{
  "id": "RL32058",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32058",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101432,
      "date": "2003-08-28",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:39:13.938544",
      "title": "Terrorists and Suicide Attacks",
      "summary": "Suicide attacks by terrorist organizations have become more prevalent globally, and assessing\nthe\nthreat of suicide attacks against the United States and its interests at home and abroad has therefore\ngained in strategic importance. \n  This report focuses on the following questions: What are suicide attacks? What have been the\npatterns and motivations for terrorist organizations using suicide attacks in the past? What terrorist\ngroups and other organizations are most likely to launch such attacks? How great a threat are\nterrorist suicide attacks to the United States, at home and abroad? How can the United States\ncounter such a threat? It analyzes the key lessons of the international experience with suicide attacks\nand examines their relevance to the United States. \n  Important conclusions include evidence that suicide attackers generally make choices and are\nnot impulsive or \"crazy.\" They are usually carefully recruited, indoctrinated and then targeted by\norganizations. It is important, therefore, to concentrate on analyzing the culture and structure of the\norganization when fashioning a response. Historically, suicide attackers have been used by both\nsecular and religious groups. The Tamil Tigers, a secular group, carried out the most ruthless\ncampaign of suicide attacks in the 20th century; but there has been an increasing number of\ncasualties\ninternationally, notably as a result of attacks by Palestinian groups against Israelis and by\norganizations in various countries believed associated with or incited by Al Qaeda. The use of\nwomen as suicide attackers is not historically unprecedented, but its frequency among groups such\nas the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers (or LTTE), the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and now\nthe Palestinian Fatah-affiliated al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Chechens, may indicate a social\nbroadening of the phenomenon. While the organization is predominant in the execution of the attack,\nover time it cannot recruit and sustain itself without the acquiescence of the larger society.\n  The greatest threat to U.S. citizens comes from the possibility of further attacks orchestrated\nor inspired by Al Qaeda, either in the U.S. or abroad. Furthermore, suicide attacks on U.S. citizens\nand civilians in Iraq are a mounting concern. To counter the threat, the United States may use both\noffensive and defensive measures. Offensive measures include counterterrorism efforts such as\npreemptive strikes against terrorist organizations, vigorous intelligence collection, and longer term\nefforts to reduce the ability of terrorist organizations to recruit suicide candidates. Defensive\nmeasures include physical protection of U.S. assets, psychological preparation of the population,\nand the full range of anti-terrorism efforts required for a robust homeland defense. \n  The report concludes with a discussion of the implications for Congress of the increase in\nsuicide attacks, and a range of options for meeting the threat. It will not be updated.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32058",
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32058",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}