11/24/2006

Geriatric Jihad In Jabaliya


Grandmother targets Israeli troops as a suicide bomber - Los Angeles Times

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64 year-old Palestinian grandmother Fatma Omar An-Najar who blew herself up hear Israeli troops yesterday may sound to the typical American watching Fox News as if she were another victim of the same radical Islamic psychological manipulation that has claimed the lives of 100+ Palestinian terrorists in the last 6 years, but upon further scrutiny both her motives and her justification become clear to all but the most pig-headed. Mother of nine and grandmother of forty, An-Najar's home was recently demolished by the Israeli army because she harbored Hamas militants and participated in a massive (and voluntary) human-shield demonstration which successfully rebuffed a planned Israeli offensive earlier in the week. First of all, I think it would be fair to assume that she has lost immediate family members to Israel's occupying force (possibly her husband or children) and for this reason it is reasonable to assume that she truly is sympathetic to the Hamas led resistance in the Palestinian territories. That said, are we or aren't we discussing a 64 YEAR-OLD GRANDMA?!?

Sympathtic or not, the Palestinian territories have turned into a war zone since the eruption of conflict over the kidnapped Israeli soldier and subsequent military offenses by the Jews. What was Fatma to do when young men fighting in her backyard demanded she provide them safe harbor? Certainly nobody suggests that she stand-up to them and refuse; well, except of course the Israeli military, which somehow gathered that she may be capable of such bold action under such distressing circumstances. What kind of sick-minded, evil people demolish the home of a grandmother who had no choice but to live in the middle of the violence. Do you know of any grandmother who wouldn't gladly give their life for the sake of their children/grandchildren? Considering conditions in her region, she was probably left with nothing when the Jews punitively destroyed her family's home, provoking her failed attack and even further compounding their public relations problems around the world.

Since the outbreak of renewed organized resistence on a large scale, followed by the most idiotic military campaign in the brief history of modern warfare, I have noticed a profound shift in tactics and long-term strategy from that of the Kamakazi operatives sent on high-risk/low-return missions toward one centered around accentuating the agglomerated capabilities of resistence movements under Hezbollah and Hamas on two fronts. From these strongholds the resistance is using weapons of the ballistic rather than suicide variety. I think Hassan Nassrallah, leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, truly gets it, let the Israeli come and kill you while your sleeping when they blow up your apartment building or place of business-- suicide bombers win no sympathy where it counts, in the West. The sooner we recognize this paradigmatic shift in the region's balance of power and moral superiority, the sooner our policies will effectively address the realities that we face in the Middle East.

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