BODYBAGS

Suicide crimes

Suicide attacks have become more common in recent years but are by no means new, even to the U.S. In World War II, Japanese pilots called Kamikazes intentionally crashed their planes into U.S. warships while later in Vietnam, U.S. forces were also subjected to suicide attacks. In 1983, a suicide driver drove his truck packed with explosives into the U.S. Marines compound in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 U.S. Marines. At the time, no one could believe the magnitude of the suicide bombing, echoing what was recently said about the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The country that has borne the brunt of suicide attacks however has been Israel subjected to frequent suicide attacks against military and civilian targets - although these attacks have also occurred in India and Sri Lanka. Yet despite Israel's repressive measures, including the torturing of detainees and the demolition of the former homes of suicide bombers, attacks continue.