The proposed typology sharpens distinctions between terrorist organizations based on these characteristics: intended target of an attack; motives for terror; size of the organization; extent of public support for the organization; characteristics of the organization's decisionmaking process; extent of its independence or subordination; its financial state; its arena of operation; its area of deployment; its control of autonomous territory; its demands; its seniority; its status of organizational development; its activities; and its structure. This typology can be used to place terrorist groups into one of four classifications, which indicate the likelihood of its attacking a particular country within a specific time and context, based on the organization's motivation and operational capability. The four classifications are organizations that do not have the motivation to execute an attack at a given time; organizations that do not have the operational capability to execute an attack at a given time; organizations that have both operational capability and motivation for an attack, but not the operational capability to launch an attack of the size they are motivated to mount; and organizations with operational capability for a significant attack, but lack the motivation for such an attack. There could be an organization that lacks both the motivation and operational capability for a terrorist attack, but this would make it a legitimate political group rather than a terrorist organization. The author provides an example of how the proposed typology could be used as a tool for examining if and which Palestinian terrorist organizations pose a significant threat to Israel within a specific time and context. 32 notes