Do Targeted Killings Increase or Decrease Terrorism?

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12275
• Author: Jeff Gruenewald
• Published date: 01 February 2017
• Date: 01 February 2017

EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION

TARGETED KILLINGS IN THE WAR

ON TERROR

Do Targeted Killings Increase or Decrease

Terrorism?

Evaluating the Evidence and Other Considerations

Je Gruenewald

Indiana University—Purdue University, Indianapolis

The counterterrorism policy of eliminating global jihadist movement leaders

through targeted killings has increased dramatically over the last decade (New

America Foundation, 2016). With targeted killings in Pakistan peaking around

2010, just prior to the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden, unmanned aerial vehicle (drone)

strikes continue in countries like Yemenand Somalia. Now a main feature of the twenty-first

century war on terrorism, high-profile targeted strikes receive substantial media attention,

symbolizing the U.S. commitment to punishing terrorists and preventing future attacks.

As a policy, pursuing terrorist leaders aims to disrupt and decapitate group operations, de-

crease capabilities, and preempt planned attacks, an ostensibly sensible alternative to more

intrusive counterterrorism strategies. Although the results of a recent poll indicate that most

Americans are supportive of drone strikes (Pew Research Center, 2015), targeted killings

remain controversial throughout the international community. Human rights groups and

government watchdog organizations continue to challenge the policy, which is viewed as

threatening to due process, a violation of international law, and resulting in the deaths of

innocent civilians.

The use of targeted killings as a counterterrorism strategy has thus far greatly out-

paced research on policy outcomes. Consequently,empirical evidence regarding the efficacy

of targeted killings remains thin, leaving open important questions about if and to what

extent high-profile targeted killings of terrorist leaders decrease global jihadist terrorism.

Indeed, not enough is yet known about whether targeted killings deter would-be terrorists

Direct correspondence to Jeff Gruenewald, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University—

Purdue University Indianapolis, 801 W. Michigan Street, BS 4060, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (e-mail: jgruenew@

iupui.edu).

DOI:10.1111/1745-9133.12275 C2017 American Society of Criminology 187

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 16 rIssue 1