Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo
I have skimmed this RAND paper, it has many good points - notably Bruce Hoffman's comments and using the statistics gathered advocates a massive change in the US strategy - more police and intelligence, less military.

Audrey Cronin's paper is far shorter. They do compliment each other, but if economy of effort is critical - read her paper.
....but if economy of pocketbook is critical - the RAND piece is a free download and Cronin's paper is $28.95

However, for all of us cheap bastards, her '06 piece from International Security, which is essentially an earlier version of the same theme, How al-Qaida Ends: The Decline and Demise of Terrorist Groups, is available for free download....