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What Drives Suicide Bombers?

(Chicago Sun-Times) Steven Gutkin - As the pace of suicide attacks increases in the Middle East and beyond, a surprising profile is emerging of those willing to take their own lives: Many are young, middle class, and educated. Many of today's suicide bombers, especially in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, come from societies where many people condone the action, making it easier to execute. Recent studies have debunked some common misperceptions about suicide bombers: that most are poor, that they're in it for personal revenge, that they're crazy and uneducated. Nearly four-fifths of all suicide attacks in the last 35 years have happened since 9/11, according to the RAND Center for Terrorism Risk Management. And 80% of those have been carried out by radical Islamic groups.
2005-10-07 00:00:00
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