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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: carranza2 who wrote (12674)	12/4/2001 12:05:14 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I think that the suicidal types will prevail. I think so too. Which means that compromise is not an option. Their cause must be defeated, and not only defeated but disgraced as well. seems to be an increase in the cachet associated with martyrdom in the Middle East and South Asia in the last two or three years Yes, and not by accident -- this ties into the Islamicist belief system, well funded and exported by Saudi money. The reasons for this lack of objective quantification of their military and political disadvantages would make a fascinating study Have you read Fouad Ajami's The Dream Palace of the Arabs?

To: carranza2 who wrote (12674)	12/4/2001 12:43:39 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

I think that the suicidal types will prevail. Actually, I don't. What I believe will happen is that we'll see moderates (rationalists?) unwilling to go too far towards supporting the extremists, especially those business owners, and/or middle class (limited as it may be) in the Arab world either fleeing the region, or deciding to fight back. And I'm betting that, with the proper amount of international support to stiffen their spines, they will fight back. I believe this whole conflict is a civil war within Islam, or as I read somewhere, the Islamic version of the "reformation". Thus, the key is to find those elements within Islamic society that most closely represent our own interests and values and empower them against the extremists. After all, there are only two things the extremists can offer the common muslim. Social support networks (welfare, education.. etc), or intimidation. I'm sure there are more Palestinians than just the maniacs we see on TV, who would breath a sigh of relief to see the extremists destroyed, and Arafat "dismissed", so they could return to rebuilding their lives. And as we've seen in Afghanistan, these extremist groups operate primarily as criminal mafias, threatening to kill those who oppose them, and probably their families as well. So it seems key, imo, that the Israelis reach out to those elements among the Palestinians who, at some point in the future, might be rational enough to work with on a political level, and empowering them, even if only at a local level. This will create a marketplace of ideas for Palestinians to choose from, as well as options. But first, the infrastructure of Hamas, and other groups like them, must be destroyed. Hawk