ABSTRACT
To effectively resolve the violent challenges presented by terrorist1 groups to the security and well-being of their state adversaries, it is crucial to develop an appropriate understanding of all the root causes underlying such conflicts because terrorist insurgencies do not emerge in a political, socio-economic, religious or even psychological vacuum.2 It could be argued, in fact, that the root causes underlying an insurgency are the initial components driving the terrorist life cycle (TLC) and the terrorist attack cycle (TAC). The TLC refers to why and how terrorist groups are formed, led and organized, the nature of their grievances, motivations, strategies and demands vis-à-vis their adversaries, and the linkages that terrorist groups form with their supporting constituency. These components of the TLC, in turn, affect the TAC (a group’s modus operandi, how they conduct the spectrum of operations, ranging from nonviolent to violent activities, and their choice of weaponry and targeting).
