Strategic Measures to Counter Suicide Terrorism [pdf], Pak Institute for Peace Studies, 15 February 2010
EXCERPT: "Suicide attacks continue to hit Pakistan unabated. Government’s efforts to counter suicide terrorism are excessively focused on engaging religious clerics to issue religious decrees against suicide attacks while paying little attention to enhance the operational capabilities of its law enforcement agencies. Pakistan continues to witness suicide attacks despite sustained efforts by the government to counter the deadly tactic which the terrorists increasingly rely upon to hit both military and non-military targets in the country. A total of 216 suicide attacks were reported in Pakistan until December 2009, which killed thousands of innocent civilians, government officials and security personnel... While the support of religious clergy is imperative to curb suicide terrorism in Pakistan, operational capabilities also need to be enhanced to stop suicide attacks from taking place... Various studies conducted on suicide terrorism in Pakistan reveal that revenge factor, disenchantment with the government’s policies and poverty, which result in lack of educational facilities, unemployment and lack of basic amenities for youths between the age of 14 to 23 and hailing from the conflict zones of FATA, NWFP and Southern Punjab, have tended to make them prone for recruitment as suicide bombers."
Read the full report [pdf].
Related articles:
Pakistan Islamists refuse to oppose suicide bombings, terrorism, AllVoices, 4 February 2010
Inside job suspected in suicide attack on US soldiers in Pakistan [blog], The Long War Journal, 4 February 2010
Pakistan suicide bombing toll nears 100, Los Angeles Times, 2 January 2010
Blast kills cleric who denounced suicide attacks, CNN, 12 June 2009
Related report:
Suicide attacks in Pakistan [updated up to 30 January 2010], South Asia Terrorism Portal, 30 January 2010
Related posts:
Suicide attacks spike, but overall attacks down, 17 December 2009
Report: Islamic terror rising as Al-Qaeda fades, 15 December 2009
Battered
Pakistan turns to clerics, 8 December 2009
Pakistani
police underfunded, overwhelmed, 30 November 2009
Suicide terrorism in Pakistan, 16 October 2009
