[iwar] [fc:Learning-the-right-lesson---Pakistani-news]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-09-13 13:06:14


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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:06:14 -0700 (PDT)
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Subject: [iwar] [fc:Learning-the-right-lesson---Pakistani-news]
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                       Learning the right lesson
                   The News, Pakistan, Sept. 13, 01
The only superpower has had to learn a difficult lesson: dealing with
individual terrorists is not easy. One way of dealing with them is
what has been demonstrated by the US itself - the 1998 cruise missiles
attacks on Osama bin Laden's hideout in Afghanistan that flew over
Pakistani air space as also on a Sudanese pharmaceutical company.
Various, in fact, regular attacks on Saddam Hussain's Iraq or
occasional ones on Libya illustrate this response. Israel follows it
every day on what is now an unrecognisable shard of the old historic
state of Palestine which is no more. Its tanks, helicopters, gunships
and F-16s try to impress upon the Palestinians that terrorism does not
pay. The latter is probably a truism. But so far the US, UK and Israel
have not been able to instruct those thus punished of the error of
their ways. Indeed, keen minds in America and Israel have started
wondering whether this methodology is right - or even effective.
One reason why the results of such teaching of a lesson have produced
disappointing results is the uncertainty about who does the mischief
and who gets punished. Punishment of the innocent men, women and
children while a few terrorists who carry out the usually mindless
attacks on American or Israeli targets in most case suffer
comparatively little. The needless suffering of the innocent makes a
lot more people mad at the attacking authority. One such blanket
attack on a city or country actually produces more terrorists rather
than the older ones being deterred or their thinking of giving up. The
high and mighty end up having more terrorists waiting for an
opportunity to strike against their undefended or less defended
targets. It is time the mighty learned this hardest of all lessons:
all power has limits and that unwise use of force is generally
counter-productive.
Patience is a prerequisite of wisely acting that gives time to examine
its pros and cons and to consider its ramifications and implications.
The reason for caution is that when governments deal with ordinary
criminals they know how to establish guilt more or less quickly with
reference to the motives. In the case of crimes committed by an
individual for wholly non-personal reasons - the terrorist has no
personal animosity with the persons attacked or any expectation of
gain - that does not apply. He cannot be dumped with ordinary
criminals. Action against him should be aimed at his belief system
that motivates him to harm or hurt the US, Israel or the west. He is
usually motivated by a desperate and irrational high-mindedness of
serving a cause. Unbalanced and indiscriminate use of brute force that
primarily kills and destroys civilian targets that had no role in the
commission of the original offence creates widespread and largely
justified resentment. It is seen as unjust oppression by the strong of
the weak. It produces strong reactions, usually even more desperate.
Thus the high and mighty faces the strange result of producing more
terrorists that are more desperate - and possibly better qualified.
Old reactions need a change.
America and Israel have so much knowledge, wisdom and expertise in
nearly all fields that it is astonishing that they have been unable to
see the vital link among force, wisdom and human values (or morality).
True, possession of overwhelming power sends reason and knowledge to
sleep and morality is overcome by amnesia. But there are always some
wise ones who resist these temptations. They are the salt of the
earth. Where are they? Will they not tell the high and mighty not to
act in haste? Let President, George Bush respect the rule of law: the
US has enough human resources to investigate. Let punishment follow
the identification of the guilty. Blind hitting out on 'usual
suspects' may, apart from being morally or politically wrong,
boomerang.

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