"Chad Irby" wrote in message
. com...
In article ,
Charles Gray wrote:

Isreal made an error-- I think the palestinain rage and
energization will cost them more than leaving a fellow alive who
wasn't overly involved in the tactical end of things, but as for being
"wrong"-- well no.

People have said that a lot, since the start of the current "second
Intifada," but facts don't bear it out. Israel started targeting Hamas
and other leaders early last year, and the result has been a *reduction*
in attacks by Palestinians, a reduction in deaths of Israelis, and a
reduction in deaths of Palestinians.

"Common wisdom" says that we should have seen a massive increase in
attacks over the last year.

Practical warmaking says that killing the leaders of an organization
that wants to kill you is a smart move, since it makes them less
effective and puts the enemy in the position of trying to fight you
while being run by the less-talented second-raters.


In the short run, that may be true, but it gets kinda old after the first
few generations.

Unless you're claiming that ONLY the current generation of Palestinians are
going to demand reprisals.