"People who make the argument that it is a good thing to have them attacking us over there are missing that suicide terrorism is not a supply-limited phenomenon where there are just a few hundred around the world willing to do it because they are religious fanatics. It is a demand-driven phenomenon. That is, it is driven by the presence of foreign forces on the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland. The operation in Iraq has stimulated suicide terrorism and has given suicide terrorism a new lease on life."
...
"Many people worry that once a large number of suicide terrorists have acted that it is impossible to wind it down. The history of the last 20 years, however, shows the opposite. Once the occupying forces withdraw from the homeland territory of the terrorists, they often stop—and often on a dime."
The Logic of Suicide Terrorism
Found via Schneier on Security.
Gives me a bad thought: Consider Israel. Bombers hold that the state of Israel is occupied. In that case, withdrawal is not possible. Israeli options are limited to stopping the bombers and ceasing to exist.
Perhaps more disturbing, one could stretch the point to include states other than Israel. In the U.K., there are Muslims who have stated that their goal is to destroy the current state and replace it with an Islamic one. In effect, they hold that the U.K. is wrongly occupying itself. If one truly believes that the current jihad is a war for the survival of Islam against the cultural onslaught of the West, then one can't stop bombing until the West is destroyed.
Undoubtedly, this is stretching the point too far. On the other hand, so's strapping a bomb to one's chest to kill a carriage-load of civilians.
I think the point is that there is almost no one who holds beliefs that extreme.
It's more of an observation of the direct correlation between occupying territory and suicide terrorism (ie. when Israel moves troops into the West Bank and/or Gaza, more suicide terrorism.) The Israel situation is obviously more complex than elsewhere, however.
The number of muslims in the U.K. who believe that the U.K. is occupying itself (and that it is their homeland) is probably rather limited.