Monday Matters-Marking Period 2 Week Three

When Leaders Die, Terror Still Thrives

Although Anwar al-Awlaki's death may temporarily hurt Al Qaeda's efforts, in the long run it's not going to make a big difference. Killing leader's of terrorist organizations instead may become rallying points for sympathy for the organization and more motivation for violence. This is especially true in the case of religious organizations, and organizations that have more than 500 members. Because Al Qaeda is more than 20 years old, decentralized, and based on religious dogma rather than leadership, it can withstand the deaths of those such as al-Awlaki and Bin Laden. Rather than focusing on killing key leaders, America should try to undermine the social support that Al Qaeda recieves through removing troops from Afghanistan (and at the same time a cause for recruitment) and providing social services to communities where Al Qaeda gets support from.
Jordan, Jenna. "When Leaders Die, Terror Still Thrives." New York Times. 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/opinion/awlakis-death-wont-destroy-al-qaeda.html>.