Browsing by Author "Osborne, David T. H."

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    The terrorist cell : a systematic and comparative analysis of interconnectedness between the PIRA, ETA and Hamas cellular systems : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Defence and Strategic Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Osborne, David T. H.
    The initial concept for the terrorist cell arguably stems from the late 19th century Russian revolutionary Sergei Nechayev. His ingenious organisational structure consisted of placing at the lowest level of a revolutionary terrorist organisation an arm of tiny, loosely tied cells of seven to ten terrorists whose purpose was to cause terrible, total, complete destruction. In contemporary times, the terrorist cell has become the mainstay for various terrorist organisations. It is notable for its durability, flexibility and having crossed cultural boundaries within both time and space. By systematically analysing cellular systems, this research study sets out to uncover common organisational and operational patterns between terrorist organisations from which, derived predictors might facilitate the profiling of cellular systems. The methodology in this study employs the systematic decomposition and localisation analysis method to deconstruct the cellular systems of terrorist organisations. A further comparative analysis identifies cellular interconnectedness leading to the reconstitution of cellular systems as generic templates for re-interpretation. These results seek to contribute to the area of comparative studies within the academic discipline of terrorism and provide a platform for the future computer modelling of cellular systems.
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    The terrorist cell : an historical and evolutionary study of Irish terrorist cells c. 1881 - 1896 : a thesis presented in full fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Defence and Strategic Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Osborne, David T. H.
    Within the field of terrorism studies little is understood as to how and why terrorist cells change over time and place. This is a complex question, which has evolutionary implications. That is, where do terror cells come from and why, once formed, do some succeed and some fail. To answer these questions this study uses an evolutionary methodology to analyse Victorian-era terror cells between 1881 and 1896. This was done by taking specific concepts of evolution including evolutionary variations, inheritance, diversity and selection, to model the evolutionary history of terrorist cells over time and place. In deriving this model six main evolutionary concepts were found, which were instrumental in both the planned and unplanned evolution of terrorist cells. This included, identifying adaptive characteristics that were crucial in a cell’s ability to survive and operate within a multifaceted landscape. Additional findings from this study uncovered the complex inter-dependent relationships that exist between terror cells and actors in the landscape, which resulted in uncovering sources that facilitated the evolution of cells. Ultimately, the evolutionary history model is a useful tool for understanding the evolvability of a cell and building historical and comparative reference points to better understand a terror cell’s place within the landscape.