Individual suicide bombers are difficult to detect and apprehend, therefore governments plagued by these attacks are better served by convincing the leaders of terrorist groups not to conduct such campaigns. To accomplish this, however, government leaders must understand exactly what motivates a terror group to turn to this method of attack in the first place. The central question of this thesis is: why have terrorist organizations chosen to use suicide bombing at some points in their struggles but not in others? Terrorist leaders are influenced by the desire to increase the power, prestige, and legitimacy of their organizations, and by the tactical efficiency of suicide terrorism in the face of limited potential options. The desire to create an independent state or to remove "foreign infidels" from sacred lands is also a powerful motivator that encourages the use of the suicide bombing tactic. Finally, a permissive environment is necessary to sustain the campaign and to allow the accomplishment of its objectives. The importance of this permissive environment to start, accelerate, or sustain a suicide bombing campaign cannot be overstated. It is the single most important factor in determining whether suicide violence will take root. If suicide attacks do not resonate with the desired population, the perpetrating organization will seek other methods to achieve its objectives.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
