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Robert A. Pape, Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism (New York: Random House 2005)
TREMENDOUS CHANGES have taken place in the publishing industry and especially in academic publishing over the past decades with the "publish or perish" mentality causing the production of half-researched pot boilers, and publishers swinging books into print with barely an editorial glance. It was with interest, but disappointment, that I read Professor Robert Pape's book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism published by Random House (2005). The topic seemed timely, but, as it turns out, Pape only spent two years on the research and publication of this book with a team of graduate students at the University of Chicago in the "Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism" which he established. Despite the rather rapid transition to print, Pape grandly claims this book is the first "universal" study of the topic. (3) Prior to this project Pape was teaching air strategy at the US Air Force's School of Advanced Airpower Studies. So say no more.
Pape is an advocate of "offshore balancing," which is a strategy of securing US oil interests by building alliances with pro-western allies in the Middle East. In order to prevent further attacks on US interests, he argues for the withdrawal of land troops from the Arabian Peninsula but the retention of a US Navy presence and strategic air attacks in the region coupled with a homeland security policy of completing the 1,951-mile Border Fence across Mexico, and bolstering immigration controls and background checks. (240) Pape seems to have peddled his book to both the American right and left presumably with each side hearing what they want to hear. The "offshore balancing" strategy is nicely contained in the final chapter, and so possibly the peace activists who have spoken with him have forgotten to read Chapter twelve entitled "A New Strategy for Victory." (237-250)
Pape says he has studied 315 international suicide missions between 1980 and 2003. He classifies them...