how they conduct a spectrum of operations, ranging from non-violent to violent activities, and their choice of weaponry and targeting. Once these underlying causes are mapped, then it would be possible to formulate appropriate response measures, although some terrorist insurgencies can be resolved through conciliatory measures, some by means of a mix of coercion and conciliation, whereas others may only be resolved by defeating the terrorists militarily.