The downside of killing Ayman al-Zawahiri

Max Abrahms- My statistical studies repeatedly find that leadership deficits in militant groups risk empowering lower-level members with even less restraint toward civilians.

By now, you’ve surely heard that Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul. Emotionally, I was also quite pleased to learn the news of his violent fate. But my research on the effects of taking out militant group leaders raises red flags about the value to U.S. national security. Paradoxically, terrorist groups — even horrible ones like Al Qaeda — may become even more violent when their leaders are killed.

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https://thealtworld.com/max_abrahms/the-downside-of-killing-ayman-al-zawahiri