Terrorist lifecycles: a case study of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

Abstract

The spillover effects of the war in Afghanistan gave birth to a new breed of terrorist groups in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Inspired by al-Qaeda's ideology, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is at the pinnacle of this list. Through the application of theories available on the terrorist lifecycle, this paper analyses the factors that led to the emergence, rise, and downfall of the TTP. The paper argues that the organisation conforms to the general trends of a terrorist lifecycle and, having lost critical elements of support and survival, the TTP's demise in the near future is predictable.