The effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on suicide terrorism

• Published in: Behavioral sciences of terrorism and political aggression 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.24-41
• Main Authors: Demir, Mustafa, Guler, Ahmet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 9/11 terrorist attacks; Qaida (Organization); September 11 Terrorist Attacks; September 11 terrorist attacks-2001; Suicide; Suicide bombings; Suicide terrorism; Terrorism; Terrorism (International law); Terrorist organizations; types of terrorist organization
• ISSN: 1943-4472; 1943-4480; 1943-4472
• DOI: 10.1080/19434472.2020.1866052

Suicide terrorism is one of the deadliest terrorist strategies adopted by various terrorist groups around the world, but the 9/11 terrorist attacks have made suicide terrorism a popular attack strategy among terrorist organizations at the global level. However, there is scarce research on the effect of the 9/11 attacks on suicide terrorism. Using data obtained from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) between 1981 and 2018, this research examines the effect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on suicide terrorism and different types of terrorist organizations that commit suicide terrorism before and after 9/11 and the changes in the trends in the outcomes. The results of negative binomial regression tests comparing pre-9/11 and post-9/11 and monthly interrupted time series analyses showed that the 9/11 terrorist attacks had significant impacts on the above-mentioned outcomes. The results suggested that the 9/11 attacks have played a critical role in inspiring and encouraging terrorist organizations - religious-based ones in particular - to adopt suicide terrorism as an attack strategy.