noodles said:In that part of the world? Yes. Remember, the guys that come up with the plan are not the guys that carry out the plan. The guys that carry out the plan have been brainwashed from an early age to be completely loyal and utterly unshakeable in faith.
Actually, the only real analysis of the patterns of suicide attacks shows just the opposite to be true. (Here's an Amazon link to the book.) That book was a real eye-opener for me - it's as rigorous as an analysis of that size data set can be, and suggests that we don't really understand the adversary - and that the adversary DOES understand us.
(edit: I should note that this book is rather controversial, but the analysis generally made sense to me, from a human motivation standpoint. It doesn't explain all incidents of suicide attacks - and doesn't claim to, despite what it's detractors say - but it does seem to help explain the general trend.)
bigsethmeister said:Wait a minute. You consider terrorist attacks wherein one commits suicide by blowing oneself up and killing innocent people a "successful strategy to bring about political change"?
There's a difference between a successful strategy and one I would undertake. The data shows it to have been successful in helping achieve political aims against militarility superior opponents, especially in Sri Lanka with the Tamil Tigers, and in Lebanon.