Sat, 02/14/2009 - 4:49pm — Davidson
In an analysis of trends in suicide attacks worldwide since 1981 (pdf), researcher Assaf Moghadam presents a pretty shocking statistic:
Iraq accounts for 1,067 suicide attacks in the period under review — “a number that accounts for more than half (54.8%) of all suicide attacks since 1981. The sheer volume in which this tactic has struck Iraq is even more impressive since no suicide attacks were recorded in Iraq prior to the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
Considering how fragile security remains a problem in Iraq, this interview with Thomas Ricks, author of Fiasco, is all the more depressing. Basically, "We're going to be there for a long time"and "The events for which the Iraq War will be remembered haven't happened yet" (In case you need a reminder of our years there, here's an Iraq timeline).
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Crazy
I was just thinking about this, yesterday. More to the point, I was thinking about how psychologically traumatizing this all must be for Iraqi's who don't have any real history in suicide bombings. They dealt with other psychological torment under Saddam, of course, but this wasn't include among them.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
"Violence is the last refuge of the desperate."
They have been driven to suicide by the Iraq invasion and occupation. Not even the brutal terror unleashed by Saddam could do that. What's truly disturbing is that they want to take others out with them, fellow Iraqis even (particularly along sectarian lines).
Obviously the trauma will have a profound impact for generations to come.