A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Friday, September 11, 2009

Oops

It sounds like a car bombing in Kirkuk may have taken out the bombers rather than innocent victims: Deadly Kirkuk Blast 'a Mistake'. I'm not sure "mistake" is the right word, being a bit weak, but it appears to have been final, however you characterize it.

Since today is September 11, it may be useful to note that the bad guys still make mistakes and are not such infallible evil geniuses as we sometimes imagine in our most paranoid moments. Suicide bombings that kill only the suicide bombers are the best kind, if there is such a thing. But there seems to be a hint in this story that others (family?) may have suffered as well.
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Posted by Michael Collins Dunn at 9/11/2009 08:48:00 AM
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1 comment:

David B Roberts said...

In a seminar with Mangus Ranstorp (the Swedish terrorism expert) some years ago he suggested that the IRA incurred roughly 40% of their fatalities through 'mistakes' when building their own bombs.

This is, obviously enough, a shocking figure. Given that the IRA were 'professional' bombers (plenty of practice over generations etc) such a statistic can only be expected to be repeated in Iraq and elsewhere if Ranstorp’s initial statistic is correct.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 3:22:00 AM EDT

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