(FrontPageMagazine) Barry Rubin - Terrorism is merely a tactic, though one which is revealing about the nature and goals of movements which make it the centerpiece of their strategy. The real problem is that of extremist revolutionary movements, without constraints on their behavior and with genocide as their goal, which are applauded by most regimes, media, and publicly vocal people of the Arab world and Iran. In short, an extremist minority sets the agenda for means and ends for a majority that accepts these things. In the Gaza Strip, it is increasingly clear that the Palestinian movement's goal remains Israel's complete destruction. Whatever average Palestinians or moderates think, those setting the agenda - radical nationalists or Islamists - put total victory and revenge above raising their people's living standards or getting a state. Abbas gives nice interviews to the Western media explaining how he will persuade militias to give up their guns and implement development programs for Gaza when it is obvious these things are never going to happen.
2005-10-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive