the lesson we have learned in my country is that the best way to fight terrorism is to cut off the terrorists' support from the population by improving their lives, diminishing the reasons for which they support the terrorists, so that you will now know where the terrorists are and where the civilians are.
Pray tell how you think this will reward terrorism.
In cases where the terrorists are making demands which also have local popular support, such as the IRA, or ETA or the PLO, giving into the demands only after the terrorists attack does send the unmistakeable message that terrorism works. What's so hard to understand about that?
In recent days, just when Arafat was about to let go of the power, Sharon's forces brought down the world around his little compound, causing Palestinians to show renewed support for him. Lesson: The best way to strengthen a leader is to attack him, so that his people will come together around him.
Bullsh-t Arafat was about to let go of anything. The PLC was making feeble demands for reform, and Arafat was preventing them. Most of the guns still answer to Arafat, let's not forget that! Arafat will go out feet first, not before.
What Sharon needs to do, in my humble opinion, is to improve living conditions for the average Palestinian. Most of these guys just want to feed their families, in a place where there will be no bombs falling from the sky
So I gather you support a full and permanent Israeli reoccupation? Seriously, it's the only way Sharon could improve their conditions. The high point for the Palestinians, economically speaking, was 1993. Per capita Palestinian GDP fell by half from 1993 to 2000 -- before the intifada. Arafat, you see, had not the least interest in economic development. Peres certainly tried to get something started when he was PM, but no go. Remember, Arafat's PA is a government that doesn't even provide social services to its people.
the medium term, this strategy will cut off support from ordinary Palestinians to extremists
If you are supporting unilateral Israeli withdrawal, wouldn't it prove Arafat's strategy correct, and raise support for the terrorists? That's what happened in Lebanon. |
