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Abstract: Since 1987 the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) have used the tactic of suicide bombing over 200 times in the course of their conflict with the Sri Lankan government. In that time the LTTE has emerged as the only effective representative of the Tamil population in the North. Moreover, the LTTE has begun the process of peaceful negotiation with the Sri Lankan government. How did the LTTE successfully move towards a political solution to conflict while maintaining its revolutionary character? What role has suicide bombing played in the evolution of the LTTE? Finally, what can the particular case of the Tamil Tigers tell us about the use of suicide-bombing, and other suicide missions in general? This paper argues that suicide bombing played an important role in the evolution of the LTTE into a political organization on two levels. First, the use of suicide bombing showcased the lengths to which the LTTE would go for their cause both domestically and internationally. Second, the LTTE has utilized suicide bombing to inculcate a strong sense of internal group cohesion through the symbolic resonance of these acts. This in turn leads to a high level of individual commitment among Tamils in the North. The paper will focus on the effect that suicide bombing has on the internal dynamics of the LTTE, including the process through which suicide bombers are chosen, and how these bombers are portrayed after their missions. Many theorists posit that violence does not work in attaining political outcomes. However, groups continue to use violent tactics in political mobilization. The LTTE's use of suicide bombing highlights how violent tactics can and do mobilize internal group support. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]