How Leaders Influence Suicide Terrorism: Evidence from the Jihadist Movement

• In Event: Terrorism and Violent Extremism

Abstract

Why and when do armed groups begin using suicide bombings? Existing research contends that armed groups may add suicide attacks to their repertoires of violence when they are relatively young, form external alliances, or reach a certain level of organizational capacity. However, even among jihadist groups, which frequently use suicide attacks, variation in the use of this tactic within and between groups remains poorly understood. Moreover, despite leaders regularly altering group tactics, current scholarship primarily focuses on organizational-level explanations. Looking within jihadist groups, we build on existing research by examining the relationship between armed group leaders and suicide terrorism. We argue that militant leaders who have engaged in combat missions abroad are more likely to introduce this tactic, bringing back critical knowledge and network connections that enable them to orchestrate highly lethal attacks. To test this argument, we compiled an original dataset on the biographical attributes of dozens of jihadist leaders operating across Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia from 1979 to 2019. We supplement these quantitative findings with archival evidence from internal al-Qaeda documents surrounding suicide attacks. The results deepen our understanding of leaders and organizational decision-making, tactical innovation among armed groups, and suicide terrorism.

Authors

• Mark Berlin, Princeton University

• Maria Amjad, University of Genoa, Italy

• Joshua Fawcett-Weiner, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Rithvik Yarlagadda, University of Maryland, College Park

• Sara Daub, Johns Hopkins University