I know that Yassin 'deserved' it, and that he was a man who inspired terrorist suicide bombings on innocent civilians, but at some point, somebody will have to be the person to say, 'We're not going to reward violence with violence.'

It's a bit of a dichotomy, justice and peace.

Just about all leaders are like that, though.

Is Israel sanctioned by the UN? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] Besides, I don't think you can put sanctions on the Palestinians considering they have no state of their own to be sanctioned. Possibly on the Palestinian authorities, but that wont do much about Hamas.

Just about all leaders are like that, though. </font>[/QUOTE]Especially quadraplegic (paralysed below the neck) people like Yassin?
What was he supposed to do, blow hard and hope that the momentum would carry him to his target? He may look like Gandalf, but I don't think he was that magical...

<font color = lightgreen>I am not going to bother trying to do a search for all the times I have said that neither side wants peace (must be at least 10 by now). It is so obvious that both sides want nothing more than to eradicate the other side.

This isn't about land, politics, or religion--it is personal, and they want blood. I say we all step back and let them fight it out to the bitter end by themselves.</font>

The question of "did he deserve it?" is irrelevant since he did. He was a leader and inspirer of a terroristic group that wants us dead, regardless of our location. Inside 1967 borders or not, they will still kill us at any possibility available.
The question of "how was it useful" is relevant however.

I think that killing him was a correct thing to do. In the short time it will boost the violance, but in the long run we will have weakened hamas. Yassin was a charismatic leader. Such people do not grow on trees. For example-the capture of Ochalan reduced the activity of his cronies to almost 0.

The squabble for power is even now under way in this organization.

You must understand, that the leaders take a very big care of themselves, and do all the dirty work with the hands of other brain washed dolts. If we kill one, then another, and another, it will bring to power clashes among the group, as well to an understanding-if i will be the leader, i will end like yassin.

Then we will have some peace talks and negotiations.

Btw, did you hear the news that a 10 year old boy was given a bomb to carry in his school bag?
(he was the first one among the suicider children. happened a week ago).

Just about all leaders are like that, though. </font>[/QUOTE]Especially quadraplegic (paralysed below the neck) people like Yassin?
What was he supposed to do, blow hard and hope that the momentum would carry him to his target? He may look like Gandalf, but I don't think he was that magical... </font>[/QUOTE]Where there is a will there's a way. Men armed with boxcutters destroyed towers in the heart of the American empire no army could have got to. Your words limit quadraplegics in any case skunk. Quads can make art, sing, carry out gainful employment. This guy masterminded Hamas. I'm sure if he wanted to, he could have been a suicide bomber. They've used donkeys, children, why not wheelchairs?

Unless he didn't believe what he was preaching perhaps? Why hasn't Arafat become a Martyr? A true leader should be prepared to lead by example, not ask others to do what they will not.

I think you just answered your own question there, Yorick. If Yassin was such a great asset to Hamas, then it would be kind of a waste for him to blow himself up. It's not that he was completely unable to do it, it's just that his role in Hamas was not that of a suicide-bomber. He was part of the leadership and not the 'grunts'.
A leader can't lead if he's dead. Yes, you can argue that a good leader should be willing to die for his cause, but unless he sacrifices himself at the 'right' moment, his death will just be one of many others. I suppose it would be more 'honourable' for a leader like Yassin to die defending his life and those of whom he cares for, than to die in a 'simple' suicide attack.

But he tells those whom he cares for to go into Israeli territory and blow themselves up in a bus, or a restaurant. Makes you wonder what he tells those whom he doesn't care for.

[ 03-27-2004, 04:17 PM: Message edited by: johnny ]

By 'those whom he cares for' I meant friends and family in particular and not every Hamas member willing to sacrifice his life. But perhaps he told his friends to blow themselves up too, we don't know.