Suicide bomber myth debunked
New research debunks myths about suicide bombers
Many attackers volunteer for their missions
April 10, 2006
By Kristin Solberg
Special to The Daily Star
BEIRUT: "I don't intend to kill innocents, and I take precautions. I left the vegetable market and didn't detonate because of the presence of women and children." Those are the words of a 26-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber, captured by the Israelis as he left the market.
The 26-year-old's unwillingness to kill civilians is not uncommon among Palestinian suicide bombers, research by Nichole Argo, a doctoral candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, suggests.
Argo interviewed 15 pre-empted bombers, three would-be bombers, two senders and over 70 of their families between 2002 and 2005. Her findings suggest that many common perceptions of the recruitment and the ideology of suicide bombers are misleading. Suicide bombers, she says, are not: a) recruited by organizations and exploited or coerced into action, b) indoctrinated or brainwashed, c) psychopaths without regard for civilian life.
"Every bomber you will ever talk to will say 'we are doing this in defense. They started the war.' They are not willing to kill somebody outside the frame of defense," said Argo, who is soon to present her findings in a book for popular consumption entitled "The Human Bombs."
Curiously, however, many of her interviewees acknowledged that their actions often hurt Palestinians by bringing Israeli reprisal. Still, they claim it is worth it, for emotional effects as much as strategy.
Argo explained, "What the bombers say is, 'I did it to deter [the Israelis]. They need to feel our pain. If they feel our pain, they won't hurt us again.'"
As well as acting as a pain equalizer, the suicide bombings also prove to the Israelis that the Palestinians are still up for a fight, and it "makes the [Palestinian] camp happy."
"I believe[d] the operation would hurt the enemy ... Also, [a] successful mission greatly influences society. It raises the morale of the people; they are happy, they feel strong," a 19-year old bomber, interviewed by Argo, said.
Contrary to popular conception, many suicide bombers volunteer for their missions rather than being recruited by organizations. Half the bombers Argo interviewed had sought out an organization solely for assistance in carrying out their mission. Moreover, most of the bombers had not previously been actively involved in the intifada.
"I remember very well the moment I decided to execute an operation," a 26-year-old bomber said. "I was in the mosque reading the Koran and something inside of me pushed me to turn to one of the leaders - a prominent member of Islamic Jihad - and I told him that I gave my oath to God that he would help me in this decision."
Another bomber told of how he approached Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and asked permission to make an operation. The commander initially refused. "But in the end I convinced him," the 18-year-old bomber said.
Most bombers, Argo's study suggests, also carry out their mission within one month of deciding, and one third of the bombers interviewed even began their mission within 10 days, weakening claims that suicide bombers are indoctrinated or "brainwashed."
Another repeated claim about suicide bombers is that they are desperate psychopaths, with a complete disregard for civilian life. However, Argo found that all the bombers in her study had spent a lot of time choosing and justifying their targets. Seven of the bombers chose their own targets, with four of them choosing military sites to avoid killing civilians.
"Every single one I spoke to had spent a lot of time thinking about what is just and what is fair," Argo said. "Half said they wouldn't mind hitting civilians, using arguments like 'our civilians die more.'"
For them, the distinction between soldiers and civilians had ceased to have meaning since they were fighting an enemy that appeared not to see this distinction.
However, the other half of the bombers interviewed refused to kill civilians. A 37-year-old bomber said, "I could have done a much larger number if I executed the mission among citizens in the central bus station of Tel Aviv, but I didn't do it because I wanted to kill only soldiers."
Another, aged 24, said, "when a kid is being killed here or there, this is distressing. He is killed incidentally with no intent. I do not intend to kill children."
What, then, makes a suicide bomber? Part of the answer, Argo's research suggest, lies in social networks. To prove this, Argo compared the second intifada communities of Nablus, home to 25 percent of Palestinian suicide bombers, and Ramallah, home to only two percent, to examine exactly what set the communities apart.
"I think it is the social networks. One thing that is different is the community structures," Argo said.
Nablus is a much more densely knitted community than Ramallah.
"There is more face-to-face contact in Nablus. When you see those you care about every single day, there might be more of an emotional burden to do something to help the situation and join the resistance."
http://tinyurl.com/lngyt
Many attackers volunteer for their missions
April 10, 2006
By Kristin Solberg
Special to The Daily Star
BEIRUT: "I don't intend to kill innocents, and I take precautions. I left the vegetable market and didn't detonate because of the presence of women and children." Those are the words of a 26-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber, captured by the Israelis as he left the market.
The 26-year-old's unwillingness to kill civilians is not uncommon among Palestinian suicide bombers, research by Nichole Argo, a doctoral candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, suggests.
Argo interviewed 15 pre-empted bombers, three would-be bombers, two senders and over 70 of their families between 2002 and 2005. Her findings suggest that many common perceptions of the recruitment and the ideology of suicide bombers are misleading. Suicide bombers, she says, are not: a) recruited by organizations and exploited or coerced into action, b) indoctrinated or brainwashed, c) psychopaths without regard for civilian life.
"Every bomber you will ever talk to will say 'we are doing this in defense. They started the war.' They are not willing to kill somebody outside the frame of defense," said Argo, who is soon to present her findings in a book for popular consumption entitled "The Human Bombs."
Curiously, however, many of her interviewees acknowledged that their actions often hurt Palestinians by bringing Israeli reprisal. Still, they claim it is worth it, for emotional effects as much as strategy.
Argo explained, "What the bombers say is, 'I did it to deter [the Israelis]. They need to feel our pain. If they feel our pain, they won't hurt us again.'"
As well as acting as a pain equalizer, the suicide bombings also prove to the Israelis that the Palestinians are still up for a fight, and it "makes the [Palestinian] camp happy."
"I believe[d] the operation would hurt the enemy ... Also, [a] successful mission greatly influences society. It raises the morale of the people; they are happy, they feel strong," a 19-year old bomber, interviewed by Argo, said.
Contrary to popular conception, many suicide bombers volunteer for their missions rather than being recruited by organizations. Half the bombers Argo interviewed had sought out an organization solely for assistance in carrying out their mission. Moreover, most of the bombers had not previously been actively involved in the intifada.
"I remember very well the moment I decided to execute an operation," a 26-year-old bomber said. "I was in the mosque reading the Koran and something inside of me pushed me to turn to one of the leaders - a prominent member of Islamic Jihad - and I told him that I gave my oath to God that he would help me in this decision."
Another bomber told of how he approached Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and asked permission to make an operation. The commander initially refused. "But in the end I convinced him," the 18-year-old bomber said.
Most bombers, Argo's study suggests, also carry out their mission within one month of deciding, and one third of the bombers interviewed even began their mission within 10 days, weakening claims that suicide bombers are indoctrinated or "brainwashed."
Another repeated claim about suicide bombers is that they are desperate psychopaths, with a complete disregard for civilian life. However, Argo found that all the bombers in her study had spent a lot of time choosing and justifying their targets. Seven of the bombers chose their own targets, with four of them choosing military sites to avoid killing civilians.
"Every single one I spoke to had spent a lot of time thinking about what is just and what is fair," Argo said. "Half said they wouldn't mind hitting civilians, using arguments like 'our civilians die more.'"
For them, the distinction between soldiers and civilians had ceased to have meaning since they were fighting an enemy that appeared not to see this distinction.
However, the other half of the bombers interviewed refused to kill civilians. A 37-year-old bomber said, "I could have done a much larger number if I executed the mission among citizens in the central bus station of Tel Aviv, but I didn't do it because I wanted to kill only soldiers."
Another, aged 24, said, "when a kid is being killed here or there, this is distressing. He is killed incidentally with no intent. I do not intend to kill children."
What, then, makes a suicide bomber? Part of the answer, Argo's research suggest, lies in social networks. To prove this, Argo compared the second intifada communities of Nablus, home to 25 percent of Palestinian suicide bombers, and Ramallah, home to only two percent, to examine exactly what set the communities apart.
"I think it is the social networks. One thing that is different is the community structures," Argo said.
Nablus is a much more densely knitted community than Ramallah.
"There is more face-to-face contact in Nablus. When you see those you care about every single day, there might be more of an emotional burden to do something to help the situation and join the resistance."
http://tinyurl.com/lngyt
bin66 - 10. Mai, 01:21
