Free Republic

"Disproportionate" response? The misuse of civilians as shields and swords requires a reassessment of the rules of war. There is no democracy in the world that should tolerate missiles being fired at its cities without taking every reasonable step to stop the attacks. The big question raised by Israel's military actions in Lebanon is what is "reasonable." The answer, according to the laws of war, is that it is reasonable to attack military targets, so long as every effort is made to reduce civilian casualties. If the objectives cannot be achieved without some civilian casualties, these must be "proportional" to...

As for-sale listings go, this one is a real fixer-upper-a 10-bedroom, 5 ½-bath glass house situated in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. The landscaping is lush, but it's a bit overgrown. (Truth be told, it's a real jungle.) There's a million-gallon pool, but the water is more than slightly brackish. The utility bills are a bear — about $1 million a year. And the place is infested with five species of cockroaches and overrun with voracious ants.

December 24, 2001 -- JOHN Walker Lindh's case may seem eccentric and unique. How many 20-year-olds from Marin County, Calif., especially ones named after a Beatle and children of a convert to Buddhism, end up in a dank cellar in Afghanistan fighting with the most fanatical of al Qaeda terrorists? Obviously, not many. But Walker illustrates three important and troublesome trends. * One concerns the powerful lure of militant Islam for alienated Westerners. What Walker, also known as Abdul Hamid, told his Islamic teacher in Pakistan - "In the U.S. I feel alone. Here I feel comfortable and at home" ...