The documents are real. They are cited by Daniel Schorr of NPR, a most
scrupulous veteran reporter; and the attitude is prominently mentioned in
today's NY Times in an article that quotes a Hamas leader to that effect. It
has also been specifically stated that Iraq is paying the families of the
suicides $25,000 each for sacrificing their children. Perhaps the most
twisted notion in human history is that of voluntary martyrdom; even Thomas
a Beckett wrestled with whether he was "doing the right thing for the wrong
reason." Both the reason and the doing were wrong; but, of course, once
dead, he had no way of knowing.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Rogers" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: [CHOMSKY] The desperate lie about the suicide bombers


> [log in to unmask] wrote..
> >Documents were found in Ramallah proving that the PLO was supplying the
> >explosives to the suicides; else, where did they get the bombs to blow
> >themselves up with? And it makes clear that the suicides are a strategy,
> >however desperate it it. Those who are recruiting, training, and arming
the
> >suicides are looking, not to 1967 border, but to 1947, when Israel did
not
> >exist. They are as wrong as Sharon is in his approach to destroy the
> >Palestinian independence movement. neither will go away.
>
> I respect your opinion, but strongly question the authenticity of those
> documents. And while agreeing that the money and material needed for bomb
> making may come from those with their own agenda, the desperation of those
> who carry those bombs and give their lives are the ones who count, and the
> ones referred to in the article.
>
> I also think the commonly stated 'Palestinians wish to drive the Israelis
> into the sea' is little more than Israeli propaganda. Or at least it was.
> But given what the Palestinians have and are been forced to endure, is not
> such a 'wish' understandable?
>
> Basically, our differences come down to the individual. As J. P. Hogan
said
> "People believe what they want to believe and close their eyes to what
they
> don't want to believe. They need to think the world is the way they'd like
> it to be because having to face up to the reality that it isn't would be
> too uncomfortable."
>
> Bob