Suicide Bombing Greatly Exaggerated

[Guardsman Bass]

Alright, we have probably all heard about this "great" threat, and Sept. 11 and Saddam's offering of $25k to families whose kids blew themselves up, but honestly, how big of a threat is it? We hear about maybe one or two bombings a month TOPS, at least in my paper(the Salt Lake Tribune).

[Nathan F]

And in each of those bombings, anywhere from 1 to 30 people are killed. Yeah, they're as dangerous as most people say.

[Howedar]

Where? The threat in Tel Aviv is a lot greater than it is in Bumfuck, Idaho.

[Nathan F]

Where? The threat in Tel Aviv is a lot greater than it is in Bumfuck, Idaho.

I think he means Israel...

[Joe]

There isn't much threat of smaller scale suicide bombings like we see in Israel here; however, there is indeed a large threat of large-scale suicide bombings like 9/11, since al-Qaeda has shown that it prefers to go after big targets.

[Seggybop]

The actual danger from kamikaze attacks is minimal, but they are very effective at causing psychological damage and as enemy propaganda.

[Master of Ossus]

Suicide bombers in Israel were a real threat very recently, both because of the actual physical damage they could do and also because of the psychological and political impact that they had. About a year ago, there were between three and four suicide bombings a week in Israel as a whole. Many of those killed ten or more people, and together they had a devastating impact on attempts at a peace process, since Israel held fast by the position that the suicide bombers were unacceptable. That, in turn, led to occupations of Palestinian territory, which in turn led to more suicide attacks as soon as the Israelis moved out (and, like it or not, the Israeli occupations were EXTREMELY effective in eliminating suicide bombers while the territories were occupied). Since the US war on Iraq, the number of suicide bombers has been substantiall reduced for a number of reasons, including the lack of monetary incentive for the families of the suicide bombers but probably more significantly by the increased American role in the region, which has both altered the target of the remaining suicide bombers to US interests AND has improved faith in the peace process by giving the Americans and the British far more substantial roles in the ongoing talks.

[Guardsman Bass]

Suicide bombers in Israel were a real threat very recently, both because of the actual physical damage they could do and also because of the psychological and political impact that they had

Holy Shit; point conceded. I guess I'm just damn ignorant on the Israel part.

[Bob McDob]

Since the US war on Iraq, the number of suicide bombers has been substantiall reduced for a number of reasons, including the lack of monetary incentive for the families of the suicide bombers but probably more significantly by the increased American role in the region, which has both altered the target of the remaining suicide bombers to US interests AND has improved faith in the peace process by giving the Americans and the British far more substantial roles in the ongoing talks.

So things are improving, then? From what I gather from the media, Israel is in a stage of moving towards absolutely nothing.

[Joe]

Nope, the Palestinians have been substantially less violent now that their sugar daddy in Baghdad is gone.

[Master of Ossus]

Since the US war on Iraq, the number of suicide bombers has been substantiall reduced for a number of reasons, including the lack of monetary incentive for the families of the suicide bombers but probably more significantly by the increased American role in the region, which has both altered the target of the remaining suicide bombers to US interests AND has improved faith in the peace process by giving the Americans and the British far more substantial roles in the ongoing talks.

So things are improving, then? From what I gather from the media, Israel is in a stage of moving towards absolutely nothing.

In terms of the number of suicide bombings and other violence, things in Israel are much better now than they were a year and a half ago. While it's unfair to attribute all of this to the removal of Saddam Hussein and the US presence in the region, it's clear that the US's increase in negotiating power within the region is helping matters, since Israel hasn't radically changed its negotiation policies. I personally think that the reaction of the Iraqis to their liberation by the Coalition has also had a significant effect on the Arab world, which had previously consistently sided with other Arabs against the west, except occasionally when they themselves were at risk. That, to me, has been the most significant impact of the war to the Israelis and Palestinians. I think that Arabs are starting to rethink their old policies as a result of the American action.

Whether or not Israel manages to go through with their negotiations with Syria and other neighbors, it's clear that the recent Intifada has ended, and that is encouraging from a peaceful-resolution perspective.

[Sarevok]

Is the Intifada realy over for sure ? I hope it is over and the cycle of violence has ended. But how do we know for sure that it wont return ?

[Stormbringer]

Is the Intifada realy over for sure ? I hope it is over and the cycle of violence has ended. But how do we know for sure that it wont return ?

This one seems to be. Of course the chances of it ended for good are between nothing and zero.

[Master of Ossus]

Is the Intifada realy over for sure ? I hope it is over and the cycle of violence has ended. But how do we know for sure that it wont return ?

If all hell broke out in the Middle East tomorrow then that would be a new Intifada. The old one is over, just as the ones that took place nine and eleven years ago also ended.