9/11 Terrorism Case Study

This paper seeks to analyze the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center’s North and South Towers, the Pentagon, and the attempted attack on the White House, on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Using two different theories, that both offer an explanation as to why organizations employ terrorism, this paper will attempt to offer possible explanation as to why Al-Qaeda chose to employ terrorism, as opposed to other tactics, to further its goals as an organization.

Ultimately, I argue that Crenshaw’s Rational-Strategic approach should be used to better understand why Al-Qaeda decided to implement these attacks, and that Abrahms’ Social-Psychological approach should be used to better understand why some individuals might have volunteered to participate as hijackers. Due to the differing levels of analysis in each theory, and the complicated nature of the case, choosing one theory as more applicable than the other to this case would be impossible. Rather, parts of both theories should be used together to glean a better understand of the rational behind the decision to implement these attacks. In New York City, the morning of September 11th, 2001 dawned brilliantly blue

“‘Leaderless jihad,’ or compartmentalized terror cells acting independently, has created chaos on multiple continents,” and there are multiple major terror attacks in London, Mumbai, and Fort Hood that were all carried out by smaller terror cells, not connected to Al-Qaeda. (Tushinsk, 1) Any or all of the individuals participating in these terrorist cells could have seen the attacks on 9/11 and felt solidarity with Al-Qaeda and their mission, influencing them to seek out other lonely or marginalized members in their community, and do something they saw as helping the movement in some