On April 18, 1983, a man drove a truck loaded with explosives into the U.S. embassy in Beirut. 63 people, including the driver, were killed. That event is considered the first modern suicide attack. Two decades later, suicide bombing dominates headlines with datelines the world over, from Moscow to Tel Aviv, Baghdad to Bali, to New York.
The message has gone global: suicide attacks can be cheap, they can be devastating in terms of death count and post-traumatic stress, and they are an effective means of recruiting new bombers. Leaders of terrorist organizations have been known to reflect admiringly on the success of other suicidal missions, by other organizations in other countries. Terror experts say that human artillery is here to stay and likely to get more deadly.
Guests:
Robert Pape, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, specializing in international security affairs
Joyce Davis, author of “Martyrs: Innocence, Vengeance and Despair in the Middle East.”