Introduction

The terror attack perpetrated in the United States on September 11, 2001, was a defining event in the history of international terror. Terror is the tool with which Bin-Laden and his people aspire to make their vision a reality. The terror attack on the United States, which was based on a combination of the kidnapping of aircraft and their use as a platform to perpetrate suicide attacks and multiple deaths, must be studied as part of the development of "modern" international terror. The hijacking of aircraft in order to achieve political goals became part of the repertoire of international terror immediately upon the introduction of the use of terror as an instrument to gain political achievements in the international arena. The Shiite terrorist organizations also hijacked airplanes, but their main contribution to the repertoire of international terror was in presenting a new and unique method of action–suicide attacks.