Suicide Bombing Operations

Issue No. 5 March 2007 Security & Terrorism Research Bulletin Suicide Bombing Operations During the last three years, the world has witnessed a notable upsurge in the number of suicide attacks, as well as in the geographical spread of this tactic. As the suicide bombers become more sophisticated and inventive in their tactics, the number of victims of suicide bombing attacks around the world has also increased significantly. Counter measures designed to combat suicide bombing have proven largely ineffective. This is now an acknow- ledged reality, and despite all national and international efforts, success in the field of preventive and preemptive measures has been limited. The research team at the Department of Security and Terrorism Studies at the GRC, which has produced this study, felt the need to analyze the suicide bombing phenomenon. As part of a Middle East-based think-tank, the researcher at the GRC is living and working within a regional environment that has become familiar with the terrible consequences of suicide operations. With this modest contribution, the researchers at the S&T department hope to add some knowledge that will help in understanding the suicide bombing phenomenon, and contribute to efforts of combating the same. Dr. Mustafa Alani Senior Advisor Director, Security and Terrorism Department Gulf Research Center w w w. g r c . a e TARGET THE GULF �� @�� Security & Terrorism Suicide Bombing Operations Research Bulletin Issue No. 5 March 2007 EDITORIAL CONTENTS Editor-in-Chief: Abdulaziz Sager Insights Editor: Nicole Stracke Assistant Editor: Radhika Menon n The Invention of Suicide Bombing as Senior Creative Designer: Susan Nteife “Strategic Instrument” Editorial Policy by Mustafa Alani ............................................................................ 4 The Security and Terrorism Research Bulletin n Iraq: is intended to contribute to a constructive Suicide Bombing as Tactical Means of Asymmetric Warfare discussion of critical security issues facing by Nicole Stracke ..........................................................................10 the Gulf Region. Articles, therefore, do not represent the opinion of the Gulf Research n Suicide Bombings: Center but that of the individual author. The The Case in Chechnya Security and Terrorism Research Bulletin is by Faryal Leghari .......................................................................... 21 published four times a year in both Arabic and English and can be read on the GRC website at n Suicide Bombings: www.grc.ae The Case of Sri Lanka by Sugeeswara Senadhira ........................................................... 32 © Gulf Research Center 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this n Suicide Terrorism: publication may be reproduced, stored in a The Case of Afghanistan retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by by Hekmat Karzai ......................................................................... 35 any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, n A New Paradigm of Suicide Attacks: recording or otherwise, without the prior written The Palestinian Case permission of the Gulf Research Center. by Munther S. Dajani ................................................................... 40 Published by Gulf Research Center Recent Events P.O. Box 80758 187 Oud Metha Tower, 11th Floor n Annual Conference: 303 Sheikh Rashid Road Gulf Yearbook 2006-2007 ............................................................ 43 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel.: +971 4 324 7770 Fax: +971 4 324 7771 GRC Latest Publications ..................................................... 46 Insights The Invention of Suicide Bombing as “Strategic Instrument”* Mustafa Alani Never before in human history have a few committed ordinary terrorist campaigns, guerilla warfare, urban warfare, and in individuals, employing cheap and primitive techniques, and battlefield confrontations. Besides, suicide bombing is also willing to sacrify themselves, been able to change or disturb used as an instrument of attack on individuals or groups, and the balance of power, generate horror, and intimidate and is considered suitable for conducting effective attacks on threaten both governments and societies as suicide bombers soft or hard targets, civilian and military alike. Apart from its ability to inflict physical damage resulting in mass destruction “Die to kill” is an old concept, but suicide bombing and death, suicide bombing has even greater psychological is a fairly new invention – or a modern innovation impact as an effective instrument to create mass terror and – in the art of warfare mass disruption. are doing today. The threat of suicide bombing today has The modern concept of suicide bombing centers around the developed to become a rapidly growing global challenge. tactic of using non-military instruments (human body, civilian Suicide bombing tactics are employed today as a prime vehicles, civilian planes, boats and even animals) to serve technique by many insurgent groups, operating in different as “moving and thinking bombs” deliberately employed in a parts of the world, and fighting for entirely different reasons surprise attack, on usually pre-selected targets. and diverse objectives. Suicide bombing never was, nor is an Islamic phenomenon, or a tactic exclusively related to the The suicide attacks on the US mainland on September 11, Islamic concept of Jihad, as there are many insurgent groups 2001 were the most devastating attack on record. The 9/11 belonging to other religions, as well as to secular groups who destructive attack involved no explosives or bombs, and even have been using suicide bombing as part of their military the hijacking of the four planes was done without using any strategy. kind of weapon. It was a notable example of evil investment in human imagination, innovation and human adaptability. “Die to kill” is an old concept, but suicide bombing is a The damage inflicted on the targeted structures (World Trade fairly new invention – or a modern innovation – in the art of Center and the Pentagon) was achieved by a combination of warfare. Some researchers try to claim that suicide terrorism three factors: accuracy in hitting the target, impact generated is an ancient tactic, simply by listing historical examples from by the speed of the plane, the explosion and fire generated by Samson’s suicidal destruction of a Philistine temple, the the ignition of a big amount of aviation fuel. activities of the legendary ‘Assassins’ during the Crusades, to the act of the Japanese kamikaze pilots during World War II. Apart from the many thousands of innocent victims of 9/11, Many of these writers wrongly associate the act of battlefield further available evidence indicates the evilness of the suicide suicide or suicide mission with the modern concept of suicide bombing tactic. The Iraqi experience is before us as the most bombing. horrifying one. From the intensity and frequency of suicide attacks that have taken place in Iraq since mid 2003, we Indeed, in just two decades suicide bombing has developed can assume that nearly half of the 300,000 or more Iraqis into a major instrument of asymmetric warfare. Suicide who have lost their lives could have fallen victims to suicide bombing tactics are effectively employed in conducting bombing attacks. In April 2006, Dr Aymen al-Zawahiri, al- attacks on land, sea, and air, and they are used as part of Qaeda’s second-in-command declared that the Iraqi branch * This article is based on a forthcoming study. 4 Issue No.5 - March 2007 of his organization (al-Qaeda in the Mesopotamia) alone has n The attacker is transported by his “handler” or by a colleague carried out 800 suicide bombing operations inside Iraq. This to, or near the site of the planned attack. figure covers the period of 28 months only (October 2003-April n Vehicle-borne bomb travels to the target’s location either 2006), and represents the activities of one group operating in alone or is escorted by another car to provide protection, Iraq. No reliable statistics are available to indicate the number guidance, and encouragement to the attacker. of suicide attacks carried out by, at least, four other major Iraqi insurgent groups which heavily employ the suicide bombing 2. Thinking Bomb Scenarios The 9/11 destructive attack involved no In most cases, after the operational command of the terrorist explosives or bombs, and even the hijacking of group has decided on the target and manner of the attack, the the four planes was done without using any kind “attacker” is in charge of deciding on a number of important of weapon factors contributing to the effectiveness of the attack, including: tactic as part of their operational strategy in Iraq. At the same n The final selection of the target among a number of pre- time, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman stated that 500 selected list of potential targets A, B, C. So the attacker will suicide bombing attacks occurred in Iraq, which is considered approach

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