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From: EPHRAIM@TECHUNIX.BITNET
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Re: Terrorism and TWA 847
Message-ID: <8468@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 25-Jun-85 08:20:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8468
Posted: Tue Jun 25 08:20:45 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Jun-85 06:36:19 EDT
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Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 65

From: ephraim@techunix.bitnet (Ephraim Silverberg)


> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Article 1 (SJ Berry)
>
> Each and every time those Shi'ite (or however you spell
> it) terrorists kill a hostage, or let a hostage die,
> let's execute 5 or so of the people they're trying to
> have released.  That'll shut 'em up...
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Article 2 (Scott Farleigh)
>
> We tell the terrorists this:  "You people have screwed up.
> If you release the hostages immediately we will only obliterate
> your military camps.  If you do not immediately release the
> hostages we will not only obliterate your military camps, but
> also your civilian population."
> -----------------------------------------------------------------

   When the State of Israel tries to neutralise the  military  camps  of  the
   Shi'ites  in  Lebanon, we are condemned as facists and murderers, although
   these people have waged an active war of terror on the Northern  residents
   of Israel for over ten years. However, when the lives of Americans are af-
   fected then a "different" standard seems to apply -- anything goes: random
   killing, attack civilian populations, etc.

   I do *not*, Heaven forbid, take the  lives  of  the  endangered  Americans
   lightly and I sincerely hope and pray that they all return safely to their
   homes and families.  I am only sickened by the *constant* double  standard
   the  world applies to the State of Israel.  We value the blood of our peo-
   ple and children as much as you do.

   I do *not* think any of the solutions mentioned above are reasonable;  the
   terrorists  regard their cause as holy and to kill their captives and then
   commit suicide would be considered by them as a ticket to heaven.  On  the
   other  hand,  I  do  not want their co-terrorists which they want released
   walking the streets of this country. I'd be more than  willing  to  deport
   these criminals to countries sympathetic to their cause far from the bord-
   ers of Israel.  Yes, there they will become instant "heroes", but there is
   no other way of both securing the release of the captives and ensuring the
   safety of the people of Israel.  No, this will not deter  further  hijack-
   ings, but when dealing with people who consider themselves to be driven by
   the Word of G-d, nothing will.  The only way to prevent such occurences in
   the  future  is to institute the same severe security measures on all air-
   lines as are presently used by El-Al Airlines.   Granted  this  will  make
   airline travel somewhat more cumbersome and unpleasant, but it is far more
   preferable than the alternative.

   May the captives soon be returned to their homes and loved ones  safe  and
   in good health.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ephraim Silverberg,
Computer Science Department,
Israel Institute of Technology,
Haifa, Israel.

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