Suicide Terrorism

by Pedahzur, Ami

• ISBN13: 9780745633831
• ISBN10: 0745633838
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-17
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

Suicide terrorism in its modern form made its first appearance in Lebanon in the early 1980s. Over the last quarter century, terrorist attacks perpetrated by suicide bombers have spread to many corners of the world and have become a major threat for both the governments and citizens of numerous countries. Can this devastating phenomenon be attributed to a specific religion or culture? What are the causes and motivations that lead ordinary people to embark upon suicide attacks? How are potential bombers trained for their mission? And is it possible for democratic governments to effectively cope with this challenge?In this compelling book, Ami Pedazhur investigates the root causes of suicide terrorism and its rapid proliferation in recent years. Drawing on a variety of sources, the book explores the use of human bombs in Lebanon, Israel, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Chechnya, Iraq, and the ostentatious attacks of Al-Qaeda and the global jihad. It is the only book to offer such an in-depth, up-to-date, cross cultural analysis of suicide terrorism in the twenty-first Century.

Author Biography

Ami Pedahzur is an associate professor at the University of Texas, Austin and a senior research fellow at the National Security Studies Center, University of Haifa, Israel

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vi
List of Figures	viii
What is Suicide Terrorism?	1	(21)
How can Suicide Terrorism be Explained?	22	(21)
Turning to Suicide Terrorism: Hezbollah and the Palestinian Organizations	43	(27)
Turning to Suicide Terrorism: the LTTE and the PKK	70	(27)
The Transition to Suicide Terrorism: Al-Qaeda and the Network of the Islamic Fundamentalist Groups	97	(21)
Who Becomes a Suicide Terrorist?	118	(37)
The Recruitment and Socialization of the Suicide Terrorist	155	(27)
The Consequences of Suicide Terrorism	182	(16)
Afterword	198	(4)
Notes	202	(39)
Appendix: Suicide Bombings	241	(13)
Index	254