Intended as a meditation on my private world, this blog today must face outward.
The Univ. of Chicago's Robert A. Pape has analyzed 2,200 suicide attacks around the world which have occurred since 1980. His resulting article, "What really drives suicide terrorists? The record is clear: It's anger over Western occupation of their land" in the 12/13 Christian Science Monitor, should become required reading for all, especially our elected representatives in Washington. His first finding, that "over 90% of the attackers carried out strikes in their home countries, often just miles from their homes, to resist foreign occupation of land they prize," should be enough to give pause to our "war on terror." His second major finding is that of the fewer than 10% of all terrorists who are "transnational", their common characteristic is not cultural alienation, etc., but a "deep anger at Western occupation of kindred Muslim populations." . . . that "While religion contributes in many cases to increased feelings of loyalty toward a kindred community that may be oceans away from an individual's country of citizenship, the primary cause of these horrible phenomena is foreign occupation." Pape's proposal about how to redirect our war on terror in a much more focused way, seems exquisitely logical to me.
Pape's article appears in poignant juxtaposition to another Commentary article about successful career military personnel -- telling what is their motivation and what benefits they derive from their service.
The ironic and gut-wrenching twist to me is that these dedicated "warriors" are gaining in character, expertise, and stature -- which often makes those who flourished in the military of great benefit to their families and American society -- but making those gains today at the expense of an extremely unfruitful occupation of foreign soil.
