Food for Thought: How Terrorist Groups End

How do terrorist groups end?

Two researchers, Seth Jones and Martin Libicki, set out to find the answer empirically. They examined 684 terrorist groups between 1968 and 2006. Here's what they found, as Jones reported in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on September 18:

• 43% of groups ended terrorism when members adopted non-violent tactics and joined the political process
• 40% ended when local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members of the group
• 10% ended as a result of military force
• 7% achieved victory

Religious groups whose violence comes to an end are similarly unmoved by military force. Only 16% of these ended because of military force. Generally, "local police and intelligence services" are responsible for bringing their actions to an end (73%).