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ECONOMY
in Prague, are not the first, however the economic factors and the incidence
they are certainly one of the most influ- of terrorism in the countries where
ential authors who in 2002 stated that terrorists come from or the countries
the aid to poor and warring countries where they conduct their actions. Then
is a praiseworthy effort, however that the relation between the economic fac-
there is no relation between poverty, tors and the international and domi-
level of education and terrorism. They cile terrorism is examined, as well as
reached this conclusion, among other the non-linear relations with the GDP.
things, by studying the biographies of The characteristics of the people who
the suicide bombers within Hezbollah participated in terrorist attacks have
in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine, been compared to the average of the
their families and the ones who sup- rest of the population, according to the
ported them: they both came from less socio-economic position and the level
poor and better educated layers of the of education, the type and content of
society. Similar results were found by education (education in secular schools
the researchers of the Rand Corpora- against medersas, for example), and
tion: “The leaders of terrorist organi- then within different groups as well,
zations do not come from poor layers, people who participate in non-violent
they are not less educated and they do protests, supporters of violent actions
not have mental problems.” Even more, and within the very terrorist groups,
in some studies there is particular in- among the management and the direct
sisting on the almost bizarre informa- perpetrators in the attacks. Also the
tion that approximately 40% of the ter- economic motives of individuals have
rorists are recruited within engineers. been investigated, that is, the opportu-
It is well known that some of the most nity costs from engagement in terror-
eminent terrorist leaders come from ism for people with different financial
exceptionally rich families, and were and educational condition within vari-
educated in the Western universities. ous wider social constellations, that is,
life in countries that provide more or
The economists also make a differ- less opportunities for social and eco-
ence whether the terrorists are recruit- nomic progress.
ed in order to perform terrorist attacks
within the communities that they know Finally, the relation of the economic
or do not know. The first ones may have factors and the political orientation of
lower education and standard of living terrorists have been investigated, the
while the participation in internation- left wing and the right wing nationalist
al terrorism costs more as well, and it groups and their evolution.
requires much wider range of various
skills and knowledge. Still, even when Hence, for example, a study from
almost all of these economic compo- 1977 showed that despite the fact that
nents are considered, and furthermore terrorists are usually recruited from
the level of political freedoms and the the middle and higher layers of the so-
micro specifics of the country, such as ciety, the Irish Republican Party is an
strong ethnic divisions, according to exception in terms of the class affilia-
the authors indicated above, these are tion and in terms of education, while
significantly more important factors the Spanish ETA evolved from an orga-
which determine the propensity to ter- nization which was supported by the
rorism. higher classes to being embraced by the
workers. At the same time, the leftist
These and similar researches exam- terrorists strived to reduce the num-
ined the direct relation between the ber of random victims, which partially
growth of GDP and GDP per capita and explains the lower number of victims
the propensity for participation in ter- in terrorist attacks in some former pe-
rorist actions, and then they introduced riods against the current increasing
various variables such as the relation of trend of the number of random victims.
28 September 2016
