Friday, May 21, 2004
This is one of the reasons I never worry about the idea of making things worse by making someone a "martyr." Live terrorists sitting in prison simply become the focal point of further terrorism. Dead terrorists have no hope of ever being released. Also, in a culture where suicidal parents who murder themselves and others' children bear the same label (martyr), one more will simply not make all that much difference. Particularly in the case of a leader like Barghouti, were he dead there would be absolutely no chance of him ever going on to do any more organizing.
Prisoners like Barghouti are viewed by the terrorists and their supporters as "hostages," not criminals, and as such are objects of action - usually violent.
Haaretz - Militants vow to kidnap troops to swap them for Barghouti
A Gaza leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - an armed faction of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - said the group would make abducting soldiers its "top priority."
Hadash MK Mohammed Barakeh said after leaving the Tel Aviv courthouse that the trial was political and called Barghouti the Palestinian leader.
"Barghouti will be released, and those who imprisoned him will eventually have to hold negotiations with him, because he is the leader of the Palestinian people," said Barakeh...
Side note: I'm catching up on a few stories here following my posting lull. Blog addicts may find this boring but I do it for two reasons: As I've mentioned before, I'm cognizant of the fact that not all of my readers are blog and/or news addicts, and also I use this blog as something of a "notes to self" so I can come back and search for subjects later. I'll be adding a fair amount of stories to the "Quick Links" sidebar as well.
