Mahmut Cengiz, PhD Public Policy ’10, of George Mason's Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, is a seasoned expert in terrorism, organized crime, and illicit economies.
His work focuses on the dynamics of terrorism, smuggling, and criminal networks and contributes significantly to understanding and combating these global challenges. His latest book, Typologies of Terrorist Organizations: Conceptual Lenses and Counterterrorism Measures (Carolina Academic Press, September 2025), was cowritten with Mitchel Roth and Huseyin Cinoglu.
What inspired you to write this book?
When most people think of terrorism, they picture headline-grabbing attacks by well-known extremist groups. What they rarely see is the vast and complex web of organizations operating in the shadows, each with its own tactics, motivations, and impacts. That realization came to me while teaching BIOD 722 Examining Terrorist Organizations at the Schar School of Policy and Government, and it became the spark for Typologies of Terrorist Organizations.
My perspective was shaped by seven years working on the U.S. State Department’s Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center project at the Schar School, where I served as the project’s principal investigator and incident validator. Between 2018 and 2024, I validated more than 50,000 terrorist incidents worldwide. That work gave me a front-row view of how terrorist organizations operate, from their targets and weapons to their organizational structures.
How do you anticipate people using this book?
Combining this experience with my classroom teaching, I set out to create a textbook that bridges theory and practice, designed to serve students, policymakers, and practitioners alike. The book spans 14 chapters, analyzing terrorist groups using the latest conceptual frameworks and classifications. My hope is that readers will not only understand how these organizations function but also develop the analytical skills necessary to design effective counterterrorism strategies.
Was there anything that surprised you while working on this book?
What surprised me most during the writing process was realizing how broad and evolving the landscape of terrorism has become. While jihadist groups continue to dominate headlines, the growing influence of right-wing extremists, insurgent networks, and other politically motivated organizations demands equal attention. Connecting incident-level data to broader organizational behavior revealed hidden patterns and trends that are often missing from policy discussions, showing the importance of a truly holistic approach to understanding terrorism.
What are you working on now?
Since the closure of the State Department project in August 2025, I have continued my work as instructional faculty at the Schar School, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. I also write op-eds on terrorism, cartels, and security issues, bringing real-world insights into the classroom to spark discussion. Meanwhile, I am working on a new book examining the impacts of coups on democratic regimes, expanding my research into the broader dynamics of political instability worldwide.