Don't forget the favorite Mossad 'de-capitation strikes' theory, which, IMO, is bankrupt. It is entirely James Bond, Jason Bourne glorified stuff. We hear versions of it all the time (we just have to 'get rid of the mullahs' ... or...we just need to stop [enter group with name starting with 'h'], maybe we should take out [enter leader's name] ... or something), the pre-amble to the event usually is accompanied with heavy brainwashing in the media. à la latest shiny swinging object.

I see this sort of behavior ( killing leaders) as flapping, and it backfires in terms of theory, but hey, it permeates intelligence groups. It's easy to promote the idea that it can replace a war, with a 'surgical strike' , and the 'collateral damage' which is explained away to the public as: necessary for the cause.

And of course, several someones took pot-shots at our presidents, in the same vein - almost like a constant threat hanging over USA presidents.

When a 'leader' is assassinated, any self-respecting organization will have back-ups planned for such occurrences. Usually, the back-ups are way tougher hardliners, way angrier than the 'devil you know' who likely went through a proper political process. The successor will have gone through a trial by fire, and they will be sharpened.

So the most such a 'decapitation strike' AKA assassination, will achieve, is a public reaction against the perps. But it is hard to remember how this works, because everything has been hidden and was moving in the shadows - e.g., only now, we find out who killed JFK, and remember: let's not have conspiracy theories, said Bush Sr. after Reagan was shot.

So that it was not even obvious that a culture of assassination, does not work as intended, and at most, it is a mob-thing - eye-for-a-eye, rival gangs etc.

Bolsheviks killed a family of four beautiful girls and one young boy, just because they were the Tsar's family. And many Russians never forgave them for killing innocents, even now.