Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb: suicide attacks in asymmetric warfare

Abstract

Analysts of armed conflict and war have noted a considerable shift in the way wars are conducted in the present. These analyses share the observations that present-day warfare includes more and more non-state actors as warring parties. Terrorist groups are also part of the (post-)modern picture of violent conflict. Within the past decade, they have increasingly relied on the instrument of suicide terrorism. Suicide attacks are an irritating phenomenon as they seem inherently irrational. The paper examines the spread of the suicide attacks in different parts of the world and identifies cross-case structures, contexts, and mechanisms that propel the use of suicide bombers.

Citation

Kümmel, G. (2008), "Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb: suicide attacks in asymmetric warfare", Caforio, G., Kümmel, G. and Purkayastha, B. (Ed.) Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution: Sociological Perspectives (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1572-8323(08)07005-7