The Path to Paradise: The Inner World of Suicide Bombers and Their Dispatchers
"A valuable addition to the study of suicide terrorism. It makes the inner world of suicide terrorism accessible to those who must counter it. . . . [The Path to Paradise] deserves a place on the resource list of police, intelligence officers, and interrogators seeking to understand suicide terrorism and penetrate the cells that organize and perpetrate suicide attacks."Praise for the hardcover edition:"With unprecedented access to a population of failed, thwarted, or aborted suicide bombers in prison, [Dr. Berko] has created a uniquely insightful work. . . . Future suicide attackers in the United States may not precisely replicate the individuals interviewed in Israeli prisons for the research contained in this book.The Path to Paradiseis, however, a critically enlightening work on a sample of existing terrorists. American counter terrorism personnel can gain much insight from Dr. Berko's research.""Berko has written an interesting book that departs from many of the typical studies of suicide bombers. Her research involved frequent and extensive conversations with Palestinians jailed by Israel for attempted suicide terrorist attacks; the author recounts, in some cases transcribes, these discussions. Equally interesting is the author's emphasis on women's roles in suicide bombing and, more broadly, the role that gender plays in shaping the logic and motivation of terrorism against Israel. As always, the issue of bias in the scholarship on the Arab-Israeli conflict is something to consider here, as the author was previously a career officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. However, that does not undermine the value of her interviews, which flesh out and reflect similar studies of terrorism that emphasize the role of humiliation and gender. The book is a fascinating look at the individuals who carry out suicide attacks, and helps us understand the people, arguments, and emotions that give rise to this form of terrorism. Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates through practitioners.""This book, written by former Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Anat Berko, is an exploration of the world of suicide bombing. With unparalleled access to some of Israel's most heavily guarded prisons, Berko conducts interviews with suicide bombers who were stopped before they could carry out their attacks, and also with their handlers. ""For those dealing with terrorism this book is a must-read. ""This book is probably one of the best I have seen on the subject since the terrorists she interviewed either were arrested prior to getting to their targets or changed their mind prior to blowing up their targets or were the dispatchers who sent other suicide bombers.""Berko entered Israeli prisons and interviewed failed Palestinian suicide bombers and arrested bomb dispatchers. Here, she reports on those interviews, including one with the late Hamas leader Sheik Yassin, in order to explore the motivations of these figures, as well as how suicide bombing attacks against Israel are organized. In much of the work, she stresses the religious aspects of the phenomena and downplays the political and military realities of the Israeli occupation.""Anat Berko'sThe Path to Paradise: The Inner World of Suicide Bombers and Their Dispatchersis one of the most revealing, compelling and insightful books written about Palestinian suicide bombers and the men who dispatch them on their missions. What distinguishes this book is the author's unique access to Palestinian prisoners who "failed" to carry out their suicide bombings or were arrested for organizing terrorist operations. This has enabled her to "open a window" into the inner world of these men and women....The book contains a wealth of information about Palestinian society, such as the impact of polygamous families and arranged marriages on the sons and daughters who decide to become suicide martyrs.The Path to Paradiseis essential reading for understanding Palestinian suicide terrorism and the measures required to resolve it.""From her tightly written case notes of incarcerated bombers, Berko provides a cultural look at the men and women who choose their route to paradise by becoming a shaheed or a shaheeda (a Muslim willing to die as a martyr for the sake of Allah). ""[A] rare first-hand account of the motivations and feelings of suicide terrorists, both men and women, and the whole frame of reference for their acts.""The Path to Paradiseis an astounding document, an original and authoritative account of the inner worlds of suicide bombers and their dispatchers. Dr. Anat Berko brings to her work a unique combination of academic expertise, and, as the daughter of Jewish refugees from Iraq, genuine cultural understanding of the world of her subjects. The depth of both her professional and personal knowledge of her subject make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the real and complex causes of the suicidal terror that is spreading like wildfire throughout the world, and of which we in the US felt the devastating effects on September 11, 2001.""The subjects of this book--would-be terrorists whose lives were spared, because their missions were aborted when they were discovered by Israeli security forces or by alert bystanders--describe their desires and goals to Anat Berko with extraordinary candor. Their motivations, from self-hatred to hatred of Jews, shed light on their lives and culture--though in this case the light they shed is more like darkness visible. Dr. Berko tells their stories with startling clarity, sensitivity, and insight.""This is a serious, thorough, penetrating analysis of the dark and mysterious world of suicide bombers and their dispatchers. By spending thousands of hours with would-be suicide bombers, and their spiritual leaders, the author succeeds in conveying a vivid (and appalling) picture of their real motives. This book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the phenomenon of suicide bombings and the ever-increasing threat of Islamic fundamentalism.""What goes through the mind of a suicide bomber from the moment he--or she--is recruited until the detonator is activated? How are they recruited? What about their families? Dr. Anat Berko spent thousands of hours in the lion's den trying to answer these questions. What she found makes us understand the real threat that suicide bombers, their handlers, and the organizations they belong to pose to world peace."