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A Palestinian boy handing out sweets to celebrate the suicide attack on Dimona, earlier this month in Gaza. (Reuters)
Last update - 05:54 24/02/2008
Study: Palestinian suicide bombers 'not mentally unstable'
By Rhonda Spivak
Tags: terrorism, Palestinians 

TORONTO - In an extensive study of Palestinian suicide bombings, three University of Toronto researchers have concluded that the bombers were not psychologically unstable and were often motivated by personal vengeance, not religious zeal.

The study was carried out by political sociologist Robert Brym, with the assistance of two Ph.d students, Palestinian Bader Araj and Israeli Yael Maoz-Shai.

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Writing in the academic journal Social Forces, Brym noted, "The organizers of suicide attacks don't want to jeopardize their missions by recruiting unreliable people. It may be that some psychologically unstable people want to become suicide bombers, but insurgent organizations strongly prefer their cannons fixed."

He also found that the suicide bombers did not experience extraordinary high levels of economic deprivation.

Furthermore, in his study published in Contexts, Brym concluded that a majority of bombers, like Palestinian female lawyer, Hanadi Tayseer Jaradat, 29, who killed 21 civilians in a 2003 bombing at Maxim restaurant in Haifa, were "motivated by the desire for revenge and retaliation."

Jaradat acted to avenge the killings of her brother, an Islamic Jihad militant, and cousin by Israeli security forces.

Brym concluded, "In its origins and at its core, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religiously inspired, and suicide bombing, despite its frequent religious trappings, is fundamentally the expression of a territorial dispute." Brym and Araj identified the organizational affiliation of 133 out of 138 suicide bombers between September 2000 and July 2005. Sixty-four per cent were affiliated with Islamic fundamentalists groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, while the rest were aligned with secular groups such as Fatah.

In analyzing data pertaining to Israeli counterterrorist operations, Brym said "we do know that of the nearly 600 suicide missions launched in Israel and its occupied territories between 2000 and 2005, fewer than 25 percent succeeded in reaching their target. Israeli counterterrorist efforts thwarted three-quarters of them using violent means."

However, his study found that harsh repression can intensify bombings and prompt bombers to devise more lethal methods to achieve their aims.

"In general, severe repression can work for a while, but a sufficiently determined mass opposition will always be able to design new tactics to surmount new obstacles. One kind of 'success,' usually breeds another kind of 'failure' if the motivation of insurgents is high." In an interview, Brym said: "I'm no fan of Hamas, but I believe that Israel and Hamas at some point have to sit and negotiate."

In a paper to be published in Studies in Conflict on Terrorism this year, Araj concludes that harsh state repression "should not be perceived only as a reaction to suicide bombing" but "often precedes and is a major cause of suicide bombing."

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      1.   BRYM IS RIGHT 04:53  |  J. Schaefer 24/02/08
      2.   Bob Brym... 05:49  |  Ben Aderet 24/02/08
      3.   J. Schaefer 05:50  |  Gina 24/02/08
      4.   Jihad is not mentally unstable, they are mentally Deranged 06:08  |  Magnify 24/02/08
      5.   Stupid theory... it can go both ways 06:28  |  Moises 24/02/08
      6.   Glaring omission 06:49  |  Moshe 24/02/08
      7.   This is a scientific study 06:49  |  Ivan Kalmar 24/02/08
      8.   Suicide bombers 06:49  |  Martin Rudner 24/02/08
      9.   "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religiously inspired" ?? 07:01  |  redmike 24/02/08
      10.   1 - didn`t you read about attacks in Sinai and other places? 07:14  |  redmike 24/02/08
      11.   I think this should not be overblown 07:22  |  B. 24/02/08
      12.   The motivation of suicide bombers 07:33  |  Natallie Durson 24/02/08
      13.   Not crazy religious freaks ... oops 08:19  |  spyguy 24/02/08
      14.   Don`t blame the Palestinians 08:22  |  Londoner 24/02/08
      15.   Most Muslim Suicide Bombers Kill Other Muslims 08:34  |  Ben Israel 24/02/08
      16.   Interesting research method - ouija board 08:36  |  Ilan 24/02/08
      17.   TO GINA #3 08:45  |  J. Schaefer 24/02/08
      18.   The roots of the suicide attacks. 08:51  |  Jean Van Daem 24/02/08
      19.   The larger image 08:55  |  Michael Jacobs 24/02/08
      20.   And I don`t blame you Londoner.Living under Islamic boot 09:09  |  survival mode 24/02/08
      21.   J. Schaefer 09:12  |  Gina 24/02/08
      22.   Territorial dispute does not mean it has a solution 09:15  |  Gili 24/02/08
      23.   these idiots would be better employed as bakers 09:22  |  v hardman 24/02/08
      24.   # 12 - Natalie 09:25  |  Michael 24/02/08
      25.   Londerer - Those who embrace evil, commit evil 09:36  |  Gina 24/02/08
      26.   Gina 09:37  |  J. Schaefer 24/02/08
      27.   of course they are not "mentally unstable" 09:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/02/08
      28.   What about analysing the organisers Prof Brym? 09:44  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/02/08
      29.   Londoner 09:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/02/08
      30.   J. Schaefer 09:50  |  x-ray 24/02/08
      31.   J. Schaefer -- thanks for proving my point!! 10:03  |  Gina 24/02/08
      32.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:09  |  Gina 24/02/08
      33.   `not mentally unstable` 10:26  |  Ralph 24/02/08
      34.   Missing the main point ! 10:28  |  Edmond Danijean 24/02/08
      35.   Sounds like the whole study + conclusion is politically motivated 10:29  |  McQueen 24/02/08
      36.   " not religiously inspired" (?) 10:40  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      37.   " fewer than 25 percent succeeded" 10:46  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      38.   "harsh repression can intensify bombings" 10:59  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      39.   KUTW -- Hello Kim # 37 10:59  |  Gina 24/02/08
      40.   #32, Gina 11:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/02/08
      41.   Simple conclusion: "It`s the occupation stupid" 11:07  |  Hypocrisy Monitor 24/02/08
      42.   They are not mentally unstable... 11:08  |  Silvienne 24/02/08
      43.   #27, Cipora... 11:11  |  Silvienne 24/02/08
      44.   to all misguided posters KAMA KAZI 11:30  |  v hardman 24/02/08
      45.   Look at Kosovo! Islam is a political ideology as much as 11:38  |  a religion! 24/02/08
      46.   #27 Cipora, Re Vengeance is part of the culture & religion 11:43  |  Dutch 24/02/08
      47.   Silvienne 11:48  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/02/08
      48.   Silvienne 11:51  |  Gina 24/02/08
      49.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:53  |  Gina 24/02/08
      50.   every idiot knows this... 11:54  |  ravi 24/02/08
      51.   Religious instruction 11:55  |  Gina 24/02/08
      52.   39. Gina 12:04  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      53.   #43 Silvienne: you forgot something 12:07  |  AliciaYasmeen 24/02/08
      54.   42. Silvienne, justifying terrorism 12:09  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      55.   41. Hypocrisy Monitor: Simple conclusion 12:13  |  KUTW 24/02/08
      56.   KUTW 12:23  |  Gina 24/02/08
      57.   Suicide bombers are crazy 12:31  |  American Gentile 24/02/08
      58.   To Gina 12:33  |  pal 24/02/08
      59.   pal 12:53  |  Gina 24/02/08
      60.   pal - False Arab claim 13:00  |  Michael Jacobs 24/02/08
      61.   # 12 Natallie, Spot on, ma·am. 13:01  |  Stephen. 24/02/08
      62.   truth vs propaganda 13:17  |  Bob 24/02/08
      63.   Aha! 13:39  |  John 24/02/08
      64.   Gina :one more chance to tell the truth 13:50  |  pal 24/02/08
      65.   Suicide bombing is just another military tactic 14:05  |  Sam 24/02/08
      66.   Someone needs to examine the researchers! 14:13  |  Ehud 24/02/08
      67.   Every day Israeli cruelty and murder creates more suicide bombers 14:32  |  Clickfool 24/02/08
      68.   # 50 lol na, the world is hip to pal terror 15:22  |  petra 24/02/08
      69.   Jean Van Daem 15:23  |  sam 24/02/08
      70.   Bob in Munich, Germany 15:24  |  NMSFD 24/02/08
      71.   56. Gina 15:40  |  KUTW 24/02/08