Study: Terrorists are motivated by Politics more than Religion

[Heat]

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politic...is-motives

What 95 percent of all suicide attacks have in common, since 1980, is not religion, but a specific strategic motivation to respond to a military intervention, often specifically a military occupation, of territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly. From Lebanon and the West Bank in the 80s and 90s, to Iraq and Afghanistan, and up through the Paris suicide attacks we’ve just experienced in the last days, military intervention—and specifically when the military intervention is occupying territory—that’s what prompts suicide terrorism more than anything else.

[Exian]

But then that's the fundamental difference between Islam and western religions; their religion and their politics are one in the same. And when radicalized, there is hardly a difference between the two.

[abaris]

I'm old enough to have witnessed Palestinian terror switch from leftist/nationalist to radical religious. It started to happen in 1987 with the first Intifada. Of course, it has some kind of political motivations. The only question that noone asks is, what are the superiors thinking? Are they using Djihad and religion merely as a tool or are they believing what their propaganda is about.

There's that old saying of Know thy enemy. You can shorten it to brains before brawns. This is what's sorely missing when combatting terrorism.

[Anomalocaris]

But then that's the fundamental difference between Islam and western religions; their religion and their politics are one in the same. And when radicalized, there is hardly a difference between the two.

Not really. The political condition facing People of Islamic countries of the near east, both the chronic ones that have persisted since around 1948, and periodically accute ones, created a moral exhaustion and disillusionment with the potential for secular forces to address the problems, that allowed religion to appear to offer a deceptively easier, clearer and less ambigious solution.

The most effective and proactive means of addressing these problems between 1948 and around 1980 had been mostly secular throughout most of middleeast.

[The Grand Nudger]

Long been known.  The organiziers of a suicide attack rarely carry the bombs.  They have a political aim, a longer term plan.  They go get the devout ones to do the deed.

[Faith No More]

This seems like common sense, no?

[CapnAwesome]

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.

[Minimalist]

The only question that noone asks is, what are the superiors thinking?

Something along the lines of "you go blow yourself up....I've have more important work to do."

[brewer]

Other than religion or politics have you considered other motives. If you discount monetary and materialism, especially by those running the show, you may be fooling yourselves.

[WinterHold]

Ever though about the term "easy way out" ?
A lost of westerners don't even know the hell most Middle Eastern people live in, since the 40s. You guessed that right : since Sykes-Picot agreement.

The regular Middle Eastern is treated like an animal; a cow, only used to bring income to some warlords.
The local warlords get their arms from the west.

So typically, lots of people grow a severe complex of hate towards both the warlords, and of course : their supporters who happen to be westerners.
In moments of anger, there is no difference between a French and a British : they all "look western; they all look like the supporters of the Arab warlords".

Never wondered, why China & Japan are so faraway from the Muslim terrorism? they support nobody in the region, that's why less people hate them.

Religion is only a background song, that adds romanticism to the blow.
Since immigration is so hard, and promises of a better life are so rare, some people decide to blow themselves up taking with them the warlords & their supporters from the west.

It's an easy equation.