Suicide Terrorism

Conclusion
Efficiency in the numbers of killed, the fear generated, media coverage and low cost operations are some of the factors that encourage organization to promote suicide attacks. However, not all terrorist organizations choose to implement this strategy. One can reflect to the case of Northern Ireland where such terrorist strategies never gained popularity, and question whether the rationality to promote suicide attacks really lies within the strategic benefits of these operations? Perhaps, the rationality of promoting suicide attacks could be better explained by the fact it is easily justifiable in the context of martyrdom. This essay had attempted to explain how organizations perceive the use of suicide attacks and what motivates them to promote such tactics. Examples have been used to illustrate the issue, and views of scholars have been considered and referred to. Although it is clear that promotion of the suicide attacks will differ between organizations in terms of means and motives, it is also clear that this strategy works, and that the only way to reduce terrorist attacks is to make them less attractive to those who engage in such activities (Atran 2004: 83).

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