When terrorists, especially Islamic terrorists, attack, slaughter, rape, decapitate and burn alive innocent men women and children. When they kidnap men, women children and babies, they want to strike terror in the hearts of their victims. Then the flee and hide in civilian dress in hospitals, mosques, schools, UN compounds, homes and behind their women and children to maximize their casualties in case of retaliation by the attacked country.
You can't wage 7th C wars with 21st C laws.
The Rules of Engagement in these conditions must be adapted to such asymmetrical warfare. Especially when the population supporting these terrorists are 💯 behind this heinous, psychopathic, nihilistic behavior.
In such conditions, no mercy should be shown. These terrorists should be hunted down and terminated wherever they are hiding including their overseas leadership. There should be no humanitarian aid until they all surrender or eliminated.
And last but not least, all their families expelled and never allowed to return.
Well, the US stopped the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII with drastic measures. They stopped it. It must be used again to stop the scourge of Islamic terrorism.
There’s a difference between defeating a sovereign state as opposed to “stopping” a world wide philosophy. Can’t be done. Just have to keep limiting their efforts and effects o the rest of us.
True, Nazism still exists all over the world, Islam as well. To control mosquitoes, you need to dry up the swamp. The present swamp is petro-dollars. When the black swamp dries up, so will the petro-dollars and the mosquitoes will vanish.
I appreciate the listing of your sources at the end of this sobering essay. All the more troubling that, if accurate, the perpetrators and other rank and file members are educated, relative to their “cause”, that is. They are still ignorant in the broader sense. Gotta keep crippling them at least. The head of the snake will never be severed. The moral world can only hope to limit the damage by utilizing whatever means necessary. Happy Chanukah to you.
I tend to cite in the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and these are the precise references I provided in the original:
Abadie, Alberto. 2006. “Poverty, Political Freedom, and the Roots of Terrorism.” American Economic Review 96 (2): 50–56.
Abrahms, Max. 2008. “What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy.” International Security 32 (4): 78–105.
———. 2025. “Does Terrorism Succeed? New Lessons from Hamas, the Global Intifada, and Antisemitism in America.” In October 7: The Wars Over Words and Deeds, edited by Asaf Romirowsky and Donna Robinson Divine, 109–125. Newton, MA: Academic Studies Press.
Benmelech, Efraim, Claude Berrebi, and Esteban F. Klor. 2012. “Economic Conditions and the Quality of Suicide Terrorism.” Journal of Politics 74 (1): 113–128.
Berrebi, Claude. 2007. “Evidence about the Link Between Education, Poverty and Terrorism among Palestinians.” Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy 13 (1): 18–53.
Berman, Eli, and David D. Laitin. 2008. “Religion, Terrorism and Public Goods: Testing the Club Model.” Journal of Public Economics 92 (10–11): 1942–1967.
Blomberg, S. Brock, Gregory D. Hess, and Akila Weerapana. 2004. “Economic Conditions and Terrorism.” European Journal of Political Economy 20 (2): 463–478.
Bueno de Mesquita, Ethan. 2005. “The Quality of Terror.” American Journal of Political Science 49 (3): 515–530.
Crenshaw, Martha. 1981. “The Causes of Terrorism.” Comparative Politics 13 (4): 379–399.
Ehsan, Rakib. 2019. “Does Poverty Cause Terrorism? It’s Complicated.” CapX, May 2.
Firester, David E. 2023. Evolutions in Suicide Bombing: Exploring the Relationship Between the Tactic and Its Application by Non-State Armed Groups Across Various Conflict Zones Over Time. PhD diss., City University of New York, Graduate Center.
———. Forthcoming. “A Target-Centric Approach to Distinguishing Between Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Flatow, Stephen M. 2019. “Poverty Isn’t the Cause of Terrorism, So Let’s Stop Blaming It.” Jewish News Syndicate, April 29.
Gaibulloev, Khusrav, and Todd Sandler. 2023. “Common Myths of Terrorism.” Journal of Economic Surveys 37 (2): 271–301.
Guerin, Cécile, and Zoé Fourel. 2021. “A Snapshot Analysis of Anti-Muslim Mobilisation in France after Terror Attacks.” Vision of Humanity, April 26.
Hassan, Nasra. 2001. “An Arsenal of Believers: Talking to the ‘Human Bombs.’” The New Yorker, November 19.
Krueger, Alan B., and Jitka Maleckova. 2003. “Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 17 (4): 119–144.
Kydd, Andrew, and Barbara F. Walter. 2002. “Sabotaging the Peace: The Politics of Extremist Violence.” International Organization 56 (2): 263–296.
McKenzie, Pete, Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa, Adolfo Arranz, and Jitesh Chowdhury. 2025. “‘It Was Dead People Everywhere’: Inside Australia’s Hanukkah Massacre.” Reuters, December 15.
Moran, Matthew. 2017. “Terrorism and the Banlieues: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks in Context.” Modern & Contemporary France 25 (3): 315–32.
Piazza, James A. 2006. “Rooted in Poverty? Terrorism, Poor Economic Development, and Social Cleavages.” Terrorism and Political Violence 18 (1): 159–177.
Rakhamilova, Zina. 2025. “Stop Blaming Israel for Global Antisemitism.” Jerusalem Post, October 7.
Sabri, Amir, and Günther G. Schulze. 2021. “Are Suicide Terrorists Different from ‘Regular Militants’?” Public Choice 188 (1–2): 155–181.
When terrorists, especially Islamic terrorists, attack, slaughter, rape, decapitate and burn alive innocent men women and children. When they kidnap men, women children and babies, they want to strike terror in the hearts of their victims. Then the flee and hide in civilian dress in hospitals, mosques, schools, UN compounds, homes and behind their women and children to maximize their casualties in case of retaliation by the attacked country.
You can't wage 7th C wars with 21st C laws.
The Rules of Engagement in these conditions must be adapted to such asymmetrical warfare. Especially when the population supporting these terrorists are 💯 behind this heinous, psychopathic, nihilistic behavior.
In such conditions, no mercy should be shown. These terrorists should be hunted down and terminated wherever they are hiding including their overseas leadership. There should be no humanitarian aid until they all surrender or eliminated.
And last but not least, all their families expelled and never allowed to return.
That is the only way to stop the cycle of terror.
Limit, not stop. You will never stop it. That’s magical thinking.
Well, the US stopped the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII with drastic measures. They stopped it. It must be used again to stop the scourge of Islamic terrorism.
There’s a difference between defeating a sovereign state as opposed to “stopping” a world wide philosophy. Can’t be done. Just have to keep limiting their efforts and effects o the rest of us.
True, Nazism still exists all over the world, Islam as well. To control mosquitoes, you need to dry up the swamp. The present swamp is petro-dollars. When the black swamp dries up, so will the petro-dollars and the mosquitoes will vanish.
I appreciate the listing of your sources at the end of this sobering essay. All the more troubling that, if accurate, the perpetrators and other rank and file members are educated, relative to their “cause”, that is. They are still ignorant in the broader sense. Gotta keep crippling them at least. The head of the snake will never be severed. The moral world can only hope to limit the damage by utilizing whatever means necessary. Happy Chanukah to you.
Thank you.
The sources were actually cut short during editing for this venue. The original is more robust: https://davidfiresterphd.substack.com/p/terrorism-is-a-choice-not-a-symptom.
I tend to cite in the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and these are the precise references I provided in the original:
Abadie, Alberto. 2006. “Poverty, Political Freedom, and the Roots of Terrorism.” American Economic Review 96 (2): 50–56.
Abrahms, Max. 2008. “What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy.” International Security 32 (4): 78–105.
———. 2025. “Does Terrorism Succeed? New Lessons from Hamas, the Global Intifada, and Antisemitism in America.” In October 7: The Wars Over Words and Deeds, edited by Asaf Romirowsky and Donna Robinson Divine, 109–125. Newton, MA: Academic Studies Press.
Atran, Scott. 2003. “Genesis of Suicide Terrorism.” Science 299 (5612): 1534–1539.
Benmelech, Efraim, Claude Berrebi, and Esteban F. Klor. 2012. “Economic Conditions and the Quality of Suicide Terrorism.” Journal of Politics 74 (1): 113–128.
Berrebi, Claude. 2007. “Evidence about the Link Between Education, Poverty and Terrorism among Palestinians.” Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy 13 (1): 18–53.
Berman, Eli, and David D. Laitin. 2008. “Religion, Terrorism and Public Goods: Testing the Club Model.” Journal of Public Economics 92 (10–11): 1942–1967.
Blomberg, S. Brock, Gregory D. Hess, and Akila Weerapana. 2004. “Economic Conditions and Terrorism.” European Journal of Political Economy 20 (2): 463–478.
Bueno de Mesquita, Ethan. 2005. “The Quality of Terror.” American Journal of Political Science 49 (3): 515–530.
Crenshaw, Martha. 1981. “The Causes of Terrorism.” Comparative Politics 13 (4): 379–399.
Ehsan, Rakib. 2019. “Does Poverty Cause Terrorism? It’s Complicated.” CapX, May 2.
Firester, David E. 2023. Evolutions in Suicide Bombing: Exploring the Relationship Between the Tactic and Its Application by Non-State Armed Groups Across Various Conflict Zones Over Time. PhD diss., City University of New York, Graduate Center.
———. Forthcoming. “A Target-Centric Approach to Distinguishing Between Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism.
Flatow, Stephen M. 2019. “Poverty Isn’t the Cause of Terrorism, So Let’s Stop Blaming It.” Jewish News Syndicate, April 29.
Gaibulloev, Khusrav, and Todd Sandler. 2023. “Common Myths of Terrorism.” Journal of Economic Surveys 37 (2): 271–301.
Guerin, Cécile, and Zoé Fourel. 2021. “A Snapshot Analysis of Anti-Muslim Mobilisation in France after Terror Attacks.” Vision of Humanity, April 26.
Hassan, Nasra. 2001. “An Arsenal of Believers: Talking to the ‘Human Bombs.’” The New Yorker, November 19.
Krueger, Alan B., and Jitka Maleckova. 2003. “Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 17 (4): 119–144.
Kydd, Andrew, and Barbara F. Walter. 2002. “Sabotaging the Peace: The Politics of Extremist Violence.” International Organization 56 (2): 263–296.
McKenzie, Pete, Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa, Adolfo Arranz, and Jitesh Chowdhury. 2025. “‘It Was Dead People Everywhere’: Inside Australia’s Hanukkah Massacre.” Reuters, December 15.
Moran, Matthew. 2017. “Terrorism and the Banlieues: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks in Context.” Modern & Contemporary France 25 (3): 315–32.
Piazza, James A. 2006. “Rooted in Poverty? Terrorism, Poor Economic Development, and Social Cleavages.” Terrorism and Political Violence 18 (1): 159–177.
Rakhamilova, Zina. 2025. “Stop Blaming Israel for Global Antisemitism.” Jerusalem Post, October 7.
Sabri, Amir, and Günther G. Schulze. 2021. “Are Suicide Terrorists Different from ‘Regular Militants’?” Public Choice 188 (1–2): 155–181.
Thank you the expanded list of sources. Kudos to you for a well researched, well written essay.
Truth. Great research.
Hence the Israeli agreement with Hamas on October 6 which liberalized fishing zones and work permits for Gazans to work in Israel.