Organizational Forms of Terrorism: Hierarchy, Network, or a Type sui generis?

In this paper, the organizational forms of terrorism are analyzed on the basis of an extensive literature study. In the literature, the hierarchical form of the "old," nationally bounded terrorism of organizations like ETA, IRA or Hamas is contrasted with the new ?network of terror? represented by Al Qaida. In fact, however, both old and new terrorism are characterized by a mixture of hierarchical and network-like organizational features. Both old and new forms of terrorism display moreover a set of additional features that fit neither a hierarchical nor a network model, constituting a distinctive form of governance. Nevertheless, organized terrorism shares many structural features with other kinds of organizations, including economic organizations.