... his beliefs. However, choosing to sacrifice oneself in an airplane for a cause appears largely irrational, for a suicidal action does not allow one to enjoy the achievement of the cause. More importantly, self-preservation has long been assumed to be a basic goal of all mankind. On an individual level, then a sacrificial act of terrorism does not appear to be rational. The fact remains, however, that terrorism occurs, no matter how irrational it may appear. Terrorism is neither an aberration nor an isolated event. If anything, the usage of terrorism as a political weapon is increasing. Also, whether terrorism, as defined as the usage of violence to further political goals, is good or evil relies on a normative judgement and there is no universal consensus. In the specific case of al Qaeda, the governments of several countries in Africa and the Middle East (such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, ...

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