ABSTRACT
Non-state actors (i.e. pirates and terrorists) are an international security concern. Prior studies have examined the political and economic impact that pirates and terrorists inflict on our society. Few studies, however, have attempted to answer whether there is an association between them. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical support on the relationship between pirates and terrorists. Longitudinal data collected from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGIA) and the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) provided the researcher with incidents of maritime piracy and terrorism 1985–2014 in three countries: Indonesia, Nigeria, and Somalia. A Pearson's R bivariate statistical tool was selected to determine if these incidents co-vary. The model summaries illustrate that acts of piracy and terrorism positively co-varied, with two models inferring statistical significance. Policy implications and recommendations will be discussed. These recommendations include increasing the number of naval patrols and strengthening local institutions.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Joshua Regan conducts research and teaches national security studies at the University of New Haven. His research primarily focuses on failed states, terrorist networks, and contemporary maritime piracy.
Notes
1 There are a few exceptions including the maritime terrorist incidents on the USS Cole, the French tanker Limberg, and Superferry 14 (Annati, Citation2009; Banlaoi, Citation2005).