Introduction

Abstract

Research on terrorism and terrorist groups has flourished in the last decade and intensified significantly since the attacks of September 11, 2001. This research has provided us with novel insights into many of the political, economic, social, and legal aspects and characteristics of terrorism. Other aspects, including the ever disputed definition of terrorism, have remained vague or unclear. The “rationality” of terrorists’ behavior also remains an open question. Both the often far-fetched goals stated by terrorists and their brutal and apparently indiscriminate violence against civilians have prompted many to doubt terrorists’ sanity. In this view, terrorists are considered irrational in the sense that they deviate from medically sane behavior. Accordingly, terrorists have been described as mentally abnormal, disturbed or crazy, and sometimes even as “mad” or “evil” (see Merkl, 1987b: 51; Ruby, 2002: 17; Witte, 2005: 72-74).