Suicide mission
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A suicide mission is a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to include
Distinctions
The risks involved with suicide missions are not always apparent to those participating in them or to those who plan them. However, for an action to be considered a suicide mission someone involved must be aware of the risks; therefore, a mission that goes wrong is not a suicide mission. Rather, in some instances, an individual or group taking part in a mission may perceive the risks involved to be far greater than what they believe to be acceptable, while those planning or commanding the mission may think otherwise; these situations can lead to refusals to participate in missions on the basis that they are "suicide missions".[citation needed] Conversely, planners or commanders may be well aware of the risks involved with missions while those participating in them may not.
Military and wartime
In a military context, soldiers can be ordered to perform very dangerous tasks or can undertake them on their initiative. For example, in the
At the same time, many individuals or groups voluntarily undertake suicide missions in times of war. For example, both the
Suicide missions can also be an act of desperation, such as a last stand, or to save lives. The latter end of the Battle of Stalingrad could be seen as a suicide mission from the German perspective, as they were ordered to fight to the death with no option of surrendering nor the chance of escape.[citation needed]
Special forces
Special forces units are often sent on missions that are exceedingly dangerous with the hope that their superior training and abilities will allow them to complete them successfully and survive. An example is a desperate attempt by two U.S. Delta Force snipers to protect a downed helicopter pilot (Michael Durant) from being killed or captured by masses of Somali militia during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. While the sniper team held off overwhelming numbers of Somalis long enough for the pilot to survive, both snipers were killed, and the pilot was eventually captured but then later released.[citation needed]
However, even special forces groups refuse to participate in some missions. Operation Mikado, a plan for a Special Air Service raid on Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, during the 1982 Falklands War, was ultimately not executed due in part to significant hostility from members of the SAS, who saw the mission as exceedingly risky.[citation needed]
Armed hostage takings
Armed
See also
- Forlorn hope
- Green Light Teams
- Seppuku, also known as Harakiri
- Kaiten
- Kamikaze
- Suicide Squad - a fictional espionage group in DC Comics who are sent on suicide missions
- Suicide Mission (Mass Effect 2) - the final level of Mass Effect 2
References
- ^ "British man on 'suicide mission' in attempted restaurant attack". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "Girl, 8, kills Iraqui officer in suicide mission". Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Doubts about US morale in Iraq as troops refuse 'suicide mission'". The Guardian. October 16, 2004.