5614 Posted September 19, 2004 Posted September 19, 2004 im suprised a thread similar to this hasnt started yet, if it has, then i couldnt find it! What goes through the mind of a terrorist? What would make someone kill others just to try and get a ransom which they are not even going to get? Why would someone commit a crime like robbing a major bank, or killing a high profile person.... when they are obviously not going to get away with it! Why do people bother killing others, when in the end, its gonna be at their expense? What motivates a terrorist or criminal?
coquina Posted September 19, 2004 Posted September 19, 2004 The title of your thread was, "What goes through the mind of a terrorist?", but then you muddy the waters by including bank robbers. Obviously, a bank robber believes, stupidly maybe, that he will get away with it. Many terrorists accept death as a means to an end. Those who hijacked the planes on 9/11 knew they were going to die if their mission was to be a success. What goes through their minds? I'd say they've probably been brainwashed from a young age. Think about the Taliban regime and the way they treated their women. I believe there was more to the wearing of the burkas and the enforcement of silence than the subjigation of women. The taliban removed young boys from their homes at an early age and put them in those schools (that I can't remember the name of right now). In doing so, they removed all maternal and female contact from these young boys. Not only did they not have a mom to hug them and care for them, they didn't even see the smile on a woman's face, or hear her voice. Their entire existance was a study in cruelty at the hands of their "teachers". Under such conditions, I would think one would not value one's own live much, especially if one was taught about the reward they would obtain in Paradise for murdering infidels.
5614 Posted September 19, 2004 Author Posted September 19, 2004 what i meant was what goes through the mind of a hardcore illegal person..... a terrorist or a hardcore criminal, basically, anyone who commits major crimes. what motivates them? surely they know they wont get away with it? even if they were brainwashed from an early age, cant they see for themselves the world around them, that 'terrorism' doesnt work! i mean, what on earth is going through their heads? [im not a terrorist! but i just can see the logic in it.]
Guest Steppenwolf Posted September 19, 2004 Posted September 19, 2004 even if they were brainwashed from an early age, cant they see for themselves the world around them, that 'terrorism' doesnt work! Well I guess that's why we say that they are brainwashed.. If they could see then the brainwash would have failed. Now in orded to examine what goes through a criminal's mind I think it's important to distinguish one crime from another. For example the psycologie of a mass murderer is different than that of a terrorist, a rapist's from a guy who robbers a bank and kills the guard.
Phi for All Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 Let's just take terrorists. The motivations of robbers, murderers, kidnappers and other criminals are too varied for just one thread. I agree with coquina. A great deal of brainwashing goes on to create a terrorist. The first terrorist must have been a fanatic about a cause he believed to be just, then he learned to train supporters by spinning his indoctrination pitch to appeal to their sense of justice, making them capable of killing innocents just to get a point across. Terrorists don't have huge amounts of funding, so they use tactics designed to make as extensive an impression as possible. They seek to punish those they see as oppressors, while hoping to gain sympathy as noble freedom fighters. You can bet they don't see themselves as evil murderers. They are David fighting the Goliath of capitalist tyranny. No one gains followers, even brainwashed ones, by telling them, hey, we're going to go out and blow up babies and women, come on, it'll be really cool. The terrorist differs from any other criminal in that they actually believe they are the good guys and will be revered by those whose opinions they respect.
Edward Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 on the topic of terroists to quote a guy from james bond "One mans terroist is another mans freedom fighter" that is all there is to teroism if u leave out brainwashing.
Skye Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 People who know they are going to die in doing something are usually doing so because they believe that they are contributing to something more important than themselves. There are many causes that people will die for, family, religion, their nation or people, etc. I disagree that you need a great deal of brainwashing, because convincing people to die for their country/religion is as old as hills. They can take ow larves, boot they can ne'er take ow frrreedom.
atinymonkey Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 Indeed. Like the American colonists who rebelled against George III, like the IRA attacks in Britain, the motivations are noble to someone. If you don't understand what people are attacking you, then there is something deeply wrong. The US is making a big show about how evil the middle east terrorists are, but they didn't pick the US as a target randomly. Personally, I find it odd that the IRA's activitys were seen as freedom fighting untill the US was subject to the same attacks.
coquina Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 Personally, I find it odd that the IRA's activitys were seen as freedom fighting untill the US was subject to the same attacks. Who thought that? Not me. I do know that a number of US Catholics feel that way. People are territorial, just as many animals are. That will fight to the death over land they think of as "theirs", and that is the basis for many of these fights. For example, I wonder what would have happened if the Jews hadn't been given a portion of Palestine after the war? The Jews still wouldn't have a homeland, but the Middle East would be a less contentious place.
Skye Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 They probably would have kept doing what they were doing before Israel was created, and taken the land from the British, Palestinians or whoever.
atinymonkey Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 Who thought that? Not me. I do know that a number of US Catholics feel that way. Yeah, there is a contingent in the USA that class themselves as 'Irish American' through one family member 5 generations back. They have no idea about the complexities of the situation and their closest connection with Ireland is only when they put on a green hat on St Patrick's day. I remember the McDonalds IRA funding allegations and Kennedy's support of the Irish militants. For a long time the militant activities were seen as freedom fighting by some sections of the US, especially as people simplistically viewed it as a modern day 'war of independence' that they could draw parallels with. The attitude persists in the general public:- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ira/talk/index2.html People are territorial, just as many animals are. That will fight to the death over land they think of as "theirs", and that is the basis for many of these fights. For example, I wonder what would have happened if the Jews hadn't been given a portion of Palestine after the war? The Jews still wouldn't have a homeland, but the Middle East would be a less contentious place. Mhh, maybe. Gentile and Jew have been at loggerheads since the start of written history. But your right, if nationalism wasn't a factor we would have a calmer world. Calmer still if someone locked the whole God thing in a box.
Alexa Posted October 2, 2004 Posted October 2, 2004 A terrorist tries to achive a political or religious goal, not a personal benefit, through the power of intimidation and fear. He doesn't care about the country's laws where he operates. Kinda "I am beyond the law"
Luminol Posted October 5, 2004 Posted October 5, 2004 Here is part of the statement that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi read before the beheading of Eugene Armstrong: "Now, you have people who love death just like you love life. Killing for the sake of God is their best wish, getting to your soldiers and allies are their happiest moments, and cutting the heads of the criminal infidels is implementing the orders of our lord,...Oh, you Christian dog Bush, stop your arrogance." Its a religious motivation...the only sure way to heaven in Islam is to kill non-muslims and/or die fighting Jihad. I believe the main motivation of Islamic terrorists is fear...fear of an uncertain future...fear of hellfire. Hellfire and a painfull doom is basically all the Qur'an talks about. I don't know if there is some kind of antisocial problems or even psychosexual disorders among some of these people. I think there are a lot of sadist aspects to their behavior...maybe it is sexual. Zarqawi was a highschool drop out, alcoholic, was arrested for sexual assault in Jordan, he enjoys tying up and humiliating his victims (ie the latest video with a british hostage in a cage), his form of killing is personal (not like shooting), he admits that he gets pleasure from pain suffering and death, he likes to taunt the authorities...he sounds like psychosexual sadist to me. I don't really know much about psychology though...I'm taking general right now...but I did have to read about profiling for my criminal justice classes. We will never know unless we can get people to do psychological interviews with terrorists...which won't ever happen. Anyone here know much about profiling?
rwahdy786x Posted October 7, 2004 Posted October 7, 2004 maybe its possible that some people beleive so much in something they are willing to put thier life on the line. Like those people who would lay down on the streets during rush hour to protest against the vietnam war and such. maybe theres another story behind these people. not nessicarily of brainwashing youth or non female contact. it could be that they so beleive in a cause that they know the only way to make a statement is by doing what they do. suicide bombers kill because when they do they make a bold statement...leave our homes or youll die... freedom fighters put thier lifes on the line to free themselves.... we have to look at the definition of terrosism and such, and find our own ways to describe them i consider terrorists and people who beleive in violence to have asmuch free will as we do. its like us soldiers in iraq. they were sent for a war, obviously some of them were going to die right? do we label them as brainwashed youth? sent at the command of a facist dictator? then why do we label ppl who are fighting for either thier right to live or what they beleive in that? its all just about point of view... and we, as humans, must recognize this. the enemy isnt a brainless zombie...he has a reason, a belief...which makes them all the more dangerous
tecoyah Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 ......I will attempt the inevitable one word answer to your question.... Desperation
Aardvark Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 surely they know they wont get away with it? even if they were brainwashed from an early age' date=' cant they see for themselves the world around them, that 'terrorism' doesnt work! [/quote'] Unfortunately sometimes terrorism does work. For instance the Madrid bombings lead to the defeat of the Spanish government at the election and the removal of Spanish troops from Iraq. Terrorists may be evil, but not necessarily stupid.
atinymonkey Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 Well Al-Qaeda have no links with Iraq, and they planted the bomb. So that's just a random selection of events with no connection.
Ophiolite Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 ......I will attempt the inevitable one word answer to your question.... Desperation This thread could effectively end here. Tecoyah has said it all.
Leo32 Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 Suicide attacks have indeed everything to do with desperation. Look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most of the Palestinian people comitting suicide attacks are wel trained young people. Imagine yourself being completely at the mercy of the Israëli people (I'm intentionally leaving any reference to religion out of this argument). You want to use your hard-earned college degree ? Well, let's see day by day if you are allowed through the border, if you are harrassed at random for a few hours, or just have to stay home and try again next day. You're sick and need urgent medical help ? Well, you'll most probably depend on Israëli made equipment and medicine. The list goes on and on and on... So there you are, young, well educated and nothing which you could call a normal life in front of you. Then one day, some member of your family is shot, and you decide you should do somethig about it. If you decide on armored resistance, there is not a lot else than suicide bombing. Once you've decided this, of course you become more religious active, that is a normal reaction. Look at what most people go through when they hear they're terminally ill. What I'm trying to put foreward here is that first, there is a decision out of desperation to become a suicide bomber, and only after that religion comes in. The organisations supporting the suicide bombers of course tell another story. Especially in Islamic countries, Islam provides the right set of arguments. Note that the Islam has always been closely bound with life in general, be it political, social, ... The prophet himself remained politically very active, even after receiving the Words, in Medina and other places to defend his religion... I'm sure most of you have wondered at times why the religious reasoning is so "irrational" at times, and even contradics at times earlier arguments based on the same principle. Desperation is the word. Another point is that there have been a number of conflicts using suicide bombers where Islam played no role at all: the Kurds, Tamil Tigers, ... Hope this all makes a bit sense... Leo
john5746 Posted October 23, 2004 Posted October 23, 2004 Kamikazi pilots come to mind. They were soldiers attacking military targets, but the mindset is the same. These are only the peons though. The big guys like Osama, etc. They plan, get money, etc. They don't plan to die for the cause. Some terrorists are probably desperate, normal people. Some probably are mentally sick. It is easy to look at beheadings, etc and think that we are above such behavior. Dropping the bombs on Japan was much worse, but we feel we can justify it. They feel the same way probably.
Bernstein Posted October 23, 2004 Posted October 23, 2004 The suicide drive is instilled from a very early age. Al Qaeda has a production line to psychologically manufacture these suicide terrorists by raising them from childhood. They instill values of glory, honour, and reward in the afterlife for dying in support of their cause. The terrorists believe it and think it perfectly normal because it is all they have been exposed to during their upbringing. It is constsntly taught and reinforced together with the associated military and tactical training.
Bernstein Posted October 23, 2004 Posted October 23, 2004 even if they were brainwashed from an early age' date=' cant they see for themselves the world around them, that 'terrorism' doesnt work! [im not a terrorist! but i just can see the logic in it.'] Evidently not.
Bernstein Posted October 23, 2004 Posted October 23, 2004 Brainwashing is an enormous issue in this. I think it was Coquina who posted that young boys are taken from their homes and given life long instruction in cruelty and so on. Additionally they are denied contact with women. This is a key point because the pivotal belief that is psychologically instilled in these 'schools' is the resumed contact with the female of the species in the form of personal harems in the afterlife. This provides a key motivational drive to the naive and brainwashed terrorist, who because he has been raised by terrorist teachers only to believe the values they instill, does not know any different.
Ophiolite Posted October 23, 2004 Posted October 23, 2004 even if they were brainwashed from an early age' date=' cant they see for themselves the world around them, that 'terrorism' doesnt work! [/quote']I have read several of your posts on other threads and generally found them informative or entertaining or interesting, so please don't view this as a personal attack when I ask, where have you been for the last five hundred years? Of course terrorism works. It works all too well, to the misfortune, in most cases, of the majority of humanity. Terrorism has won independence for more countries than I can count, has changed numerous governments, and most recently has caused the US, with puppy-dog Britain, to embark on an ourageously expensive, globally despised 'regime change' in Iraq. Bin Laden is rubbing his hands with glee, thinking, 'this is going along rather nicely'. I wish it didn't work, but it does.
Aardvark Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Well Al-Qaeda have no links with Iraq, and they planted the bomb. So that's just a random selection of events with no connection. Al-Qaeda have publicaly stated that they are at war with those powers occuping Iraq, they have announced an 'alliance' with the insurgents in Iraq. You could correctly say that Al Qaeda HAD no links with Iraq, that has been changed by events. The cause and effect in Madrid is pretty straightforward.
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