Analyzing the design of terrorist organizations using the Organizational Consultant

Abstract

With the events of September 11, 2001, terrorist organizations have moved to the forefront of threats to U.S. national security. These organizations utilize unconventional forms of warfare and new organizational structures to survive. However, they must still perform all the functions of traditional organizations: fundraising, internal and external communications, command and coordination, creation of a product, etc. Using an expert system to evaluate the structure of a terrorist organization could increase the amount of knowledge and understanding of it and provide critical insights into the organization's strengths and vulnerabilities. This research will focus on the utility of the expert system Organizational Consultant to evaluate the Hamas terrorist organization as a case study to determine its utility in discerning the organization's structure and suitability to its environment. In order to combat terrorism effectively, the U.S. must gather as much knowledge about various terrorist organizations as possible. Using fit criteria and certainty factors to analyze an organization by means of the expert system Organizational Consultant, the Department of Defense could potentially gain a powerful understanding of the organization's strengths and weaknesses and utilize that knowledge to bring about the terrorist organization's demise efficiently and effectively.