Study: Terrorists are motivated by Politics more than Religion

[abaris]

Suicide terrorism isn't the same thing as terrorism. I'd imagine that the study examines suicide terrorism in particular because they are trying to make this point to start with and set the parameters to include the Tamil Tigers. I don't think that a knowledgeable political science professor chose that 1980 date by coincidence, nor limited the study to 'suicide attacks' by coincidence. These are the results he wanted to get from the start and manipulated his parameters to get them. Which makes them pretty worthless, if you ask me.

1979/80 is one of the big watersheds. It coincides with the revolution in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with the mindless western support of any group willing to fight the invaders. It also roughly covers the start of the war between Iran and Iraq.

Before that, terror was a tool to achieve certain goals and suicide along with killing hostages was the last option. Now, Islamist terror is merely for terror's sake. There's still a larger plan behind it, but the terrorists sent abroad are no longer concerned with any getaway plans. In their majority.

Japanese kamikaze pilots were motivated by patriotism and the understanding that they had virtually no chance of surviving an encounter with the US Navy. Making themselves into a guided missile was a chance to accomplish something other than being shot down by the combat air patrol or anti-aircraft fire.

The simplistic assumption of one plane and one pilot for one warship and countless troops. But there was more in the ideological play at that time. Shintoism played some role as did the code of the Samurais. But most of the pilots were drafted into being volunteers. And the few survivors spoke out about the methods used to force them to sign up for suicide missions.