July 18, 2003

The Deep Roots of Terrorism

To the Editor:

Alan B. Krueger and Jitka Malecková presented support for previously reported observations that suicide bombers are fairly well educated, moderately well off young persons, not impoverished, marginal youths ("Seeking the Roots of Terrorism," The Review, June 6). ...

The authors propose that self-destructive acts are responses of individuals to frustrating political powerlessness. ... The driving forces that motivate the individual bombers reside far