Understanding suicide terrorism

Understanding Suicide Terrorism aims to explore the different aspects involved in suicide terrorism for a better understanding of the tactic which has become a global phenomenon and threat today. The book aims to help inform holistic policy making by tracing the evolution of the use of suicide as a weapon in conflict and the emergence of modern-day suicide terrorism. The book uses case studies of prominent terror outfits to have used the tactic rather confidently and consistently and suggests that suicide terrorism must be understood as the interplay of three vital components--the individual committing the act, the organization employing the tactic and, the state environment contributing to the culture of suicide terrorism. Subsequently, a purely weapons-based approach to counter terrorism cannot be relied upon to solve a threat such as suicide terrorism which is so deeply ingrained in ideology and symbolism. The book comes at a time when suicide terrorism has been one of the most potent and effective tools for individuals and entities to achieve what they perceive as goals and shall inevitably remain a challenge for policy makers and security establishments to deal with. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

The book is a comprehensive compilation of articles by experts in the field of suicide terrorism from across the world and across disciplines with a focus on suicide missions. It provides an insightful perspective on suicide terror as a phenomenon and as a process, and suggests psychosocial pathways for understanding the enigma that suicide terror poses. Understanding Suicide Terrorism delves upon the enigmatic issue of suicide terrorism. The book is an interdisciplinary multi-faceted venture that brings together scholarly work from across the world, across cultures and societies on the issue of suicide terror. The common thread weaving through all the articles is the notion of suicide terror as a complex phenomenon that defies easy explanation, prediction or controllability. Informed by theoretical stances of not only psychological sciences, but other social sciences like political science, criminology, military and sociology the book is an insightful reading. --Provided by publisher.

Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Dedication; Acknowledgements; Preface; Introduction; 1: Understanding Definitions; 2: The Origins of Suicide Terrorism: A Historical Overview; 3: Dimensions of the Phenomenon; 4: Analysing Suicide Terrorism through Case Studies: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Al Qaeda; 5: Analysing Suicide Terrorism Through Anti-India Terror Groups: Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad; 6: Evaluating the Vulnerabilities of States Dealing with Suicide Terrorism; 7: Conclusion; Index