Suicide Attacks: weapon of the future?

[Jedburgh]

A big chunk of the thread had gone slightly off-topic into a heated discussion comparing military ops to terrorism. I've cut that out and created a new thread. However, for those participating in the discussion on Terrorist Targeting vs Military Targeting, keep in mind that this discussion can go south quickly (its already hovering on the edge) if anyone descends to direct attacks upon other members in the discussion, their affiliations or background. Attack the faults in the argument - not the presenter.

[RTK]

Unlike conventional missiles a suicide bomber can chicken out and not only refrain from exploding but defect to the enemy and betray his comrades.

AQIZ ensured this would not happen early on by rigging each "martyr" with a "command detonation device" should the participant get cold feet. The overwatch element would break trigger if it looked like the "missle" would scat.

When 44% are coming from Saudi (probably with a salafist background) and a full 10% of the 124 suicide bombers who's nationalities were known came from such western countries as Britain, France, Spain, and Italy, one can make a pretty good argument that it's not a 15 year cultivation program as you've stated. That's only 124 bombings. I don't know offhand, but I'd be willing to bet there have been upwards of 500 suicide bombings in the last 4 1/2 years.

Something quick and radical, I'd submit to you, is happening in these countries and I'd almost guarantee it's started since 2001. I'll leave it to Marc to extrapolate the meanings of these stats like only an anthropologist can.

[marct]

Hi Ryan,

Something quick and radical, I'd submit to you, is happening in these countries and I'd almost guarantee it's started since 2001. I'll leave it to Marc to extrapolate the meanings of these stats like only an anthropologist can.

I would think the increasing trend is seeing female suicide bombers and the reactions to them. As to when this started, I would actually place it a lot earlier - in the 1960s or early 1970s with the general rise of religious extremism in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. On the stats, I really don't like to make snap judgements on such a tiny data set. What I will note, however, is that the increase seems to be amongst the better educated and well off, usually 2nd generation in that socio-economic bracket, crowd. I think we are seeing the global outbreak of what Irving Hallowell called a Revitalization Movement.

[Stan]

From Forbes, "As more women perpetrate successful suicide attacks worldwide, the burden has increased on governments to craft innovative strategies to mitigate a threat that is both malleable and unpredictable."

Marc, You are light years ahead of these folks ! The article only came out today...did you draft it or what

I certainly hope your paycheck matches your intellect and keen sense of observation

Women have always played an important role in violent jihadist circles, providing support, emotional preparation and encouragement to male terrorists. However, in recent years women have begun to themselves serve as suicide bombers, posing major challenges for international counter-terrorism efforts.

These women are driven by a variety of motivations, usually based on the adoption of a "collective identity" -- religion and community "stardom" are less significant motivators. Countering the threat will require non-traditional counter-terror strategies, including: involving more women in counter-terror roles, increasing community outreach and providing Muslim women with alternative means of self-expression and roles in the public sphere.

Recent arrests of Muslim women across Europe indicate a growing movement there towards violent jihad. Most of the women detained for terrorist offenses have subsequently been tried and convicted of supporting global jihadist movements:

--Netherlands. A Dutch-Moroccan woman named Bouchra El Hor is currently standing trial in London for writing a letter to her husband encouraging him to pursue martyrdom. In the letter, she said, "You and I have to separate for the sake of Allah."

--Switzerland. A Swiss-based Muslim woman of Belgian-Moroccan descent, Malika Al-Aroud, was charged in June with managing a terrorist Web site, al-minbar.sos, which displayed beheadings, kidnappings and extolled violent jihad. Al-Aroud has publicly declared her love for bin Laden and the Taliban's spiritual guide, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

--United Kingdom. Other women likely to stand trial in the United Kingdom include sisters Yeshiembet Girma and Muembembet Girma, who are accused of helping the male jihadists involved in the July 21, 2005 attempted bombings escape; Samina Malik, a woman from West London accused of possessing information likely to be useful to a terrorist; and Mehreen Haji, who with her husband is suspected of terrorism fundraising.

[davidbfpo]

There are a small number of academics who have thought about this issue, although from one seminar listening to three of them without any policy response or "tool kit".

I will try to find a link to the seminar, held in London earlier this year and a joint venture with an American university.

Two of the academics were American and the third, an Israeli male, who has interviewed Palestinina failed suicide bombers.

davidbfpo

[gh_uk]

@davidbfpo

I suspect the London event you are referring to is this one;

http://www.iiss.org/conferences/coun...ing-and-europe

Held at IISS in March 2007. The link above has some of the papers and presentations; did you also attend?

I believe the Israeli academic you are referring to is Yoram Schweitzer. He has a website here: http://www.labat.co.il/

GH

[MikeF]

Since the initial invasion of Iraq, we’ve seen a significant increase in suicide bombings. Prior to our invasion, this tactic was limited to very insignificant miscreants. Some claim that the advance of the suicide bomber is the primary question of our time.

Out of whatever desperation, what drives a man (or woman) to engage in such an activity- intentional suicide with the direct results of destroying civilians? Outside of military engagements(Japanese kamikazes and Tamil Tigers) and suburban recluses (Columbine), this venture is unheard of.

As a target of suicide bombers, I always questioned their decision making process. What made them so desperate?

Is it simply the way of the Arabs/Muslims- a tendacy towards violence? Is it a neglected childhood? Is it sexual repression? Is it rejection from love? Is it the defunct repressions from post-colonialism? Is it desperation out of a sense of or lack of manliness or Thurmos as defined by the Greeks?

What say you?

[davidbfpo]

There have been several threads on the role of suicide bombing in AQ's strategy, have a peek at them - much to learn.

How AQ and others define Jihad is a core issue and later will try to add an article that appeared recently.

davidbfpo

[Ron Humphrey]

Since the initial invasion of Iraq, we’ve seen a significant increase in suicide bombings. Prior to our invasion, this tactic was limited to very insignificant miscreants. Some claim that the advance of the suicide bomber is the primary question of our time.

Out of whatever desperation, what drives a man (or woman) to engage in such an activity- intentional suicide with the direct results of destroying civilians? Outside of military engagements(Japanese kamikazes and Tamil Tigers) and suburban recluses (Columbine), this venture is unheard of.

As a target of suicide bombers, I always questioned their decision making process. What made them so desperate?

Is it simply the way of the Arabs/Muslims- a tendacy towards violence? Is it a neglected childhood? Is it sexual repression? Is it rejection from love? Is it the defunct repressions from post-colonialism? Is it desperation out of a sense of or lack of manliness or Thurmos as defined by the Greeks?

What say you?

Is the fact that there may not be quite as much distance between the western and other cultures in this particular arena.

When looking at this in the past I got to looking at how common suicides or attempted suicides are even here. Now generally here it is a more private affair but that doesn't necessarily differentiate it. Imagine if someone were to be focusing on those here most likely to attempt it and were to

1- provide them with a assurance that they won't fail in their attempt

2- Place a nugget of purpose behind why its ok to do it(easy enough considering the already scewed state of mind)

3- Possibly offer incentives such as money for those they leave behind in order to get past that last piece of guilt

Just another way to look at it

[jmm99]

I can't answer why an individual would become an AQ or Hamas suicide bomber. The correct answer, in AQ-speak, is "for the greater glory of God".

Anyway, here are some references for evaluation.

----------------------------------------------
Raymond Ibrahim, The Al Qaeda Reader
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (August 7, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 038551655X
ISBN-13: 978-0385516556

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/the_al_qaeda_reader

The relevant Al Qaeda document, prepared under Zawahiri's supervision and originally titled "Jihad and the Superiority of Martyrdom", is more a legal brief than anything else - well written and argued from the AQ standpoint. See pp. 141-171 of above.

The following two chunks of references follow Zawahiri's logic.

-----------------------------------------------
from Islam: The Perfect Way of Life
http://web.archive.org/web/200409291...qq.jeeran.com/

The Islamic Ruling on the Permissibility of Martyrdom Operations
http://web.archive.org/web/200410112...om/ruling.html

Fatwa of Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi
http://web.archive.org/web/200410092...qaradhawi.html

------------------------------------------------
from Islam Online
http://www.islamonline.net/English/index.shtml

Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503545134

Martyr Operations Carried Out by the Palestinians
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...EAskTheScholar

Palestinian Martyr Operations
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...EAskTheScholar

Attacking Civilians in Martyr Operations
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503544354

Martyr Operations or Terrorism
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503546498

Condemning the Martyr Operations
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...=1119503545286

------------------------------------------------
The Hijacked Caravan
http://www.ihsanic-intelligence.com/

Monograph
http://www.ihsanic-intelligence.com/...ed_Caravan.pdf

This takes on Zawahiri's argument in detail. The footnotes refer to a number of webpages, which should be of interest.

--------------------------------------------
Suicide attack - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_bomber

This is a general reference, which led into the webpages above; except for Ibrahim's book which I already had.

[MikeF]

Much reading to do now.

Mike

[davidbfpo]

MikeF and others,

Try this: http://www.thecordobafoundation.com/...ue_02x_Web.pdf

Within is an article by Moazzam Begg on 'Jihad & Terrorism: A War of Words; Begg is a UK citizen, detained in Guantanamo Bay and released back to the UK. There's background to the publication too, but stay focussed.

davidbfpo

[jmm99]

M. Begg seems an interesting person, to say the least. A bookseller of varied experiences.

Wonder if he has written anything besides the book. E.g., in Arabic, with English translation (not an Arabist, unfortunately). His Wiki bio has much written about him; but not much from him on his politico-religious views.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moazzam_Begg

He seems heavy on suras 5 & 9, which is orthodox enough since he is discussing jihad.

Anyway, the article is in my Zawahiri folder & I'll stay focused.

[IntelSeg]

In Spain we have a good organization that realizes different studies on jihadist organizations, it is the Foundation Athena Intelligence.

His last writing titles The Fundamentalist Distortion of the Islamic Message

http://www.athenaintelligence.org/aij-vol3-a18.pdf

[davidbfpo]

Someone has re-discovered an old Isreali article: http://entitledtoanopinion.wordpress...-about-israel/

and linked it via the Kings of War website, with a comment as a guide to the current campaign in Gaza: http://kingsofwar.wordpress.com/

Not seen the data before and needs a lengthy read, probably in hard copy and undoubtedly controversial. I will copy this thread to the current Gaza thread.

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

I missed this at the time of broadcasting (15th December 2008) by the BBC and the reporter is good. Short clip on Afghan suicide bombers and some interviews:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/fr...00/7783602.stm

The entire programme (30 mins) is on the wider apsects of UK CT having it's roots in Pakistan: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g44l7

davidbfpo

[uzodinma]

Islam forbids suicide and killing innocent people(without recourse to Justice and Law).According to reputable hadiths,suicide leads to hell that is further than a forty years scent of Paradise.This means that 911 is an act of disbedience and also means that Al Qaeda are dajjal (the Anti Christ) who leads to "Muslims" to hell while promising heaven!The failure of intelligence agencies to identify these weaknesses in the terrorist ideology suggests compromise.Consult me blog for free details: http://satanistterrorist.blogspot.com/

[davidbfpo]

An article from 2004 (pre-dating this thread) and found today, appears to be a good summary: http://www.newscientist.com/article/...er.html?page=1

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

One of the two attempted suicide bombing cases in the UK, in 2008, this one in Bristol (the other was in Plymouth IIRC) has finally been dealt with at court: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8144114.stm In a radio report special attention was drawn to the original impetus for police action 'came from within the Muslim community' and if IIRC previously reported as from a local mosque he frequented (not the first time this has happened).

Very short summary and I'd expect some more commentary before next week.

The Plymouth defendant was dealt with in January 2009: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7859887.stm and mother's interview on his vulnerability: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7664316.stm

davidbfpo

[goesh]

Al-Anfal (60):
"Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly. "

whatever you spend, up to and including your life.........