It did not take long to establish that the attack at Moscow's airport on Monday was the work of a suicide bomber.
Aviation analysit Chris Yates told the 成人论坛 it was "an accident waiting to happen."
"Sooner or later, because of the way terror tactics have evolved, someone was going to enter an arrivals hall and blow themselves up." Effectively, suicide bombing has become the method of choice for those wanting - for whatever reason - to destroy themselves, and other people, for their cause. But why? What has it ever achieved?
How many suicide attacks have actually resulted in changes of policy - at least, changes in the direction of the cause the attackers advocate?
Rare are the examples of countries that have conceded ground in the wake of suicide attacks. In general, the response is to galvanise the attacked country against them.
Nowhere has a sustained campaign of suicide bombing been so high-profile as in the Israel-Palestine conflict. And yet, as the leaked documents from Sunday suggest, the prospects of peace there remain as remote as ever.
On the other hand, killing, as the economists Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubnar - famed for their Freakonomics books - is not actually even the main point:
"Rather, it is a means by which to scare the pants off the living and fracture their normal lives. Terrorism is therefore devilishly efficient, exerting far more leverage than an equal amount of non-terrorist violence." The consequences of such action can absolutely hamstring us. Think of what we have to go through at airports now. It's one of the few areas where you can directly match plot to policy.
Taking shoes off - down to Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. No liquids over 100 ml? That's due to the foiled plan from 2006 to detonate liquid explosives over 10 US and Canadian cities. Full body scanners? That's Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underpants bomber."
And remember - none of those three attacks were even successful.
The point is, the fear of a future attack is what causes both the costs (in terms of time, money and legislation) and the suspicion. If one of aim of the 7/7 suicide attacks on the London underground was to increase friction with Muslim communities in the UK, they undoubtedly achieved their aims.
Shehu in Nigeria: I lost contact with a good friend of mine for several years, but through facebook I have now been able to know where he is. I even paid him a visit at his work place last month. So I totally disagree with Sherry.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:34
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Sarah in Boston: Social networking has changed the world so much. I believe its one of the best inventions of my time. Although, there is a fine line. If updating statuses and checking news feeds starts to interrupt you physical relationships & conversation youve crossed the not healthy line.
Comment sent via host
18:33
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For the second half of the programme we''ll be talking to Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together, who thinks that social networks have made us ''less human''? Post your thoughts and comments here.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:26
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David in San Francisco emailed us: They are better described as 'homicide bombers'.
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18:26
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Guma emailed to say: I don't think it's successful in the way the terrorists plan. For example in Uganda, the al-Shabab bombings meant more troops were sent to Somalia.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:25
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Ivan in Kampala, Uganda: Suicide bombing is just total craziness & stupidity which is practiced by some fools who have misconception about the teachings of Prophet Mohammed
Comment sent via Facebook
18:20
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Benon in Uganda writes on Facebook: I find them rather a bunch of confused idiots. Take Afghanistan, how can you kill my family in a mosque and then expect me to be loyal to you if you ever gain power?
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:18
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Bruno from Belgium emailed: Suicide bombers get emulated because they're thought of as heroes, not because their action has any effect. If blowing yourself up HAD to work in order for others to do the same, it would have petered out long ago.
Comment sent via SMS
18:18
110248320
Sucide bombings will continue as long as certain ideologies promote the after life rewards for conducting such acts,,,,, vicky, bahrain
Comment sent via Facebook
18:13
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Rokani writes on Facebook: Suicide bombing achieves nothing and never will. It will only generate hate.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:13
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Stephen posts on Facebook: The people that promote suicide bombing feel it achieves a lot because they got the attention the want and they kill the lives they are taught to kill.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:07
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Kay Jordan on Facebook: These people aren't trying to accomplish anything except the terror they produce.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:02
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G. de Boer in Holland emailed the 成人论坛: It's sad that a suicide bomber did this. But the situation in various parts of Russia, gives food for such things.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:02
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Gregory commented on Facebook: It may raise attention for an issue, but it never wins anyone to the cause.
Comment sent via host
18:00
113631290
We''re on air now. First we''re asking ''Has suicide bombing ever achieved anything?'' Post your thoughts and comments here.
Has suicide bombing ever achieved anything?
| Tuesday, 1 Jan. 2011 | 17:50 - 19:00 GMT
It did not take long to establish that the attack at Moscow's airport on Monday was the work of a suicide bomber.
Aviation analysit Chris Yates told the 成人论坛 it was "an accident waiting to happen."
"Sooner or later, because of the way terror tactics have evolved, someone was going to enter an arrivals hall and blow themselves up."
Effectively, suicide bombing has become the method of choice for those wanting - for whatever reason - to destroy themselves, and other people, for their cause. But why? What has it ever achieved?
How many suicide attacks have actually resulted in changes of policy - at least, changes in the direction of the cause the attackers advocate?
Rare are the examples of countries that have conceded ground in the wake of suicide attacks. In general, the response is to galvanise the attacked country against them.
Nowhere has a sustained campaign of suicide bombing been so high-profile as in the Israel-Palestine conflict. And yet, as the leaked documents from Sunday suggest, the prospects of peace there remain as remote as ever.
On the other hand, killing, as the economists Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubnar - famed for their Freakonomics books - is not actually even the main point:
"Rather, it is a means by which to scare the pants off the living and fracture their normal lives. Terrorism is therefore devilishly efficient, exerting far more leverage than an equal amount of non-terrorist violence."
The consequences of such action can absolutely hamstring us. Think of what we have to go through at airports now. It's one of the few areas where you can directly match plot to policy.
Taking shoes off - down to Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. No liquids over 100 ml? That's due to the foiled plan from 2006 to detonate liquid explosives over 10 US and Canadian cities. Full body scanners? That's Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underpants bomber."
And remember - none of those three attacks were even successful.
The point is, the fear of a future attack is what causes both the costs (in terms of time, money and legislation) and the suspicion. If one of aim of the 7/7 suicide attacks on the London underground was to increase friction with Muslim communities in the UK, they undoubtedly achieved their aims.
Your comments
Comment sent via Facebook
Shehu in Nigeria: I lost contact with a good friend of mine for several years, but through facebook I have now been able to know where he is. I even paid him a visit at his work place last month. So I totally disagree with Sherry.
Comment sent via Facebook
Sarah in Boston: Social networking has changed the world so much. I believe its one of the best inventions of my time. Although, there is a fine line. If updating statuses and checking news feeds starts to interrupt you physical relationships & conversation youve crossed the not healthy line.
Comment sent via host
For the second half of the programme we''ll be talking to Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together, who thinks that social networks have made us ''less human''? Post your thoughts and comments here.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
David in San Francisco emailed us: They are better described as 'homicide bombers'.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Guma emailed to say: I don't think it's successful in the way the terrorists plan. For example in Uganda, the al-Shabab bombings meant more troops were sent to Somalia.
Comment sent via Facebook
Ivan in Kampala, Uganda: Suicide bombing is just total craziness & stupidity which is practiced by some fools who have misconception about the teachings of Prophet Mohammed
Comment sent via Facebook
Benon in Uganda writes on Facebook: I find them rather a bunch of confused idiots. Take Afghanistan, how can you kill my family in a mosque and then expect me to be loyal to you if you ever gain power?
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Bruno from Belgium emailed: Suicide bombers get emulated because they're thought of as heroes, not because their action has any effect. If blowing yourself up HAD to work in order for others to do the same, it would have petered out long ago.
Comment sent via SMS
Sucide bombings will continue as long as certain ideologies promote the after life rewards for conducting such acts,,,,, vicky, bahrain
Comment sent via Facebook
Rokani writes on Facebook: Suicide bombing achieves nothing and never will. It will only generate hate.
Comment sent via Facebook
Stephen posts on Facebook: The people that promote suicide bombing feel it achieves a lot because they got the attention the want and they kill the lives they are taught to kill.
Comment sent via Facebook
Kay Jordan on Facebook: These people aren't trying to accomplish anything except the terror they produce.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
G. de Boer in Holland emailed the 成人论坛: It's sad that a suicide bomber did this. But the situation in various parts of Russia, gives food for such things.
Comment sent via Facebook
Gregory commented on Facebook: It may raise attention for an issue, but it never wins anyone to the cause.
Comment sent via host
We''re on air now. First we''re asking ''Has suicide bombing ever achieved anything?'' Post your thoughts and comments here.