Have you heard or seen any studies on the average age of a terrorist?

Question

Why would this be removed? It is a simple question and doesn't incite violence or break any rules of conduct.

Answer 1

Timothy McVeigh was about 30 when he committed his crimes...33 when executed. Dr.Ted Kaczynski,The unabomber, committed his terrorist bombings for 20 years from his 30's into his 50's.Osama Bin Laden was about in his 40's when he started his campaign against the west...of course in his youth American Inteligence agencies taught him how to build bombs so he could aid the Afghan people against the Russians. so He could have been termed a terrorist by the Russians since his young adulthood.

Answer 2

Terrorists by deffinition are the young. Typicially between 16 and 25. The guy who blew himself up in Ok is a window into how terrorists recruit. They find the disaffected, the lonely, the condemned and the mentally challenged. They then team up on the victem. Taking turns pounding a dogma into the victem until the victem starts to believe it. They then incite the victem with progressively stronger presentations. Once the vitctem is completely indoctrinated they are handed missions. Those deemed unfit for normal service are given the suicide missions. These typically outsiders, condemned or the lower IQ and or lower social status.

Predomiently suicide terrorists are not core members of a cell. Rarely leaders or even long time members. They are often recruited specifically for that mission. Several have been captured because of incompentence as a result, but also had little information to give about the cell.

Some examples. The PLO recruited a mentally retarded boy around 17 for a suicide bombing mission. HIs older brother caught wind of it and shut it down.

In Ok an Islamic was teamed with an American lacking all social skill. He imediately brought this kid into a small Islamic circle and followed the formula to a T. When the kid was foiled from entering a packed football stadium at his college he sat down on a bench and detonated the bomb strapped on his back. For some reason the local authorities have denied terrorism in the case. What clearly happened was to gain some sort of acceptance by anybody the kid was indoctrinated in Islamic fanaticism. The bomb may or may not have been his idea. The inspiration came strait from the Mosque he attended and the crowd that indoctrinated him.

In Isreal a suicide bomber was a young man around 20 who had some sort of involvement with a woman that earned him a death sentence. He was imediately recruited to do a suicide mission to save the trouble of another Arab executing him. As a means of redemption he was promised that he would go to heaven for carrying it out and restore his families honor.

The pattern is pretty clear. Few proffesional terrorists perform suicide missions. That is left for dupes that they can con into taking such missions. Most terrorists leave thier cells in thier mid to late 20s and take up a more normal life, but often contribute support in funds and housing for active terrorists. Non-suicide missions do often kill terrorists. Bomb making for example has killed many terrorists and sometimes the terrorist's neighbors. Transporting explosives has also left a few dead.

Answer 3

About 14 to 40.

Answer 4

This question ought not get removed.

No, I have not seen any studies on the average age of a terrorist. It would be interesting to know since it would require a linguistic analysis of the meaning of the word "terrorist" so that the terminology could be internally valid (actually studying what you say you are studying).

Answer 5

It's hard to tell since they blow up so fast.

All joking aside though, most are fairly young (teens to low 20's). These are the easiest to recruit as they're more gullible and hormonally diven and imbalanced lending the ability to do the irrational. Also, who are you more likely to entice to "martyrdom" and a reward of virgins than a sexually repressed young man?

It's a wickedly cruel employment tactic that has been going on since mohammed, but it's very effective.

Answer 6

Mentally 7, physically 21

Answer 7

21-24 is the average age of all the terrorists INVOLVED in incidents. This is the age that Osama says they have matured into disciples.

Answer 8

No I haven't heard or seen any studies. Sounds like something you can definately get funded by the American government. They probably have a subsidy for that.

Answer 9

18-24?

Answer 10

No, but as i think about what you are saying, I'd say that most older ones are in their 40's and they are leaders. The younger are easier to sway, like 20's.