Understanding the structure and organization of a terrorist group is critical to identifying its weaknesses and strengths. “The smallest elements of terrorist organizations are the cells that serve as building blocks for the terrorist organization. A cellular organizational structure makes it difficult for an adversary to penetrate the entire organization.”
Leadership starts at the parent cell and extends as the group expands to new territories. An example is Al Qaeda that is believed to have its leader as Osama Bin Laden and its parent cell in Afghanistan, where major decisions and planning are made. Most international terrorist groups’ leadership is divided into different committees, which range from military, business, law, religion, and media. They are entrusted with various tasks like training, recruitment, income generation, law review, and broadcasting messages from the groups.
Sponsors and funding constitute a major part of their structure. A terrorist group may be sponsored by states, retired political leaders, military personnel, business organizations, and such. They also fund their activities by acts like kidnapping, levying protection taxes, and allegiance taxes. Some large businesses in the oil industry, drugs, and other investments are also owned by terrorist groups.
The cellular structures of terrorist groups pose a challenge to group leadership. Though parent cell leaders claim control of the entire group, leaders from other cells establish sprinter groups with similar or close ideologies as the parent cell. An example is the Al Qaeda operating in Iraq, which may have similar ideologies as the pirates of Somalia but with different attack tactics and targets.
These impediments could be used by law enforcers to fight terrorism from a local approach rather than international. This means that U.S intervention in Somalia may not be necessary, but rather East African countries who are close to that cell should handle the problem. This would help reduce the merging of terrorist groups to fight the U.S., as well as reduce overrating the abilities and strengths of terrorist groups that work to their advantage. However, the leadership structure poses a great challenge to law enforcers. This is because their staff comprises professionals who sometimes form part of the law enforcers. Lawyers, the military, and such act as spies who expose the weaknesses of law enforcers and deliver vital information needed by the groups. This hampers progress in the fight against terrorism.