Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• Increasing numbers of attacks
• Incredibly cost effective
• Mostly civilian targets
• Suicide bombers intent is to cause maximum
  number of innocent casualties
• Ultimate goal fear, intimidation, anxiety -
  Media coverage
• Imagine suicide bomber with WMD

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Chapter 8 What is Suicide Bombing?

• Politically motivated, violent attack, carried
  out by an individual who is fully aware and
  purposely causes his or her own death by blowing
  himself or herself up along with the intended
  target, usually to influence an audience

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombing History

• Suicide attacks not new
• Some history - Japanese kamikaze pilots
• Young, well-educated, well-trained
• Motivation Extreme patriotism, complete
  reverence for Emperor would be in Paradise
  forever have everlasting happiness -honorable
  mission great honor to be selected
• Not a successful tactic for Japan

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombing History

• In last 20 years, 18 different terrorist groups
  have used suicide-bombing attacks in 15 different
  countries
• Details in text, page 211
• Even the threat causes intimidation
• Barricaded buildings security screening
• Media coverage heightens sense of danger
• U.S. Patriot Act other actions

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombing History

• Suicide to attain political goals
• 1981, PIRA hunger strikers (10 died in jail)
  others were ready to replace them
• Baader-Meinhoff terrorist gang - suicide with
  handguns in prison to discredit German Govt.
• Self-immolation - almost always political most
  fanatical - 60 protest in Vietnam
• Recent actions of Chinas Falun Gong

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• Contagious Appeal of Political Suicide
• Sense of immortality in face of death
• Sacrificial immortality
• Are the suicide bombers of Hamas, al Aqsa or
  Tamil Tigers that different from the Kamikazes?
• Leads to some questions...

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• Common background characteristics?
• Which terrorist groups sponsor tactic?
• How are bombers selected why do they volunteer?
• Why now, in this time?
• Can we predict the next target(s)?
• Best analysis is by area/group

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Best known early contemporary attacks
• 83, Beirut, Lebanon, U.S. Embassy
• KIA - 63 wounded hundreds (16, USA)
• 83, Lebanon, U.S. Marine barracks
• KIA - 241 Marines 2nd. Simultaneous attack KIA
  60 French paratroopers
• Hizballah claimed credit for both

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• 83 - 99, 50 suicide attacks - Hizballah
• Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia 96
• Beirut suicide bombings launched Hizballah as
  major terrorist group
• Suicide is against Islam but, Hizballah clerics
  (Shia), provide rationalization of battlefield
  death
• By 99, Hizballah stop suicide attacks - but they
  inspired many others

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Most prolific suicide bombers in ME
• Palestinian HAMAS
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad
• Palestinian al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
• PFLP
• Less spectacular - equally vicious
• Targeting Israel - since 93, over 145 attacks,
  KIA, 300, 2000 wounded

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Typical suicide attack in Israel
• Crowded bus - mostly students
• Single bomber with book bag, filled with plastic
  explosive nails - blast incinerated bomber 4
  students -107 hurt
• Typical bombs packed with nails, razor blades,
  staples, ball bearings, nuts bolts
• Creates profound fear unease about personal
  security
• Marginalizes Palestinians

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Why would young person do this?
• Videotapes of suicide bombers
• Meant to memorialize them
• Meant to attract other bombing recruits
• Meant to show the honor of the action
• Choice of martyrdom opportunity to meet God
• Religion nationalism hopelessness

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Israeli film Suicide Bombers Secrets of the
  Shaheed (martyr, assured of place in paradise)
• Failed captured suicide bombers
• Recruitment in mosques
• Typical profile - unobtrusive, uneducated, raised
  within poor families, no criminal record, blends
  in with a crowd - Family usually is unaware of
  intent

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Other why theories -HAMAS strategies
• Force or trick someone - threats to family
• Seek out mentally disturbed
• Brainwash indoctrinate young recruits
• Paradox of dispossession - The less one has to
  lose, the less one has to lose
• Most have no money, no job, no property, no
  opportunities, little respectability, no skills,
  little education - so why not take revenge
  against Israel?

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Suicide Bombers in the Mideast

• Other why theories
• Sense of hopelessness, despair negative
  feelings about the future
• Surrounded by daily violence
• Israeli occupation or threat of Israeli
  incursions - News of human shields
• From nobody to instant martyr for Palestine
  financial help for families
• Live in Paradise Honor Faith Nationalism

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Suicide BombersThe Tamil Tigers (LTTE)

• Most effective brutal terrorist group using
  suicide bombings
• Nationalistic movement-Independence
• Inspired by Hizballah
• 87-2000, 170 suicide attacks - Sri Lanka
• 62 of worldwide attacks
• Thousands killed maimed
• Every member carries cyanide capsules

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Suicide BombersSikh Terrorists

• National liberation religious issues
• 84 military ops at Golden Temple - 2000 Sikhs
  killed
• Sikh terrorists assassinated Indira Gandhi
• Hindus massacre Sikhs by thousands
• Infiltrated by Indian police in mid-90s and no
  longer a major threat

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Suicide BombersKashmiri Muslims

• Nationalistic, separatist movement in Kashmir -
  Muslim United Front
• Fueled by religious tension
• India Pakistan
• Suicide bombers are young, well-educated,
  middle-class - engaged in jihad for God and
  country
• Recent Mumbai train explosions (?)

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Suicide BombersKurdish or PKK

• Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
• Nationalist separatist Turkish Kurds
• Independent, Islamic Kurdistan in Turkey
• Murdered 10,000 Turks Kurds
• Trained supported by Hizballah
• Used female bombers
• Bombings called off after capture of leader,
  Abdullah Ocalan

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Suicide Bombersal Qaeda

• Major attacks in Africa on embassies
• On U.S.S. Cole in port of Aden, Yemen
• Attempt to show powerlessness of U.S. in face of
  dedicated Islamic martyrs
• Inspire Muslims demoralize America
• WTC Pentagon on 9/11
• Question about victim compensation
• Model for future attacks from al Qaeda al
  Qaeda-inspired groups

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• Suicide bombings are propaganda by deed for
  terrorist groups
• Werther Effect - Suicide contagion theory - other
  hear copy
• Media Influence - How to handle list
• With exception of al Qaeda Palestinians - most
  groups have stopped or reduced suicide bombings

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• How do you defend against attacks?
• Israeli checkpoints searches
• Deployment of large numbers of military police
• Intense surveillance of targets - HDTV
• Covert observation posts use of dogs
• None of these are likely in U.S.
• Impossible to protect everyone/thing

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Chapter 8 Suicide Bombers

• Will continue because of benefits
• Multiple casualties
• Widespread media coverage
• Bomber chooses time/place of attack
• No need to plan for escape
• Least costly in battlefield losses
• Success is almost guaranteed
• A benchmark of religious devotion
• Nightmare scenario is suicide bomber with WMD