Posted on 03/22/2002 4:20:53 AM PST by kattracks
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday at an Israeli army roadblock near the West Bank town of Jenin, wounding at least one person, Israel Radio said.
An army spokesman could not immediately confirm the report.
Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited.
Explain please...
It is clear that most of the people in Afghanistan and Pakistan do not want us there (Remember the Zogby poll?), and there is a very large contingent of radical Islamists in both countries. Afghanistan is inhabited by locals who move in and out of various armies, apparently quite comfortably.
Neither Musharraf nor Karzai are in good control of their countries. Karzai is just another warlord with only regional influence, and Musharraf tells us he is barely hanging on by a thread and cannot clean up the "radical element" without being overthrown.
As a result, I conclude there is far more loyalty to Islam and Jihad then there is to the West.
I doubt that the Afghans or Pakis feel any particular loyalty to Saddam. But their anger against the West has been cultivated for years by rhetoric describing the atrocities of the West against the poor Muslims in Iraq.
Our troops are already under daily attack in Afghanistan. And there have been some assaults on the base in Pakistan. We simply don't have enough troops in either country to defend themselves if those countries explode in anti-West anger because we attacked another Muslim country.(Though I think that there is hope if the West can be seen as helping the Kurdish Muslims overthrow Saddam--but that point of view will take time to cultivate in the minds of the Muslim world). Our contingents in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, etc. are in the same boat.
So, if we are going to attack Iraq, we have to do one of three things:
1) We pray that Musharraf and Karzai really have turned pro-West and give them time to get their countrymen firmly under control. (The same with SA, Indonesia, etc.)
2) We evacuate our people out of those places before we strike Iraq.(Which means we give up that access to oil)
3) We sacrifice those forces there to the mobs that would come against them (which would be so politically unacceptable at home, that I don't think that would happen).
So if we're asking Israel to keep taking it on the chin until we move against Iraq, I think the Israelis may be in for a long wait. Convince me I'm wrong, and I'll be happy to change my mind.
Explain please...
It is clear that most of the people in Afghanistan and Pakistan do not want us there (Remember the Zogby poll?), and there is a very large contingent of radical Islamists in both countries. Afghanistan is inhabited by locals who move in and out of various armies, apparently quite comfortably.
Neither Musharraf nor Karzai are in good control of their countries. Karzai is just another warlord with only regional influence, and Musharraf tells us he is barely hanging on by a thread and cannot clean up the "radical element" without being overthrown.
As a result, I conclude there is far more loyalty to Islam and Jihad then there is to the West.
I doubt that the Afghans or Pakis feel any particular loyalty to Saddam. But their anger against the West has been cultivated for years by rhetoric describing the atrocities of the West against the poor Muslims in Iraq.
Our troops are already under daily attack in Afghanistan. And there have been some assaults on the base in Pakistan. We simply don't have enough troops in either country to defend themselves if those countries explode in anti-West anger because we attacked another Muslim country.(Though I think that there is hope if the West can be seen as helping the Kurdish Muslims overthrow Saddam--but that point of view will take time to cultivate in the minds of the Muslim world). Our contingents in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, etc. are in the same boat.
So, if we are going to attack Iraq, we have to do one of three things:
1) We pray that Musharraf and Karzai really have turned pro-West and give them time to get their countrymen firmly under control. (The same with SA, Indonesia, etc.)
2) We evacuate our people out of those places before we strike Iraq.(Which means we give up that access to oil)
3) We sacrifice those forces there to the mobs that would come against them (which would be so politically unacceptable at home, that I don't think that would happen).
So if we're asking Israel to keep taking it on the chin until we move against Iraq, I think the Israelis may be in for a long wait. Convince me I'm wrong, and I'll be happy to change my mind.
Earth to Israel: Pavlov teaches us that rewarding any behavior (in this case, suicide bombing) is the way to promote it.Wait, I think I've got something: The dead don't know what you are doing. You cannot punish nor reward a suicide bomber. This is where we are now stuck! It's silly to declare: "Don't come here suicide bombing us, we'll spank you!"
I am afraid that when people are attempting to kill you, as they are doing daily in Israel or did in this country on 9/11 and are obviously about to do again, as soon as they can, you are unable to be cool and collected, no matter how desirable that might be logically. What you do is anything you can do to make them stop.
If you determine that an entire population is determined to kill you, or at least to shelter those who do, if nothing else can be done, you see that that population no longer is in a position to harm you. NO MATTER WHAT THE COST! The alternative is our own extinction, and most of us are not willing to follow the lemmings.
you are unable to be cool and collected, no matter how desirable that might be logically.And all that reflex will get you is a long term loss.
If you determine that an entire population is determined to kill you, or at least to shelter those who do,Who are we asking? Zogbie?
if nothing else can be done,Who are we asking? Geraldo?
you see that that population no longer is in a position to harm you. NO MATTER WHAT THE COST!Even if our kneejerk means our own extinction? Trust me, these people are at least as stubborn as you and me. It will be only a matter of time before some distant cousin shows up on your door asking for revenge.
It doesn't matter what they think or want, if they are not in control. A population which conceals assassins will have to share their fate. You may say, 'they are afraid that they will be killed if they expose the assassins'. It must be made clear to them that they are more likely to perish if they will not expose them.
In that case, we can take everyone else with us, but frankly I do not think that such is the case. 'The strong do what they will, the weak suffer what they must' is a truth discovered in the Aegean 2500 years ago, and has been true ever since.
It is too late, we will not wait for them. In death, heads become cool, you know.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.