The resilient terrorist

Abstract

This dissertation project seeks to understand the myriad and complex ways that terrorist groups are changed by a strategic diversification into criminal activity. Relying on new data gathered through ethnographic interviews, process tracing, and a desk review of secondary literature, I find that terrorist groups intentionally and strategically diversify into criminal activity. By doing so, they extend their organizational longevity, resilience to counterterrorism efforts, and may alter their target selection to incorporate profit motive. They thereby evolve from a purely political entity to a more hybrid model with different goals, strategic vision, and methodology. In doing so, the organization becomes more resilient to traditional counterterrorism efforts and enjoys greater durability and longevity than those which primarily rely on other types of resourcing. I explore these theoretical assertions in two empirical fieldwork based case studies in the Horn of Africa and Colombia. These findings have significant policy implications for both the individual states struggling with asymmetric violent actors as well as the global community.