| Revision as of 04:04, 3 May 2006 editKozo (talk | contribs)435 edits →Profile of a bomber: who are these counter-intelligence specialists?← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:17, 3 May 2006 edit undo69.223.213.222 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| we're sorry, but you are stupid. please leave, right now. | |||
| {{terrorism}} | |||
| A '''suicide attack''' is an attack in which the attacker or attackers intend and expect to die (see ]). ''In modern times'', such attacks are often carried out with the help of vehicles or ]s such as a ] (a '''suicide bombing'''), or both (i.e. a vehicle loaded with explosives). If everything goes to plan, the attacker is killed upon impact or ]. | |||
| Suicide attacks are a kind of ], planned and organized by extremely ] military or ] groups. This tactic became widely known during the ] in the Pacific as ] ships were attacked by ] ] pilots who caused maximum damage by flying their explosive-laden ] into military targets. Since the ], the low cost and high lethality of the tactic have made it a favorite with ], ], and especially ] groups, notably in the ] and ]. The ] were, as of ], "unequivocally the most effective and brutal terrorist organization ever to utilize suicide terrorism" (according to Yoram Schweitzer of the Institute for ] in ]: ); since the Tigers signed a ] in ], suicide bombings by ] ], mostly in the ] and the ], have been the most frequent and cumulatively destructive. The ] used ] airplanes to become the largest and most destructive individual suicide attacks on one day. | |||
| ==Overview== | |||
| Military historians classify suicide bombing as a form of armed ], belonging to the tactics of ] — suicide bombings are only common when one side in a violent ] lacks the means for effective, conventional attacks. The ], expressed here by ] leader ], is simple: "The method of ] operation the most successful way of inflicting damage against the opponent and the least costly to the ] in terms of casualties" . The strategic rationale may be military, political, or both; the target may be military, in which case the bombing is usually classified as an act of war, or ], in which case it is usually considered terrorism. Civilians are the favored targets, being easier to attack than ] installations, ]s, or armed and wary ]s. The political message of the suicide bomber's ruthlessness and glorification of death is potent, and the difficulty of deterring an attacker who is willing to die sparks greater fear than other forms of terrorism. The fact that the attacker dies in the attack eliminates the need for the attacker to have a plan to escape and avoid capture after he has completed the attack. The regular targeting of civilians, however, often calls into question the ] legitimacy, and often erodes the broader credibility, of the bomber's cause (although in some of the perpetrating group's base population, it may enhance those qualities). | |||
| The bombers themselves may be male or female, with males more common in some venues (]s are common among the Tamil Tigers, Chechen rebels, Palestinian terrorists and the ]) and are often from ] backgrounds in countries with little ]. They are usually well-educated and hold strong political or ]; they are generally not ]-stricken or ], though some may have had difficult ]s. The ritualistic communion of the ] groups to which they belong ("lone wolf" suicide bombers are unknown), in addition to their strongly-held beliefs, helps motivate their decision to commit suicide; for the religious, e.g. ], the rewards of an afterlife may provide additional impetus. Coercion and deception are occasionally factors. | |||
| {{suicide}} | |||
| ] station of the ] on ], 2004]] | |||
| Suicide attacks throughout history have taken various forms and have been encouraged by the lionization of those who laid down their lives for causes they deemed righteous. There are numerous examples, from ]'s suicidal destruction of a ] temple (as recounted in the ]) to the legendary ] hero ] to the Japanese ] pilots of ]. The first modern suicide bombing—involving explosives deliberately carried to the target either on the person or in a civilian vehicle and delivered by surprise—was in ]; perfected by the factions of the ] and especially by the ] of ], the tactic had spread to dozens of countries by ]. Those hardest-hit were ] during its ], Sri Lanka during ], ] and the ] since ], and ] since the ]. | |||
| Responses and reactions to suicide bombings are mixed, so that a full assessment of the action's impact—especially whether it helped or hindered the cause in whose name it was carried out—is difficult. The public response of politicians is usually one of determination and condemnation. Military and ] are ] to disrupt or destroy the organization which planned the attack or, in Israel, to ] of bombers. Those who support the bomber's cause will often hold him up as a hero; ] ] groups like Al Qaeda, for example, lionize suicide bombers as ''Shahid'', or 'martyr'. | |||
| The term dates back to the ], when it was used in reference to certain ] and Japanese battle tactics, but did not gain its present meaning until ]. Various alternate terms have been used to ] the act differently: the Islamist use of ''shahid'' for the bomber or '']'' for the bombing emphasize the self-sacrificial aspects, while the term "homicide bombing" (preferred phraseology of the ] Administration and right-leaning ] outlets such as the ]) emphasizes the fact that the bomber kills others. | |||
| == Tactics == | |||
| Suicide attacks usually (but not always) target poorly-guarded, non-military facilities and ]. It can be either a military tactic, a political one, or a mixture of the two. It may qualify as ] when the intention is to kill, maim or terrorise a predominantly civilian target population, or fall within the definition of an act of war when it is committed against a military target under war conditions. | |||
| ] of a Palestinian suicide bomber, captured by the Israeli police. Anti-terrorism ] claims such suicide bomber ] is designed by a person they call ].]] | |||
| As a political tactic, suicide attacks send a message of impassioned opposition to enemy forces (that the attacker is willing to die for his or her cause) and a message of desperate recklessness to third parties (that the attacker feels the justice of the cause so strongly that he would rather die than submit and that he is giving little thought to the danger). However, it may backfire, as suicide attacks ignite rage and hatred and undermine the belief in the humanity of those who perpetrate them. | |||
| When used against civilian targets, suicide attacks usually cause fear in the target population greater than that caused by other forms of terrorism, as the fact that the attacker intends to die makes deterrents ineffective. | |||
| However, use against civilian targets has differing effects on their goals (see reaction below). Some ] suggest that this tactic goes beyond symbolism and is actually a response to commodified, controlled, or ] lives, as the suicide attackers apparently consider family prestige and financial compensation from the community as compensation for their own lives. Further supporting the idea that suicide attacks are a product of ], equatable "sacrifice for the group" tactics are used successfully by other societal animals in nature, most obviously by ]. | |||
| The ] of asymmetric warfare views suicide attacks as a result of an imbalance of power, in which groups with little significant power resort to suicide bombing as a response to actions or policies of a group with greater power. | |||
| Groups which have significant power have no need to resort to suicide bombing to achieve their aims; consequently, suicide bombing is overwhelmingly used by guerrilla, and other ]. Among many such groups, there are religious overtones to martyrdom: attackers and their supporters may believe that their sacrifice will be rewarded in an ]. Suicide attackers often believe that their actions are in accordance with moral or social standards because they are aimed at fighting forces and conditions that they perceive as unjust. | |||
| ===Profile of a bomber=== | |||
| A common reaction to a suicide bomber is to assume that he or she was motivated by despair, and probably came from a ], neglected segment of ]. Both President ] and the ] have made this claim. However, ] ] found in a ] study that this is not a justifiable conclusion. A recently published paper by ] University Professor of Public Policy ] "cast doubt on the widely held belief that terrorism stems from poverty, finding instead that terrorist violence is related to a nation's level of political freedom." More specifically this is due to the transition of countries towards democratic freedoms. "Intermediate levels of political freedom are often experienced during times of political transitions, when governments are weak, political instability is elevated, so conditions are favorable for the appearance of terrorism" . | |||
| From 2003 to 2004, women were more frequently involved in suicide attacks in the Middle East and elsewhere. In ''Messengers of Death: Female Suicide Bombers'', Clara Beyler writes that women have channeled the frustration stemming from their role in society into ruthless behavior. . This can demonstrate strength and power in societies where women have a submissive role. That women have become more involved in suicide bombings makes it more difficult to profile a suicide bomber. | |||
| Some suicide bombers are educated, with ] or ] experience, and come from ] homes. Most suicide bombers do not show signs of ]. Indeed, leaders of the groups who perpetrate these attacks search for individuals who can be trusted to carry out the mission; those with mental illnesses are not ideal candidates. They often find solace in the ritualistic communion found in extremist circles, which are often headed by ] individuals looking for new ]s. | |||
| It has also been observed that some suicide bombers were coerced or possibly deceived about the nature of the operation. Some ] specialists believe that a number of the ] ] may not have known that they were embarking on a suicide mission. {{fact}} Cases of Middle Eastern suicide bombers being chained or tied to the steering wheel of vehicles carrying bombs or remotely detonating the said vehicles with drivers inside, and also of outfitting developmentally disabled individuals (specifically those with ]) with suicide bomb vests, are hotly ] issues. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Background=== | |||
| Often acts of terrorism, such as the suicide bombing of civilians, are compared to the self-sacrifice of soldiers in wartime. The principle difference is that the soldier is implementing the policy of a nation and is thus held responsible, whereas a civilian may or may not support their nation's policies and may or may not consider the terrorist's nation (or peoples) an enemy. | |||
| The concept of self-sacrifice has long been a part of war. From the earliest days of honoring fallen soldiers as ], those who sacrifice themselves to further a political, moral, or cultural ] have been and are still highly regarded figures in their respective societies. Soldiers who lay down their lives to protect their comrades are commonly awarded the highest recognition for ] in battle, while those who survive combat are honored for their physical and psychological sacrifice. An example for such self-sacrifice in warfare in medieval legend is ]. The earliest reference of a suicide attack outside a context of warfare is the biblical story of ]: | |||
| <blockquote>And Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. (] 16:30)</blockquote> | |||
| During the ], the ] destroyed one of their own ships, killing 140 ]s in order to kill ten times as many ]s. Another early example of suicide bombing occurred during the ], when the ] ] ] detonated his own ship in the ] of ] to prevent being captured by the Belgians. | |||
| The act of deliberately destroying oneself to inflict harm on an enemy is more restricted to modern times and the era of explosives. The line between the two is considered by some a matter of subjectivity, as in the argument that many WWII soldiers killed were "]s" (in the sense that they were to suffer for the sake of a principle, rather than dying as the penalty for refusing to renounce a belief) because their life expectancy in combat was very low—often averaging only two or three months. | |||
| Modern suicide bombing as a political tool can be traced back to the assisination of Czar Alexander II of Russia in 1881. Alexander fell victim to a Nihilist plot. While driving on one of the central streets of St. Petersburg, near the Winter Palace, he was mortally wounded by the explosion of hand-made grenades and died a few hours afterwards. The Czar was killed by the Pole Ignacy Hryniewiecki (1856-1881), who died while intentionally exploding the bomb in during the attack. | |||
| The ritual act of self-sacrifice during combat appeared in a large scale at the end of ] with the ]ese ] bombers. In these attacks, airplanes were used as flying bombs. Later in the war, as Japan became more desperate, this act became formalized and ritualized, as planes were outfitted with explosives specific to the task of a suicide mission. Kamikaze strikes were a weapon of symmetric war used by the ] chiefly against ] ]s. | |||
| The Japanese Navy also used both one and two man piloted ] called '']'' on suicide missions. Although sometimes called ]s, these were modified versions of the unmanned torpedoes of the time and are distinct from the torpedo-firing midget submarines used earlier in the war, which were designed to ] ] defences and return to a ] after firing their torpedoes. Though extremely hazardous, these midget submarine attacks were not technically suicide missions; while the early ''kaiten'' were equipped with escape hatches, there is no evidence that they were ever used or that the pilots had any intention of using them. Later kaitens, by contrast, provided no means of escape. | |||
| After aiming a two-person kaiten at their target, the two crew members traditionally embraced and shot each other in the head. Social support for such choices was strong, due in part to Japanese cultural history, in which ], honorable suicide, was part of ] ]. It was also fostered and indoctrinated by the Imperial program to ], often through ] (such as through doping), the Japanese soldiers to commit these acts. | |||
| Following World War II, ] "death volunteers" were used against the ] ] ]. | |||
| In ] in the hall of the ] in ] (]), three Japanese used ]s and ]s to kill 26 people and wound more than a hundred. The group belonged to the ] (JRA) a terrorist organization created in ] and ] to the ] (PFLP). Until then, no group involved in terrorism had conducted such a suicide operation in Israel. Members of the JRA became instructors in ] and ] operations at several ] training camps bringing the suicide techniques to the ]. | |||
| ===1980s to present=== | |||
| Lebanon, during ], saw the first modern suicide bombing: the ]'s ]ing of the Iraqi ] in ], in December ]. ]'s ] and ] in October 1983 brought suicide bombings international attention. Other parties to the civil war were quick to adopt the tactic, and by ] factions such as Hezbollah, the ], the ], and the ] had carried out around 50 suicide bombings between them. (The latter of these groups sent the first ] in ]. Female combatants have existed throughout human history and in many different societies, so it is possible that females who engage in suicidal attacks are not new.) Hezbollah was the only one to attack overseas, ] (and possibly the ]) in ]; as its military and political power have grown, it has since abandoned the tactic. | |||
| Lebanon saw the first bombing, but it was the ] who perfected the tactic and inspired its use elsewhere. Their ] unit have committed between 76 and 168 (estimates vary) suicide bombings since ], using more than 240 attackers. Their victims included former ] ] (killed by ]), many prominent Lankan leaders (among them the late PM ]), ]'s ], and even ]s. | |||
| In ], in the early ], the ] forced men to become suicide bombers by threatening their families. The men were forced to drive vehicles containing bombs at ] or ] bases. | |||
| Suicide bombing has, since ], been a particularly popular tactic amongst some ] groups, including ], ], and the ]. Bombers affiliated with these groups often use so-called "]", ]s (often including ]) designed to be strapped to the body under clothing. In order to maximize the loss of life, the bombers may seek out cafés or city ] crowded with people at ], or less commonly a military target (for example, soldiers waiting for transport at roadside). By seeking enclosed locations, a successful bomber usually kills a number of people. | |||
| Palestinian ] has aired a number of ] and announcements that ] ] reward for children who seek "'']''" , which ''Palestinian Media Watch'' has claimed is "Islamic motivation of suicide terrorists". '']'' has documented the concern of Palestinian parents that their children are encouraged to take part in suicide operations. Israeli sources have also alleged that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah operate "Paradise Camps," training children as young as 11 to become suicide bombers. | |||
| The ] involved the ] of large passenger ]s which were deliberately flown into the towers of the ] in ] and ], killing everyone aboard the planes and thousands more in and around the targeted buildings, thus making it one of the most destructive suicide attacks in history. The passenger jets selected were required to be fully fueled to fly cross-country, turning the planes themselves into the largest suicide bombs in history. The 'September 11' attacks also had a vast economic and political impact: for the cost of the lives of the 19 hijackers and financial expenditure of around US$100,000, ], the ] ] group responsible for the attacks, effected a trillion-dollar drop in global markets within one week, and triggered massive increases in military and security expenditure in response. | |||
| In ] ], ] attempted to destroy the ] by the means of a bomb hidden in a shoe. He was arrested after his attempt was foiled when he was unable to light the bomb's ]. | |||
| After the ]-led ], ] carried out waves of suicide bombings. They attacked ] targets, although many civilian targets (eg. ] ]s, international offices of the ] and the ], Iraqi men waiting to apply for jobs with the new army and ] force) were also attacked. In the lead up to the ], on ], ], suicide attacks upon civilian and security personnel involved with the ]s increased, and there were reports of the insurgents co-opting disabled people as involuntary suicide bombers . | |||
| ] caught on CCTV at ] ] at 07:21 BST on July 7, 2005. From left to right, ], ], ], and ] . (Image: ])]] | |||
| Suicide bombings have occurred in more than 30 countries: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. (Suicide planes were also used in the ]). | |||
| ==Range of opinions== | |||
| World leaders, especially those of countries that experience suicide bombings, usually express resolve to continue on their previous course of affairs after such attacks. They denounce suicide bombings and sometimes vow not to let such bombings deter ordinary people from going about their everyday business. | |||
| Suicide bombings in ] are usually followed by ]s. As a successful suicide bomber cannot be targeted, the response is often ] of the ], ], or ] from which the bomber came. Under the claim that such individuals and groups gave support to the suicide bomber, Israel often retaliates with military strikes against individuals as well as ]. In the ] the ] usually ] homes that belong to families whose children have volunteered for such missions. There are reports in the Israeli press about families who turned in their children after learning about a possible suicide bombing attack, fearful their house would be demolished. | |||
| The effectiveness of suicide bombings—notably those of the Japanese ]s, the Palestinian bombers, and even the September 11, 2001 attacks—is debatable. | |||
| Although kamikaze attacks could not stop the ] advance the ], they inflicted more casualties and delayed the fall of ] for longer than might have been the case using only the conventional methods available to the ]. Subsequently, Japanese leaders acknowledged the great cost in losing many of their best young men in these actions. The attacks reinforced the resolution of the ] Allies to destroy the Imperial force, and may have had a significant effect in the decision to use ] against ]. | |||
| In the case of the September 11th attacks, the long-term effects remain to be seen, but in the short-to-medium term, the results were profoundly negative for Al-Qaeda as well as for the ]. Furthermore, since the September 11 attacks, Western nations have diverted massive resources towards stopping similar actions, as well as tightening up ]s, and military actions against various countries that the ] and its allies believe to have been involved with terrorism. However critics of the ] suggest that in fact the results were profoundly positive, as the proceeding actions of the ] and other countries has increased the number of recruits, and their willingness to carry out suicide bombings. | |||
| It is more difficult to determine whether Palestinian suicide bombings have proved to be a successful tactic. In the ], the suicide bombers were repeatedly deployed since the ]. | |||
| In ], the Israelis elected the conservative candidate ] who promised to restore safety by conditioning every step in the ] on Israel's assessment of the ]'s fulfillment of its obligations in curbing violence as outlined in the Oslo agreements. | |||
| In the course of ] which followed the collapse of the ] summit between the ] and Israel, the number of suicide attacks drastically increased. In response, ] ] its army in order to seal off the ] and reinstate military control of the ], patrolling the area with ]s. The Israelis also began a campaign of targeted ]s to kill ] Palestinian leaders, using jets and ]s to deploy ]. | |||
| The suicide missions, having killed hundreds and maimed thousands of Israelis, are believed by some to have brought on a move to the political right, increasing public support for hard-line policies towards the Palestinians, and a government headed by the former ], ] ]. In response to the suicide bombings, Sharon's government has imposed restrictions on the Palestinian community, making commerce, travel, school, and other aspects of life difficult for the Palestinians, with the average Palestinian suffering due to the choices of the suicide bombers. The ] under construction seem to be part of the Israeli government's efforts to stop suicide bombers from entering Israel proper. | |||
| Social support by some for this activity remained, however, as of the calling of a truce at the end of June ]. This may be due to the economic or social purpose of the suicide bombing and the bombers' refusal to accept external judgements on those who sanction them. | |||
| If the objective is to kill as many people as possible, suicide bombing by terrorists may thus "work" as a tactic in that it costs fewer lives than any conventional military tactic and targeting unarmed civilians is much easier than targeting soldiers. As an objective designed to achieve some form of favorable outcome, especially a political outcome, most believe it to be a failure. Terrorist campaigns involving the targeting of civilians have never won a war. Analysts believe that in order to win or succeed, any guerrilla or terrorist campaign must first transform into something more than a guerrilla or terrorist movement. Such analysts believe that a terrorist cause has little political attraction and success may be achieved only by renouncing terrorism and transforming the passions into politics. | |||
| Often extremists assert that, because they are outclassed militarily, suicide bombings are necessary. For example, the former leader of ] ] stated: "Once we have warplanes and missiles, then we can think of changing our means of legitimate self-defense. But right now, we can only tackle the fire with our bare hands and sacrifice ourselves." <ref>Quoted in ], ''Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror'' (New York: Columbia University Press, 2005) p. 3-4.</ref> | |||
| Such views are challenged both from the outside and from within Islam. According to Islamic jurist and scholar ], | |||
| <blockquote>The classical jurists, nearly without exception, argued that those who attack by stealth, while targeting noncombatants in order to terrorize the resident and wayfarer, are corrupters of the earth. "Resident and wayfarer" was a legal expression that meant that whether the attackers terrorize people in their urban centers or terrorize travelers, the result was the same: all such attacks constitute a corruption of the earth. The legal term given to people who act this way was ''muharibun'' (those who wage war against society), and the crime is called the crime of ''hiraba'' (waging war against society). The crime of ''hiraba'' was so serious and repugnant that, according to Islamic law, those guilty of this crime were considered enemies of humankind and were not to be given quarter or sanctuary anywhere. | |||
| ... | |||
| Those who are familiar with the classical tradition will find the parallels between what were described as crimes of ''hiraba'' and what is often called terrorism today nothing short of remarkable. The classical jurists considered crimes such as assassinations, setting fires, or poisoning water wells - that could indiscriminately kill the innocent - as offenses of ''hiraba''. Furthermore, hijacking methods of transportation or crucifying people in order to spread fear and terror are also crimes of ''hiraba''. Importantly, Islamic law strictly prohibited the taking of hostages, the mutilation of corpses, and torture.<ref>]: ''The Great Theft. Wrestling Islam from the Extremists'' (HarperCollins 2005. ISBN 0060563397) p.243</ref></blockquote> | |||
| === The Islamist View === | |||
| According to Professor Charles A. Kimball, chair of the Department of Religion at ] in ], "There is only one verse in the Qur'an that contains a phrase related to suicide", Verse 4:29 of the ]. It reads "O you who believe! Do not consume your wealth in the wrong way-rather through trade mutually agreed to, and do not kill yourselves. Surely God is Merciful toward you", but some commentators believe that the phrase "do not kill yourselves" is better translated "do not kill each other", and some translations (e.g. ]) reflect that. Mainstream Islamic groups such as the European Council for Fatwa and Research use the Quran'ic verse Al-Anam 6:151 ("And take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law") as further reason to prohibit suicide.. In addition, the '']'' unambiguously forbid suicide. | |||
| The Qur'an has several passages related to violence, such as: | |||
| "When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them." | |||
| "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleager them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem" | |||
| Nevertheless, there is no universal condemnation against suicide bombings in Islam, and there has never been any Muslim protest against terrorism. Some mainstream Muslim clerics, while condemning the ], have stated that under certain circumstances Islamic suicide bombings are justified. For example, Sayed Mohammed Musawi, head of the World Islamic League in London, insisted "there should be a clear distinction between the suicide bombing of those who are trying to defend themselves from occupiers, which is something different from those who kill civilians, which is a big crime." However some Muslims believe suicide attacks are generally forbidden by Islam. It is understood that the individuals undertaking suicide bombings (or "martyrdom operations") are simply following what they understand to be their Islamic duty, and regard their own lives in this world as less important compared to the next, eternal life. The radical schools of Islam teach that such a "martyrdom operation" may result in them being rewarded, by Allah, with Paradise (]) and rewards such as 72 ] in the afterlife. That is, they are willing to sacrifice their own life in the hope of becoming a Shaheed, a martyr. | |||
| Furthermore, Islamist militant organisations (including ], ] and ]) argue that martyrdom operations are justified according to Islamic law, despite Islam's strict prohibition of suicide and murder . ], in a conversation with one leader of Islamic Jihad noted their ideology. | |||
| <blockquote>"What's the difference between suicide, which the Koran condemns, and martyrdom?" I asked. "Suicide," he replied, "is done out of despair. But remember: most of our martyrs today were very successful in their earthly lives." In short, there was a future to live for--and they detonated it anyway.</blockquote> | |||
| Since the four suicide bombings in London on July 7 2005, there have been many scholastic refutations of suicide bombings from Sunni Muslims. Ihsanic Intelligence, a London-based Islamic think-tank, published their two-year study into suicide bombings in the name of Islam, titled 'The Hijacked Caravan', which concluded that, "The technique of suicide bombing is anathema, antithetical and abhorrent to Sunni Islam. It is considered legally forbidden, constituting a reprehensible innovation in the Islamic tradition, morally an enormity of sin combining suicide and murder and theologically an act which has consequences of eternal damnation." The Oxford-based Malayist jurist, Shaykh Muhammad Shaykh Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti, issued his landmark fatwa on suicide bombing and targeting innocent civilians, titled 'Defending the Transgressed, by Censuring the Reckless against the Killing of Civilians', where he states suicide bombing in its most widespread form, is forbidden: 'If the attack involves a bomb placed on the body or placed so close to the bomber that when the bomber detonates it the bomber is certain to die, then the More Correct Position according to us is that it does constitute suicide. This is because the bomber, being also the Maqtul , is unquestionably the same Qatil = Qatil Nafsahu " | |||
| In January of 2006, one of ]'s highest ranking ] clerics, ] also decreed a ] against suicide bombing, declaring it as a "terrorist act". | |||
| == Usage and related terms == | |||
| The usage of the term "suicide bombing" dates back to at least ]. An ], ] ] article mentions the term in relation to ] tactics. A ], ] article refers to a Japanese attempt at a "suicide bombing" on an American carrier. ] (London) of April 15, 1947, page 2, refers to a new pilotless, radio-controlled rocket missile thus: "Designed originally as a counter-measure to the Japanese 'suicide-bomber,' it is now a potent weapon for defence or offence." | |||
| The quotes are in the original and suggest that the phrase was an existing one. An earlier article (Aug 21, 1945, page 6) refers to a ] plane as a "suicide-bomb." | |||
| The term with the meaning "an attacker blowing up himself or a vehicle to kill others" appeared in ] when it was used in an ] article to describe the bombing of the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut. | |||
| In order to assign either a more positive or negative connotation to the act, suicide bombing is sometimes referred to by different terms. Islamists often call the act a ''isshtahad'' (meaning '']''), and the suicide bomber a ''shahid'' (pl. ''shuhada'', literally 'witness' and usually translated as 'martyr'). The term denotes one who died in order to testify his faith in ], for example those who die while waging '']''; it is applied to suicide bombers, by the ] among others, in part to overcome Islamic strictures against suicide. This term has been embraced by ], ], ] and other Palestinian factions engaging in suicide bombings. (The title is by no means restricted to suicide bombers and can be used for a wide range of people, including innocent victims; ], for example, is among the most famous ''shuhada'' of the Intifada, and even a few non-Palestinians such as ] and ] have been called ''shahid''.) | |||
| ==="Homicide bombing"=== | |||
| Some effort has been made to replace the term ''suicide bombing'' with the term '''''homicide bombing'''''. The first such use was by ] ] in April ] with the intent to emphasize the ] of the bomber's victims and also to de-emphasize any ] connotations associated with the term ''suicide''. | |||
| With the exceptions of '']'' and the '']'' (both owned by ] ]) the phrase is not used. The argument can be made that "homicide bombing" is a ] as it's not an accurate term and also a ] since "bombing" already implies the intent to kill so the adjective "homicide" adds no information, yet dropping the adjective "suicide" omits information about the specific tactic employed by the bomber. | |||
| == Notes == | |||
| <references/> | |||
| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == External links, resources, references == | |||
| * | |||
| * {{PDFlink}} | |||
| * by ] published in ] June 2003 | |||
| * Why do they do it, and what does Islam say about their actions? | |||
| * Fatwa against suicide bombing by Shaykh Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti | |||
| * - Suicide bomber profile and info | |||
| * How suicide bombing became not just a means but an end by ] in ] June 2002 | |||
| * Suicide Bombing Attacks Against Israeli Civilians | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * The Telegraph. | |||
| * - list of women terrorist-bombers. | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * - A web article | |||
| * ''Warning: Graphic Images'' | |||
| * By Abdassamad Clarke | |||
| * - 2006 Documentary by Pierre Rehov | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| * Rex Hudson (2002), ''Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why: The 1999 Government Report on Profiling Terrorists'', Lyons Press, ISBN 1585747548 | |||
| * Mia Bloom (2005), ''Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror'', Columbia University Press, ISBN 0231133200 | |||
| * ] (2005), '']'', Random House, ISBN 1400063175 | |||
| * Diego Gambetta, Editor (2005), ''Making Sense of Suicide Missions'', OUP, ISBN 0199276994 | |||
| * Farhad Khosrokhavar, translated by David Macey (2005), ''Suicide Bombers: Allah's New Martyrs'', Pluto Press, ISBN 0745322832 | |||
| *]. 1996. . | |||
| *]. 1966. ''Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu''. Da Capo Press. (References to suicide bombers on pages 352 and 368). | |||
| *M.R. Narayan Swamy. 1996. ''Tigers of Lanka: From Boys to Guerrillas'', 2nd Ed. Vijitha Yapa Bookshop (Colombo). | |||
| * Dr. Eyad Sarraj. "Why we have become Suicide Bombers". | |||
| * Gerhart Scheit. 2005. ''Suicide Attack'' ISBN 3-924627-87-8 (German) | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 19:17, 3 May 2006
we're sorry, but you are stupid. please leave, right now.