"The way the terrorist is trained to operate, especially the suicide terrorists, makes punishment and the threat of punishment far less valuable to those who would prevent the crime"

In this quote, John Ashcroft is talking about the tactics utilized by terrorists, specifically suicide terrorists, and how it impacts the effectiveness of punishment as a deterrent. He recommends that the way these terrorists are trained to run makes punishment and the hazard of penalty less effective in preventing their criminal activities. This could be due to the truth that these people are typically happy to sacrifice their own lives for their cause, making standard types of penalty less impactful. Furthermore, the intense indoctrination and radicalization that these terrorists go through may make them unsusceptible to the worry of punishment. For that reason, Ashcroft argues that alternative methods should be used to prevent terrorist acts, as traditional kinds of punishment may not be as efficient in preventing these people.