After groups survive past the five- or six-year mark, for example, it is not at all clear that refusing to “talk to terrorists” shortens their campaigns any more than entering into negotiations prolongs them. On the other hand, negotiations can facilitate a process of decline but have rarely been the single factor driving an outcome. While existing academic research demonstrates that civil wars that include terrorist tactics are the most difficult to resolve, terrorist campaigns themselves are harder still.5 As this chapter demonstrates, the record indicates that wise governments approach
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