Mar 18, 2025 08:47 PM
Terrorists time their attacks during periods of security or financial crisis
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077329
INTRO: Terrorists time their attacks during periods of security or financial crisis, according to new research from political scientists at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
To a bystander, a terrorist attack may seem an indiscriminate act of violence, timed solely to inflict maximum damage on its victims.
But the timing of such attacks is strategic, involving a series of tradeoffs to strike vulnerable targets while preserving the group’s reputation, according to research by Binghamton University Professor of Political Science Seden Akcinaroglu and doctoral candidate Yusuf Evirgen. Published in the journal Conflict Management and Peace Science, their article “Ripe moments for terror attacks: Opportunity benefits-reputation tradeoff” explores this dynamic.
“Reputation is crucial for terrorist groups because it affects their ability to gain public support, attract recruits, and negotiate with governments,” Evirgen and Akcinaroglu explained. “A negative reputation can alienate potential supporters and invite harsher counterterrorism measures.”
For terrorists, the purpose of violence goes beyond just instilling fear. Terrorist groups engage in violence to achieve strategic goals, such as undermining government legitimacy, achieving policy changes through coercion, and demonstrating the group’s resolve, Akcinaroglu and Evirgen said. Violence can also communicate strength to rivals, supporters or potential recruits... (MORE - details, no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077329
INTRO: Terrorists time their attacks during periods of security or financial crisis, according to new research from political scientists at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
To a bystander, a terrorist attack may seem an indiscriminate act of violence, timed solely to inflict maximum damage on its victims.
But the timing of such attacks is strategic, involving a series of tradeoffs to strike vulnerable targets while preserving the group’s reputation, according to research by Binghamton University Professor of Political Science Seden Akcinaroglu and doctoral candidate Yusuf Evirgen. Published in the journal Conflict Management and Peace Science, their article “Ripe moments for terror attacks: Opportunity benefits-reputation tradeoff” explores this dynamic.
“Reputation is crucial for terrorist groups because it affects their ability to gain public support, attract recruits, and negotiate with governments,” Evirgen and Akcinaroglu explained. “A negative reputation can alienate potential supporters and invite harsher counterterrorism measures.”
For terrorists, the purpose of violence goes beyond just instilling fear. Terrorist groups engage in violence to achieve strategic goals, such as undermining government legitimacy, achieving policy changes through coercion, and demonstrating the group’s resolve, Akcinaroglu and Evirgen said. Violence can also communicate strength to rivals, supporters or potential recruits... (MORE - details, no ads)