Rhetoric Threatening To Spill Over Into Suicide

Israel did something bad today. They eliminated a problem to their nation, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, but they did it in a very public and violent manner. Hamas, the Palestinians, and Al Qaeda (the usual suspects) are somewhat understandably upset.

This is not to say that the Israelis were completely out of line in removing Yassin as a threat. To the contrary, I believe that based on his previous history, he was a legitimate leadership target in a war that neither side seems to want to really fight in. Three missiles might have been a bit much, but once you're dead, what does it matter if it's once, twice, or three times as dead?

Hamas has come out quite expectedly and announced that they will ratchet up the pressure on Israel, threatening to "get revenge for every drop of blood that spilled." As much as I believe that the death of Yassin will not be a bad thing for the world in the long term, I can understand the degree of anger on the part of the group. Yassin was their founder. He was an important figure in their organizational history. Despite my feelings about Yassin, I believe that Hamas does have a solid grounding for emotional venting.

So long as it stays emotional venting. But that won't happen. Hell, it's already progressed beyond that point. Violent outbursts have already begun and will continue for the foreseeable future.

This, of course, is nothing out of the ordinary in the Israeli/Palestinian civil war. I normally don't believe in the whole "cycle-of-violence" stuff, but I'm beginning to believe that it describes the Middle East situation pretty well. Hamas sets of a bomb; Israel retaliates with three well aimed missiles; the Palestinian people go off on a suicidal rampage. And so the civil war continues.

Except that this time, Hamas seems to be wanting expand at least the rhetorical fight. No longer content with just verbally assaulting Israel, they have now taken their war of the words into battle against the US.

Threatening to attack the US is one thing and not a very bright one. Remember, this is an organization that claims to be a charity. How often do you see the Red Cross or the United Way threatening calling on all philanthropists to join in retaliation against a group they don't like? Calling for death doesn't seem very charitable now does it?

But it is one thing to talk stupid; it is entirely another to act it.

It Hamas carries through on their threats, or they enlist the help of Al Qaeda they will only then realize that they don't have a clue as to what it is like when the Gates of Hell open. To actually carry through on the acts that they are proposing would be to invite Death over for dinner.

If they think that the Israelis came to us asking for permission to execute the attack on Yassin, imagine what it would be like if the US told Israel that it was free to eliminate the terrorist threat in its territories. Hamas, the Al Asqa Brigade, the Palestinian Authority - all would cease to exist in a matter of days. Arafat wouldn't have worry about hiding out like a Saddam wannabe - eating Snickers and leading his head lice (assuming they don't revolt). It's kind of hard to hide in a pile of rubble - at least not while you're alive.

Hamas and the Palestinians have a right to be upset about the death of Yassin. An unnatural death - I wouldn't go so far as to call it untimely - is always cause for despair. Certainly, meeting your end at the hands of three personally targeted gunship missiles can be called unnatural. Mourning and anger are perfectly reasonable and acceptable emotions.

It is only when those emotions boil over into rages of hate that it becomes a problem.

If Hamas keeps fanning the flames and they pour over, it will be a case of suicide by stupidity, or stupicide.

(Also, if anyone can dig up the answer, I'm curious as to what kind of missile exactly was used in the attack. For some reason the idea of "(blank), the ultimate in anti-wheelchair weaponry" just strikes me as morbidly humorous. I must be too tired...)