IN DEFENSE OF SUICIDE
BOMBERS
By Andy Martin
Andy Martin, radio talk show host
http://www.1340wpbr.com
Israeli propaganda experts have tried to spread the myth that recent
Palestinian suicide bombers represent some horrible new form of
terrorist
warfare. In point of fact, suicide missions and terror tactics are as
American as apple pie. Throughout history, young men have sacrificed
their lives for causes they felt reflected the survival of their
nations.
The defenders of the Alamo were on a suicide mission. They had the
option of escape, and knew that defense meant certain death. They chose
death. For the greater good of Texas. In World War II, suicide missions
were routine. Military officers sent men on missions where the chances
of return were negligible. They were committing lives to the cause of
defeating Nazi Germany.
Joe Kennedy, Jr., the brother of President Kennedy, left on a mission
where he knew the prospects for return were doubtful. His aircraft was
so dangerous when he left England that Kennedy never even made it to the
coast of France. My own father, a British commando, repeatedly was sent
on missions where the prospects for his survival were poor. The men who
landed on D-Day knew that being chosen for the first wave
assault meant their chances of survival were nil. The Marines who landed
at Iwo Jima could see the carnage in front of them, yet still committed
themselves to virtually certain death.
The ability of humans to commit themselves to missions where death is
almost assured stems from the common belief in individual sacrifice for
survival of the greater good. Why should Palestinian sacrifices be
viewed in any different light? If anyone motivates and controls
Palestinian suicide bombers it is Ariel Sharon, not Yasser Arafat.
Sharon repeatedly screams he is "at war." Being at war means
that extreme measures such as terrorism are tolerated, when these same
measures would be intolerable in a non-war situation. Is it so hard to
believe that young Palestinians would sacrifice their lives to kill
Israelis when they see Israelis killing their family and friends, and
when they witness a brutal and endless Israeli occupation?
It is unfortunate the concept of "terrorism" has been
distorted to demean and confuse the public concerning the legitimate
military origins of
targeting civilians. Terrorism has always been a routine American
tactic. We fire bombed Tokyo. Was everyone who was killed a Japanese
soldier? Obviously not. We fire bombed Dresden? Was everyone at Dresden
a Nazi? Obviously not. Yet our policy makers believed that killing
innocent civilians would demoralize Japan and Germany and shorten the
war. Who complains today about this terrorism? No one. We accepted
extreme acts as necessary to defeat extreme enemies. During the
"Viet-Nam War," we justified dropping poison on civilians, and
conducing terrorist operations both inside South Viet-Nam and in North
Viet-Nam. It was only when young America fought the United States
Government to a standstill that America's terrorism against Viet-Nam
ended.
Had Viet-Nam attacked America? Of course not. We justified terrorizing
Vietnamese by claiming it was for the greater good of "peace"
and "freedom." After we used terrorism against Vietnamese,
they used it against us. And ultimately we withdrew. Should Palestinians
ignore the lessons of history? Despite the efforts of Israeli spin
doctors to delude Americans into thinking that Palestinians were
"offered everything" in 2000, Palestinians see an endless
occupation without the opportunity for a viable state. The Israeli
government manifests no intention of ending the negotiations and
withdrawing to its own borders. Sharon screams he is at "war."
And he has made himself at war.
Under these Israeli-created conditions, suicide missions are completely
understandable and, as grotesque as it may seem to us comfortably at
home, thoroughly justified as a tactic of demoralizing Israelis and
defeating and ending the Israeli occupation. What is surprising is not
that young Palestinians have dedicated themselves to killing Israeli
civilians but that they have waited so long, and so patiently, before
doing so. The idea that Israel could negotiate forever, while occupying
Palestine and building "settlements" is abhorrent to
reasonable persons. My own
co-religionists, Episcopalians, are horrified at the Israeli occupation
of the Holy Land. The victims of the occupation now demand to be heard
over the cocktail chatter of politicians and diplomats with their
endless "negotiations" and "confidence building"
steps. Thus, the world can expect more and more extreme military
activity, all justified by Ariel Sharon's cries that he is "at
war."
It is likely, and painfully obvious, that only when Israel faces
extinction will it negotiate in good faith for its own survival. Until
them, the world
can expect suicide bombers and more and more extreme weapons and tactics
to be deployed by Palestinians to force Israelis to withdraw and settle
on mutually acceptable terms. In closing, it is worthwhile remembering
that "Sharon's War," began with Palestinians throwing stones,
and Israelis killing children in response. When Israelis persisted in
killing stone throwers, Palestinians resorted to small arms. When Israel
escalated with tanks and invasions, Palestinians recently began to
deploy anti-tank weapons. The intercepted weapons shipment in January
reflected the reality that unless President Bush imposes adult
supervision on Israeli and Palestinian leaders, children will continue
to die and tactics and weapons will continue to escalate.
Palestinians are entitled to believe that giving their lives in the hope
it will bring their country freedom is a noble pursuit and a great
sacrifice.
Few of us are capable of committing, or even understanding, such a
sacrifice. It reflects desperation. But it should also be a canary
warning
for the west. As long as the west allows Israel to employ war tactics as
a means of controlling a colonial area, the occupied people have a
result to respond to war with war, and terror with terror.
Point not the finger of blame, Mr. Sharon, for you are responsible for
suicide bombers. And they will not stop until Israel itself faces
defeat.
Suicide bombers will be Sharon's legacy to Israel. May he rest in peace.
Contact info: Andy Martin, radio talk show host
http://www.1340wpbr.com
Tel. (561) 833-6917
P.O. Box 1132, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Also: http://www.andymartin.com
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