Cheap Nokia GSM phones are probably much easier as they just have to throw in a SIM card and replace the vibrate motor with a connection to the detonator
Maybe if the world wasn't already awash in a sea of GSM phones. As it stands, I'm sure the incremental cost of acquiring an active GSM cell-phone is very much less than $50 (and probably comes closer to free).
To be exact, this particular price is likely slightly subsidized by AT&T because they expect to make money on your airtime use. For a better comparison, you'd have to find an unlocked, unbranded phone which doesn't come with a carrier SIM.
I may be wrong, but I believe it's so the suicide bomber can't back out at the last minute. They have a spotter that makes sure they're in position then blows them up.
I might be missing something, but if that's the case then you can't call them suicide bombers! If they are not actually the ones in control of their own death, it's not suicide.
I don't think so -- if you choose to strap a bomb to yourself which you know someone else will detonate, then it's suicide.
I am, however, with Fox News on disliking the terminology "suicide bomber" just because it puts the emphasis on the death of the murderer rather than the innocent folks whom he murders. The suicide aspect is really the least important aspect of the act.
if you choose to strap a bomb to yourself which you know someone else will detonate, then it's suicide.
I wish things were that simple. There are several variations that makes this logic less convincing, from social pressure ('all families must make sacrifices') to outright catch-22 ('if you do not do it, we will kill you and your family').
Especially in the latter case, I wouldn't call this suicide.
In addition to the coldfeet scenario, they use SMS in case the bomber is captured or incapacitated, a handler watching from afar can detonate the bomb. That's why lots of suicide bombers blow up at police checkpoints, their handler sees them being detained and remote detonates the bomb.
It's fairly common, actually. It gives the control to the organizers, in case the bomber has a change of heart (which people are prone to have when they have a bomb strapped to their chest.)
My assumption is that there was both a manual "detonate" button that the bomber could have activated once in position as well as this SMS trigger just in case the bomber couldn't muster up the nerve to blow herself up.
Presumably whoever is triggering the bomb has a better vantage point to inflict the most damage. From the linked article: Islamist terrorists in Russia often use mobile phones as detonators. The bomber's handler, who is usually watching their charge, sends the bomber a text message in order to set off his or her explosive belt at the moment when it is thought they can inflict maximum casualties.
