Ideology, Structure and Modus Operandi: Comparing Terrorist Organizations

An excerpt from the thesis:

The aim of this research is to conceptualize some key structural features of a group of Sunni terrorist organizations with the intent to identify common patterns, benchmarks and similar models of organizational structure. For this task, in this study it is proposes a research methodology based on an interpretative grid which considers three main levels of analysis: (1) ideological; (2) structural and (3) operative; as well as a comparative methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative methods. The grid’s purpose is to determine, through a comparison between three categories of attributes of a group of Sunni terrorist organizations, if the internal structure of terrorist organizations may be based on identical, or at least similar patterns. The defining characteristics of attributes taken into account are the ideological direction; the organizational structure; and the modus operandi adopted at local level by particular terrorist organizations. These terrorist organizations are: (1) Al-Qaeda; (2) Hamas; and (3) the self-proclaimed Islamic State. For the first cluster, three recurring ideological orientations have been identified: (1) Jihadism; (2) Salafism; and (3) Wahhabism. The structural cluster consists of three principal models: (1) business; (2) hybrid; and (3) proto-state. Finally, the cluster concerning the modus operandi is composed of three factors: (1) attack type; (2) target type; and (3) weapons type. In order to determinate all types of possible attack, target and weapon, the proposed grid of interpretation uses the categories provided by the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).