Winds of Change.NET: AGAIN

August 20, 2003

AGAIN

by Armed Liberal at August 20, 2003 12:34 AM

A suicide bomber attacked a crowded bus in Jerusalem today, killing at least 18 people and wounding scores more, Israeli officials said. Two Palestinian militant groups hastened to take responsibility for the attack, which threatened to imperil the fragile Middle East peace plan.
"The suicide bomber blew up in the center of the bus,'' Jerusalem's police chief, Mickey Levy, told Israel Radio, according to Reuters. "We are talking about a big bomb, and there is a large number of casualties, including dead.''

There were conflicting estimates of casualties. The police said at least 18 people had been killed, while the head of the Israeli emergency medical service told reporters earlier that 20 people had died and 105 people had been wounded.

My first thoughts, as always, are for those killed and wounded and for their families.

After taking a deep breath, my second one is that we're not done seeing this, or anywhere close to it. But for the first time, I can begin to see a path through the problem.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the alphabet soup of their competitors in terror don't work for free.

My phrase for this (borrowed from 'The Right Stuff') has always been "no bucks, no booms." While the hatred may be indigenous, the resources behind these attacks are foreign.

They have been, up to now, the poorly-paid proxies of the Arab governments (as well as, back in the day, the Soviets) in their war against Israel.

And as I've noted, one strong reason to support the invasion is to dry up the resources - cash, materiel, and support - that the Arab states are giving these proxy armies. Iraq certainly is limited in what it can pay; as soon as Saddam runs through the cash hoard he is doubtless carrying around with him, he's out of business. I have to hope that the other funding states - Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya - are thinking seriously about the wisdom of financing this kind of a war.

At least on a limited basis, Instapundit links to a Post column:

BARRING a last-minute miracle, the pan-Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party, one of Jordan's oldest political organizations, is expected to file for bankruptcy within the next few weeks.

I'd love to know what the books look like for Hamas and Islamic Jihad these days...I'd have to believe that the days of making an easy living in terror are behind us.

UPDATE: Nitin of Hawken Blog comments, with links to some Oxblog posts.

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Comments

#1 from buckethead at 4:01 am on Aug 20, 2003

When I heard that both Islamic Jihad and Hamas were claiming blame for this atrocity, I had to stifle a morbid giggle. Despite all the hot air about roadmaps and whatnot, the worst bombing in a while brings them all out of the woodwork.

This on top of the recent rumors that the Palestinian authority is staging battles with fake terrorists to deceive the Israelis, Americans and, well, everyone that they are complying with the peace process.

I think there is no hope for the Palestinian people until the war on terror hits the senior leadership of the PA, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah, al Aqsa Brigades, etc., and hits them hard.

#2 from John at 8:39 am on Aug 20, 2003

"I'd love to know what the books look like for Hamas and Islamic Jihad these days...I'd have to believe that the days of making an easy living in terror are behind us."

Not as long as the House of Saud rules Arabia.

#3 from M. Simon at 11:29 am on Aug 20, 2003

John,

I'd like to add Iran.

#4 from nitin at 2:45 pm on Aug 20, 2003

Today is a victory for Islamic Militants
First, an explosive-laden cement truck slams into the United Nations headquarters in Iraq and kills over 20 people. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but it represents a level of complexity above the guerilla tactics of the past month. This is terrorism in its absolute definition: the deliberate attack of innocent civilians. It is a sad day in Baghdad, especially because Sergio Vierra de Mello, the top UN official in Iraq, was one of the victims.

Then, hours later, another suicide bomber blows himself up in an extra-long bus in Jeruselem. This means that Israelis worst fears are coming true: that the militant groups have spent the time for the "truce" to re-supply for a new round of attacks. Abu Mazen's government has not effectively reigned in on the terrorists. Apparently, he was negotiating a truce with another set of militants when the blast went off. But, it doesn't seem that a "truce" is effective in stopping the terrorists. He fears that a civil war would ensue if the PLO tried disarming the militants. Well, then maybe it is a civil war that is necessary to fix this broken society.

UPDATE:
At 3:30 this morning, David Adesnik made an excellent post on both bombings. This is a must-read. Regarding the Iraqi bombing, he believes much of the media has misinterpreted the situation. He sees the act as an ultimate act of desperation, that shows that the resistance is truly not on the side of the Iraqi people. The victims were all humanitarian workers. In Jeruselem, he believes the Palestinian militant groups had a strategic reason to break the truce with this brutal bus bombing. Specifically, as the truce continued, the political cost of breaking the truce increases. If the militants waited too long, or waited for Abu Mazen's government to strike them, then the militant's power could really diminish. He doesn't think all is lost though because "The desire for peace on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide may be too intense." But Abu Mazen needs to get his act together in a hurry if there is to be any success in this peace process.

UPDATE UPDATE:
Josh Chafetz also wonders what Israel and Abu Mazen are to do now. He asks, "Does it pressure Abu Mazen into starting a civil war that he may well lose?" My answer is "yes." I feel that this is the only crazy, feasible way to force Palestinians to decide if they are for peace or terror. I believe peace will win out.

#5 from Iblis at 5:20 pm on Aug 20, 2003

The answer is transfer.

Money is fungible. There will always be plenty of hateful Muslims willing to bone up a few bucks to kill Jews. You can dry up some of that, but not all. Not enough.

#6 from Kaveh at 6:49 pm on Aug 20, 2003

"Striking down with vengence upon" the Palestinian terror organizations is only first layer in the war against terror; At a deeper level, one has to understand and interact with the fact that the Palestinan culture is a "culture of resistance", that is constantly brainwashing their youth and showing them how to take arms and kill for their land and beliefs. We had something similar (martyrdom crap) in Iran during the war with Iraq (8 years), but that never found roots and after the war was over, soon enough everything except the Mullah's regime, softenned. In Palestine this "doctrination" has been in place for decades and they get constant moral support from the governments of almost all Muslim countries and money and books from the Wahhabi extremists in the land of the Sauds.

#7 from Armed Liberal at 11:09 pm on Aug 20, 2003

> Today is a victory for Islamic Militants

Yeah, just like Tet was a victory for the NVA. The only way it's a victory is if the resolve ofthe Israelis of Americans weakens.

I haven't seen anyone yet - other than those who have been on ercord as saying that we shouldn;t be there in the first place - who thinks that this means that we should 'declare victory and withdraw'.

When that happens, it'll be avictory for the Islamists. This just means that they managed to kill a bunch of innocent people.

That's no victory.

A.L.