Is getting a terrorist worth the life of a child?

[Mass_Liberal]

It seems like every time Israel takes out a terrorist, they kill 3 children by accident. Its blatantly not worth it in my opinion. What did the children do, that they deserve to have their lives cut short?

[rockymountaindem]

1. Sadly, I'd have to say it is worth it.

If there is no other way for a country to defend its citizens from a threat just a few kilometers beyond its borders than by violent incursions, then unfortunately some innocents will always be killed.

[Mass_Liberal]

2. I'm quite ignorant on the issue

but can't they just try to snipe the terrorist, instead of bombing a residential neighborhood? Those kids did nothing wrong. Its not fair to kill them!!

[rockymountaindem]

7. I haven't read about today's events,

but usually the Hamas operatives convert an apartment or a whole floor of an apartment building into a big headquarters without moving the other residents out of the building. If the Israelis want to destroy the headquarters then sadly the innocent people are in the way. If Israel targets a terrorist in a car, then people on the street will be hit by debris or killed if the Israelis miss entirely.

The term "carpet bombing" is used too frequently. It originated in WWII during operations in which heavy bombers typically used for behind-the-lines strategic attacks were instead used for frontline tactical attacks. By and large, they were a catastrophic failure. Today, a good example of carpet bombing would be the B-52s in Afghanistan. An Israeli helicopter firing a rocket at a car or an apartment doesn't quailfy as carpet bombing.

In conclusion, the Israeli armed forces, for all the bad press they get, are known in the worldwide military establishment for always trying very hard to minimize civilian casualities.

[mike_c]

4. the same argument could be made for the Palestinians....

What's good for the goose....

edit: note that this is in reply to response #1, not to the original post

[Mass_Liberal]

5. I agree completely

but Palestinian terrorists aren't a government, so I tend to look at Israel more often. Terrorists are not exactly rational. But these attacks do make terrorists. If someone carpet bombed my neighborhood and killed my friends, I don't even know how I would react. But it would probably be utterly irrational and violent. I am in the lucky position of being safe from that stuff. Palestinians aren't.

woops: thought the reply was.... never mind. Well, the spirit of the reply lives on.

[rockymountaindem]

11. That's also not true.

The Israelis attack the terrorists (armed militants, "combatants" according to the Geneva convention) and sometimes kill civilians by accident. The Palestinian terrorists almost always attack just the civilians. If they instead attacked Israeli military bases or armed, uniformed personnel and accidentally killed civilians, then your argument would be valid. However, the Palestinian terrorists almost always attack just civilians. This is the difference and this is why the "moral equivalancy" argument doesn't work.

[DuctapeFatwa]

18. The main difference is in the wording of post-attack press releases

also, Palestinians do not have the capability to infiltrate the Israeli army or expropriate Israeli tanks and gunships for "sparkles"

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. If it's worth the life of your child, you are qualified to argue that

[Scurrilous]

13. How is invading Gaza...

..protecting the citizens of Israel. Last time I checked, there were no (as in zero) terrorist attacks inside Israel that originated in Gaza.

[number6]

3. I agree and also think its not necessary to get

terrorists this way.

[GabysPoppy]

9. How would you "get the terrorists"?

[number6]

17. arrest them, try them, convict them

its the American way, well until Bush and Ashcroft
came along and tossed the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

and yes I know its not easy under the circumstances

[GabysPoppy]

19. So you are suggesting

That warrants be issued and arrests be made just like in the States.

Maybe the terrorists should arrange for the police to meet them in their attorney's office also just like in the States.

I can't wait for bush and his cronies to get kicked out of office. I then have to wonder how these ideas will then be justified by using bush, asscroft etc. as examples to justify some of the more wild of ideas.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[drdon326]

6. 5..4..3..2..1...

perhaps if the terrorists didnt hide and use children as
disposable pawns that wouldnt happen??

a-n-d next time the terrorists blow up a bus, perhaps
you can ask "do the innocent israelis killed by the atrocities
of the terrorists, really deserve what they get??

[Mass_Liberal]

10. look

I don't think Israelis civilians deserve death either! All people are equal in my book. The difference is that Israel has a democratic government. So they make their decisions as an entire society. Palestinian terrorists are individual. They don't speak with the voice of every palestinian.

As for using kids as shields, the Israeli government is merely validating the effectiveness of that technique. Like I said before, could the Israeli's just snipe terrorists, instead of using bombs? I'm not sure if that's possible but it would be a better solution.

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. Israel prefers to have its soldiers use civilian buses

They could have separate military buses. They prefer to have the soldiers nestled into clumps of civilians.

[rockymountaindem]

15. Do you really think that

Hamas, PIJ and PFLP would really start attacking *just* the military buses even if Israel adopted this tactic. I don't, because they can kill more Israelis and cause more pain in the Israeli population if they continue to attack civilians. Face it, the Hamas people are really happy that because of their actions Israeli parents don't know if their children are coming home from school at the end of every day. They couldn't achieve that effect by attacking military-only buses.

[DuctapeFatwa]

16. I'm not sure that's the best argument for not giving it a shot

I guess it depends on whether you are really interested in saving Israeli lives or killing Palestinians

[rockymountaindem]

14. That's not possible

if they hide in the basement or in interior rooms (as they frequently do).

[drdon326]

22. lol

"Like I said before, could the Israeli's just snipe terrorists, instead of using bombs? I'm not sure if that's possible but it would be a better solution."

ohhhh...you mean like they do on TV....RIIIIIIGHT.

[Mass_Liberal]

23. heheheh

I admit to gross ignorance. But isn't assasination somewhat viable?

[Muddleoftheroad]

24. No

Assassination requires troops on the ground. That places them at risk and makes their mission virtually impossible. Striking from the air increases the speed of the operation and limits the vulnerability of the IDF.

[Mass_Liberal]

25. ah

o well, unsolvable problem.

[Lithos]

26. Locking

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