From the Belmont Club

Just after Izz El-Deen Al-Sheikh Khalil climbed into his white Mitsubishi in Damascus a bomb planted in the vehicle exploded, ending his career. Khalil was member of the military wing of Hamas living in the Syrian capital. The Syrian government blamed Israel for the attack, characterizing it as "an Israeli act of state terrorism in the heart of Damascus". Israel responded coyly, neither confirming nor denying their involvement in Khalil's death. But the strangest reaction of all was from Hamas.

The Izz el-Deen al-Kassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, vowed to avenge Al-Sheikh Khalil by attacking Israeli targets overseas, the group said in a statement issued in the Gaza Strip. "We have allowed hundreds of thousands of Zionists to travel and move in capitals around the world in order not to be the party that shifts the struggle overseas. But the Zionist enemy has done so and should bear the consequences of its actions," said the statement, a copy of which was faxed to the pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera, which broadcast the message. "We announce an escalation in the fight between us and the Zionist enemy," Hamas spokesman Sami Zuhari said speaking on Al-Jazeera. But another Hamas spokesperson, Osama Hamdan, denied the al-Jazeera report, saying Hamas would not change its strategy of striking at Israeli targets only within Israel and the Palestinian territories. "Our policy was and remains to conduct our struggle inside the Zionist entity," Hamdan said, speaking from Beirut. Experts believe the retraction came about because Hamas does not want to be seen as another al-Qaida.

Hamas' hesitation is evidence that the cellular structure of militant Islamism, meant to provide immunity against counterintelligence is also exacting a high strategic price. The decentralized command and control structure which freed cells to choose their own targets also allowed them to make their own enemies. And make enemies they did. Attacking the United States, seizing the Indian Parlaiment House, blowing up discos in Bali, smashing trains in Madrid and beheading people of every nationality has had the practical effect of multiplying the  foes of radical Islam and enabled President Bush to build a global coalition against it. While it has arrogated to itself the power to ignore every civilized limit, Islamic terrorism itself is ironically dependent on their maintenance. Assymetric warfare relies on being able to do what your enemy is forbidden. Terrorism, being militarily weak, relied upon legal restraints, inviolate borders and traditional respect for noncombatants and holy places to provide the shelter that concrete could not. Khalil lived in an unguarded compound in Damascus, in an ordinary residential neighborhood, free to plot the deaths of Jewish civilians. His armor was neither Kevlar nor steel but the certainty -- until now -- that Israel would not attack him across an "international" border. Hama's eagerness to limit the response to Israel proper betrays a growing fear that borders no longer provide sanctuaries. In the weeks following the masscre of schoolchildren in Beslan, the Russian strongman Vladmir Putin announced his intention to strike pre-emptively at terrorist targets all over the world.

17 Sept 2004 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning of preemptive strikes on terrorists. His announcement came shortly after prominent Chechen warlord, Shamil Basayev, claimed responsibility for the bloody school siege in Beslan two weeks ago. More than 320 hostages were killed in the siege. Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments are the highest-level warning that Russia might launch pre-emptive strikes on terrorists. Speaking in Moscow on Friday, the Russian leader said serious preparation to act preventively against terrorists is under way. If taken, the measures would be in strict accordance with the law and norms of the constitution and rely on international law, he said. Mr. Putin didn't specify whether attacks would happen at home or abroad.

The reader may judge for himself how respectful Russia might be of "international law". But both Putin's warning and the Israeli carbomb attack in Damascus are a warning that Golda Meir may have been wrong. She once said, "there will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians love their children more than they hate the Jews". She forgot the alternative which Putin may even now be thinking of. 'that there will be peace in the Middle East when every Arab school is as secure as Belslan; and the Kaaba as inviolate as any synagogue in Jersualem.' America must win this war before it is too late -- for Islam.

Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. As long as Islam is allowed to be perceived as a "peaceful" religion, we will always have terrorists.

Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it.

what exactly have the russians done?

They have just threatened.  But consider Russias track record on obeying international law.  If the consequences do not include the threat of American nuclear retaliation they do it.

Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. As long as Islam is allowed to be perceived as a "peaceful" religion, we will always have terrorists.

Russia gets it, Israel has got it for a long time (no arab passengers aboard El-Al flights, etc) some day maybe we'll wake up and realize that while all islamics are not terrorists, most terrorists ARE islamic.

send all muslims to a designated state,Maybe california,and we can watch them from there.

Considering that mainstream islam [the jihaddis now outnumber those who claim not to belive in jihad] has essentially declared war on the rest of the world, maybe it is time to declare open war.  

Quoted: send all muslims to a designated state,Maybe california,and we can watch them from there.

Bite me, dumbass.

Quoted: Russia gets it, Israel has got it for a long time (no arab passengers aboard El-Al flights, etc) some day maybe we'll wake up and realize that while all islamics are not terrorists, all terrorists ARE islamic.

My first "fixed it for ya!" reply.

Quoted: Quoted: send all muslims to a designated state,Maybe california,and we can watch them from there. Bite me, dumbass.

+1

Quoted: Quoted: send all muslims to a designated state,Maybe california,and we can watch them from there. Bite me, dumbass.

+1

(although, that would put them all within rifle-range. sweet.)

Is Russia going to launch a global war of terror AGAINST Islam?

I'll make the popcorn.

All I'd been hearing is talk from them

Quoted: what exactly have the russians done? abused chechnaya like a red-haired stepchild...you have seen downtown grozny in the fall, haven't you? the colors are just fabulous as the sun filters light thru the ruins...

Grozny before the Russians came to play…



Grozny after the Russians came to play…

Minimising 'Collateral Damage' is an alien concept to the Russians…

Andy

Global War?  Not Hardly?  they are not as dumb as you think.  they will make it as close to home on Chechen and related targets.  Right now Al-Quaeda and all the Moslems living in Russia and the neighboring countries are not fighting the Russians.  You thinkthe Russians really want to get them involved too?

People really need to start thinking about the real picture, you want to take on the worlds largest religion most of whom are like most of the people in the US. Sitting back and staying out of things.  go ahead convince them their only hope is to start killing people too.  

Quoted: Global War?  Not Hardly?  they are not as dumb as you think.  they will make it as close to home on Chechen and related targets.  Right now Al-Quaeda and all the Moslems living in Russia and the neighboring countries are not fighting the Russians.  You thinkthe Russians really want to get them involved too?

I agree, the Russians are past masters at targeted assasinations, the one thing the KGB was very good at. It will be a 'covert' war without having to worry about a  Liberal Press getting upset when some bad guy with bad thoughts get put into a hole in the ground.

ANdy

Also look up what the Russians did in Beirut when somebody kidnapped one of their guys.

Quoted: Also look up what the Russians did in Beirut when somebody kidnapped one of their guys.

NOW THAT'S HOW TO DEAL WITH KIDNAPPERS!!!……

"During the spree of hostage-takings in Beirut, some enterprising bunch of terrorists decided, instead of targeting an American or other westerner, they’d kidnap some Soviet diplomats.

And they did. They sent a box to the Soviet embassy that held one of the diplomats’ severed fingers as proof that they had him, along with instructions to fill the box with a certain amount of money and return it by a specified time.

Meanwhile, the KGB, with the usual thoroughness of that organization, had determined the identities of the terrorists. The Soviets returned the box at the time and place instructed by the terrorists, who opened it to find the severed head of the lead terrorist’s brother, and instructions on how to avoid further similar shipments.

The diplomats were quickly released. The Russians play hardball in this sort of situation…."

Quoted: Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. what exactly have the russians done?

You are right they have done nothing but talk.  They should join us to destroy all of the terrorist.

Quoted: Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. what exactly have the russians done?

+1

So far, all I've noticed is Putin using this new Russian "War on Terror" as an excuse to turn back democracy and turn Russia into a ditatorship.

I expect Dave_A to be dropping in anytime soon.

The GWOT- Global War On Terror

It's ON!

Quoted: Also look up what the Russians did in Beirut when somebody kidnapped one of their guys.

Yeah, I heard about that a few years back. It was during the hostage taking frenzy of the 80's in Beirut. Apparently after a Russian (Soviet) was kidnapped and brutally killed  the Russians filmed what they did to a raghead in return and sent the tape to Beirut. Only that ONE Soviet was ever kidnapped there!  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. what exactly have the russians done? +1 So far, all I've noticed is Putin using this new Russian "War on Terror" as an excuse to turn back democracy and turn Russia into a ditatorship.

jesus! quit agreeing with me!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Russia gets it, I wish our own government would get it. what exactly have the russians done? +1 So far, all I've noticed is Putin using this new Russian "War on Terror" as an excuse to turn back democracy and turn Russia into a ditatorship. jesus! quit agreeing with me!

This is weird!

Quoted: I expect Dave_A to be dropping in anytime soon.

I too, will be looking forward to that.