Whether the removal of a leader results in the demise of a group or not, the event normally provides critical insight into the depth and nature of a group’s popular support and is usually a turning point in its evolution. The degree to which terrorist organizations rely upon a leader, either literally or figuratively, affects the degree to which removing him is likely to devastate the group; however, the level of popular support for the cause is just as important to the outcome. Popular support is the invisible element, the third side to the terrorist “triad” that can confound efforts to kill
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