The Cult Of The Suicide Bomber Full Documentary

Suicide bombing is an explosive attack on people or property where the perpetrator knows they will kill themselves in the action. Attacking both military and civilian targets, the bombers' random destruction of innocent lives on public transport, in cafés, markets and discotheques evokes horror and outrage.

Today, suicide bombings are particularly associated with Islamic organisations in Iraq and Palestine, and the shadowy Al Qaeda organisation. Al Qaeda was responsible for the devastating attack on New York's twin towers in September 2001. Suicide bombings have featured in national conflicts, especially in the Middle East, since the 1980s.

Suicide terror, however, has a longer pedigree. Perpetrators include Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and atheists.

* In biblical times the captured Samson brought a temple down, crushing himself and many more Philistines.


* In Roman-occupied Judea, nearly 2,000 years ago, Jewish Zealots called Sicari led suicide missions against their oppressors.


* During the Crusades the Christian Knights Templar destroyed their own ship killing 140 Christians but vastly more Muslims.


* In World War II, Japanese 'kamikaze' pilots, and 'kaitens' – piloted torpedoes – attacked American warships.


* The Viet Minh used suicide attacks in their war to liberate Vietnam.


* In May 1991 Indian Head of State, Rajiv Ghandi, was assassinated in a suicide bombing carried out by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers.

Is there a pattern?

American political scientist, Robert Pape, has analysed nearly 500 suicide missions since the 1980s. A high proportion – 76 bombings – were perpetrated by the Tamil Tigers, secular Marxists from Hindu families seeking self-determination in their homeland.

Pape believes that 95% of suicide bombings are driven more by strategic objectives – the withdrawal of military/occupying forces – than by religion. They are more likely to occur, though, when there is a religious antagonism between the occupier and occupied, as in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine/Israel and Chechnya. This antagonism allows terrorists and occupiers to demonise each other.

The purpose of suicide terrorism is to inflict high casualties at 'low cost', disrupt transport and the economy, and create a climate of fear that pressurises governments to change policy. Such attacks have a high media impact and demonstrate the victims' vulnerability. Military historians see suicide bombings as a symptom of 'asymmetric warfare', where one side lacks the means to engage in conventional war but alters the balance of victims through unconventional tactics.

For such acts to occur, though, the perpetrators need to have a completely dehumanised view of their enemy – and of themselves.

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