Are Suicide Bombers Cowards

[kaspacanada]

Are Suicide Bombers Cowards?

I would argue that it depends on the circumstances of the bombing.

When it is cowardly:
To openly seek help from a soldier only to blow up when he/she or they are close enough.

In the words of someone on this site, "that‘s disgusting." :evil: :fifty:

When I find it is not cowrdly:

To approach in stealth, or without attracting attention and attempt to destroy your enemy.

Rationale for this being that they are just as willing to die for their beliefs as we are. (or their country, their god, or whatever the case may be) Another reason that I say this is because they are fighting us with really the only tactic that they can. They can not face us conventionally because they will lose too quickly without inflicting a proportional amount of damage on us. Our technological and professional superiority has driven them (at least in part) to these tactics. Submarines were once touted as being a cowardly way to attack, but we‘ve pretty much come around to using them. Not that I think we will adopt suicide bombing methods, - we have better weapons and delivery systems that replace the suicide bomber.

Anyhow, what do you all think?
I‘ve gotta head out for class but will check back with this when I get back.

Cheers

 

[nULL]

perhaps this isn‘t the best time to initiate this kind of debate.

 

[Bulvyn]

I suppose it depends on where and how it is being used. In my opinion it should not be a conventional way to defeat your enemy. The problem is the innocent people that can be injured when it goes off. A suicide bomber may not know if a doctor from the red cross is in the building or if civilians are nearby. I suppose to me it‘s almost like shooting an enemy that is retreating or the old method of "kill first, ask questions later." I certainly doubt anyone in the CF, outnumbered or not, will be asked to do it.

 

[Thompson_JM]

In my opinion.. he‘s a terrorist.. unless he is acting as a soldier, and openly carrying arms, and wearing some sort of defined uniform, he is a terrorist.


but that is just my opinion...

I hope there is some retribution over there for whats happened.. maybe a few more raids. or something..

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Gents lets let this topic rest for a week so that if anyone on the boards that knew Cpl Murphy won‘t be reminded of this everytime they log on.

 

[Pikache]

I‘ll open it back up in about a week or so.

 

[Doug VT]

Of course they‘re f‘n cowards. If you can‘t face me man to man, then you‘re a coward. Suicide is always the cowards way out. These people are brainwashed to do these "things". If I happen across one in my few days left, he will be one sorry *******.

 

[Canadian Goose]

I don‘t necessarily see the difference between a missile that someone shoots from a building 6 blocks away, or from a ship in the ocean. What I was getting at wasn‘t the legitimacy of it, but at the word ‘coward‘ as a description. If you were in their shoes, would you face us if you knew there was no way you could conventionally win? Submarine warfare was looked down upon for a long time. Kamikazee pilots took such actions as they saw fit - would that make them cowards?

As for the legitimacy of suicide bombing? That‘s another issue together. The LOAC has criteria for lawful combatants, but also mentions that ununiformed combatants are not protected by the normal conventions of warfare, which implies that we can do what we want if we catch one before he/she blows himself up. (again depending on your view of International Law and what the US is doing with the prisoners in Cuba)

Collateral damage is a wieghed risk in conventional military operations and to be quite honest, sometimes we miss too. Don‘t our rockets and bombs inadvertantly hit civilians and civilian targets too? Honestly, in war, one should and must use whatever is at one‘s disposal to try to achieve one‘s objectives. On the other hand, I think they should also know when to admit defeat and get on with life. :fifty:

I feel that I need to make it clear that in no way do I support, or would even find ‘respectable‘, the deliberate targeting of civilians...that to me is a key element of terrorism.


For other information, I am the ‘roommate‘ who posted this forum under kaspacanada‘s name. I too should make an apology for posting this at such an awkward moment and please understand when I say that I am deeply sorry for the insensitivity I have shown in this matter. I should have thought more about it. I registered today so that there would be no confusion as to kaspacanada and I in the future.

 

[Doug VT]

Well, you listen to me, there is a big difference. When you survive a suicide attack, and you then know how it feels, talk to me then.

 

[Infanteer]

Well, tell me from a military standpoint if this is the act of a courageous fighter...

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040129.wblast0129/BNStory/International/

 

[Thompson_JM]

I said it before. I‘ll say it again.. Cowardly B@$t@rd$...

They fight with no honour at all.... suicide is too good for them.

 

[EX-STRAT]

These suicide bombers are no way shape or form soldiers and if caught alive should be dealt with in such a manner that no one would want to follow in their shoes ever! :soldier:

 

[koalorka]

Quite tragic indeed, "body parts were scattered everywhere" - poor *******s. But Sharone keeps provoking these types of attacks, that is why Israelis want to throw him out of power. Too bad he wasn‘t at his office, he would have personally witnessed his policies in action.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

So its just the Israeli‘s fault is it FUBAR? I think both sides are equally guilty of the woe they have inflicted on one another.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Don‘t waste your fingers ex-Dragoon, everything is the jews fault in fubar‘s world.

 

[Bulvyn]

I don‘t necessarily see the difference between a missile that someone shoots from a building 6 blocks away, or from a ship in the ocean. What I was getting at wasn‘t the legitimacy of it, but at the word ‘coward‘ as a description. If you were in their shoes, would you face us if you knew there was no way you could conventionally win?

By that way of thinking what is your stance on Biological weapons? In cases where you feel your side may loose it should be considered just another war strategy?

 

[Infanteer]

So, going by you statement FUBAR, the Al-Qaeda was justified to commit the September 11? When is attacks on kids going to school ever provoked?

Your an idiot.

 

[koalorka]

Infanteer, what is the weather like, up you‘r own ***?

 

[meni0n]

FUBAR you are an idiot. Both sides are to blame.
Oh so it‘s only under sharon that suicide bombings happend? Where the **** do you come up with this stuff.

 

[Canadian Goose]

Infanteer,

As I SPECIFICALLY mentioned, in no way shape or form do I feel that blowing up civilian targets to make a point is acceptable. Please do not take that interpretation from me ever again.

Ex Strat,

I agree completely that they are not soldiers. They are however fighting what they beleive is a ‘just‘ war. If we continue to dismiss them as radicals and fanatics, we may not be looking at what has driven them to this. People are not born this way, they are shaped by their experiences and their environments. Deviants they may be, but under-estimate their dedication to their causes we all have. I do agree that they should be made examples of within the normal system of law applicable to their state. The problem is catching one of the buggers before he/she explodes.

That begs another question, how should we treat them should we catch them? Realistically. Should they be tried under existing criminal laws of their country? Should we try them as unlawful combatants as we would treat caught spies and persons committing espionage? It is conceivable that they could be tried for treason against their ‘new‘ government. Fairness I think would be a big issue, because we all know the likely accusations of political killings that we would face if we did something rash. Just because we don‘t agree with what they are doing is no reason to break our own laws. Remember, we are supposed to be the good guys?

Doug,

I am sorry that you seem to have had the experience. I would imagine that it would do a lot of damage to anyone simply because you never know where it is coming from and where it will come from next. That I suspect is also the intended effect.

We have bombed countries from afar for a long time. Kosovo is perfect example. We hit both civilian and military targets. (albeit the civilian targets unintentionally but that was a calculated risk fully in accordance with the principle of proportionality - arguably) Those people didn‘t know that it was coming till it hit them. The only difference between those bombs and a suicide bomber is that they blend into the crowd and have the added strategic bonus of appearing innocent to the eyes, not living to be charged with any crime, and a devastating psychological effect where we may begin to look more and more at the general population as potential ‘enemies‘ - and that is a sad truth particularly since we are there to try and help them.

To all, the Israeli-Palistinian conflict is far from black and white and blame for the continuation of the conflict, I would place squarely on factions within BOTH sides.
But that is a personal view and I think that it would probably be wise not to make any assumptions. I will stay out of any of those debates.