Meth given to suicide bombers - report

The men who train suicide bombers in Pakistan are using powerful drugs to create the right psychological state of mind needed by their charges to kill themselves, according to reports from Peshawar. One article, published today in The Tribune Express, says the drug given to suicide bombers is methamphetamine, known locally under the name Pervitin.
Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is available in Pakistan in the form of Ritalin, which is used in the treatment of attention deficit disorders in children.However, the very powerful side effects are well known and access to the drug is restricted. Unsupervised use of the drug can cause paranoid psychosis, and one or more of the following symptoms: euphoria, anxiety, increased libido, alertness, concentration, energy, self-esteem, self-confidence, sociability, irritability, aggression, psychosomatic disorders, psychomotor agitation and hubris.
The drug was given to both German soldiers during the Second World War and also to Japanese kamikaze pilots.
The drug is often injected and this is thought to be the way it is being used with young potential suicide bombers. Given in high doses, the drug given a sense of invincibility, coupled with an increase in focus and mental alertness and the elimination of fatigue.
There have been a total of 248 suicide attacks in Pakistan between 2002 and 2010. More than 3,000 civilians and 2,500 military personnel have lost their lives in these attacks. Yet little serious research has been conducted into the phenomenon and we know little, if anything about the success of the Pakistani security forces in de-programming the young boys (mostly) they have freed from training camps or captured.