Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism

[...]For those not inclined to read the article above, entitled "Obama's Inheritance: Al-Qaeda in Retreat", it details the al-Qaida leaders eliminated in the course of the Bush administrations much maligned and misnamed "war on terror" and the fall in popular support for al-Qaeda and Muslim extremism in Islamic countries and populations. The results? Not only have many of al-Qaeda's leaders met their virgins, many of those who remained in the jihadist movement and much support has turned against the organization. Popular opinion in most of the Middle East has dramatically turned against jihadism, extremist Wassabism, and life under fundamentalist Sharia law.Pape's thesis is that the presence of foreign troops fuels nationalism, manifested as suicidal terrorist jihadism in Muslim nations. He specifically cites Israel's occupation of Lebanon and the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also included in his analysis is the Tamil Tiger movement in Sri Lanka, which appears oddly anomalous and gratuitous, as the only non-Muslim organization practicing suicide terrorism in modern times. Its inclusion against the multitude of Islamic extremist groups employing suicide terrorism seems only intended to show that suicide terrorism is not a uniquely Muslim pathology. Ironically, the Tamil Tigers lonely anomalous example seems to prove the opposite.The evidence of the last 4 years drastically undercuts that thesis. US troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the level of resentment that, according to Pape, should result from occupation (the presence of infidels in the Umma al-Islam), has subsided. Iraq under Nouri al-Maliki has stabilized. And even the Tamil Tigers are now defeated and Sri Lanka is peaceful.Hindsight is 20/20, and Pape's thesis would have appeared far more plausible from the vantage point of 2005 than it does at present. That's why I give the book 2 stars.Pape's inclusion of the ancient Israeli Sicarii of the 1st centuries BC and AD, along with Japanese Kamikaze from WW2 and the Shiite Ismaili (Assasins) of the 11th century as examples of pre-cursor suicide terrorist movements seems gratuitous. What do an ancient movements with no modern antecedents have to do with the thesis, except that this group was Israeli? It seems only to serve as a device to morally stain modern Israel and Jews as equally susceptible to the same tactics used so ubiquitously by their Muslim extremist enemies.For that reason, I believe, as some allege in these reviews, that Pape's analysis is deliberately skewed and conclusion is reached to prove a preconceived notion about occupation, especially with regard to American and Israeli policies in the Middle East. It tinges the analysis with the whiff of anti-semitism, since the historical background in the preface seems of little purpose in the service of proving his thesis. However, it is not provable that Pape has that preconception.Even if Pape is guilty of designing his analysis to fit preconceptions, "Dying to Win" can be viewed as a plausible historical analysis and thesis. Nonetheless, in light of subsequent events, the book should be close to discredited today.

Being an Arab and a Muslim from a conservative Gulf state, I must say, this book truly represents how and why "suicide terrorism," (although it's commonly known here as "martyrdom operations,") is supported, sympathized with and (in rare instances) celebrated in this part of the world.Robert Pape did a brilliant job in researching this critical topic. I do not think he was particularly sympathetic toward any of the causes (or cases) he had covered in his book. He simply shared a narrative in an unbiased manner to prove his points. In fact, in his conclusion, it seemed Pape's main concern was to come up with a more effective approach to secure US interests that will not trigger retaliatory suicide attacks.The information provided in this book is considered common sense in this part of the world (countries where "terrorists" supposedly come from), but the statistical facts presented in this book make it an original, praiseworthy work.Are all those people who engage in or support "suicide terrorism" disturbed or perhaps uneducated? Do they come from underprivileged backgrounds? The research done by Dr Pape may provide unexpected answers (to some). Is it really religion that drives people into committing an act of indiscriminate terror? I always thought that at least half the time, the answer is no. The book proved my assumption to be true.I recommend this book be part of your book-collection if you are interested in knowing why "suicide terrorism" is popular in this part of the world, and why some Arabs and Muslims - Easterners, to be more accurate - support it.

Pape gives us an eye opening study of the history of suicide terroists.While our mainsrtream media has portrayed these people as religiousextremist, Pape's investigtion into the lives of over 400 reviel theirpolitical as opposed to religious agenda. In a world where one countrymaintains military superiority over all other countries , our militaryexperts concede that the only option for a weaker military force are resistencemovements employing terrorist tactics.Military experts may also concede thatterrorism comes with the territory of being the global superpower and an occupierof another nation.Reverting to suicide attacks starting in 1988 in Lebonon according to the authorchanged the world.He also offers some realistic options for negoitiating our way outof the Iraqi fiasco.

This was a really interesting and I thought it provided a relatively well thought out thesis. Spoiler alert (see below):He mixes both empirical statistics (quantitative) and qualitative data (case studies) to form his thesis. Pape examines 500 and something examples of suicide terrorism up until 2010 or so. He basically assumes the position that suicide terrorism is caused by foreign occupation and people feeling repressed either socially, academically, culturally, economically, spiritually, or a combination of the aforementioned.

Very interesting book. A little long winded on some topics, and written more like a thesis paper where the author explains a topic up front in each chapter, and then exhaustively proves the topic in the chapter. Great subject, could have been written better, published just as the Iraq was was starting, so it needs an update.

Everything we "know" about suicide terrorism is dead wrong. That is the most succint way to put it.We are completely wrong and we need to rethink RIGHT NOW how America is going to fight terrorism if it does not understand it.Pape finally puts forward a thesis which has explanatory power not only over Muslim suicide terrorism but suicide terrorism throughout the entire world. This is a must-read for anyone, their parents, and their communities.

Unlike most works on suicide terrorism children book almost completely & utterly (and quite rightly) ignores the philosophical/theological attempts at the explanation of the phenomenon, in its place he utilises statistical analysis on an exhaustive volume of data, comparative study of cases spanning various cultures, religions, ideoligies and nations and interviewing many suicide bombers, obviously failed ones, as well as critically analysing their rhetoric & propaganda. The conclusions are valuable for policy makers but it is for the best if the plebs are kept in the dark about this since it might prove harder to whip them up into an agreeable mood to enable our state to successfully carry out policies in differing circumstances.

explains and makes you understand.

Very honest book !Robert showed in his definitive account of the motivations of such attacks , based on surveys of every sucicide bombing since 1980, RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF ANY KIND IS NEITHER NECCESSARY NOR SUFFICIENT TO CREATE SUICIDE BOMBERS! Pape concluded that the FUNDAMENTAL MOTIVATION IS POLITICAL !!

This is a very nice book. I hope that most people have time to read it. It gives you a clear vision regarding the main factors behind committing Suicide bombers...

本書は自爆テロという手法の戦略的側面について分析した貴重な研究である。根拠となるデータは膨大であり、極めて説得力がある。データがあるため文章もわかりやすい。現代の「戦争」を理解する貴重な研究である。