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24 Cheshvan 5763 - October 30, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Opinion & Comment
Terror Must be Defeated

Terror is an approach that is very effective against a weak adversary. It is most successful when used against someone who reacts quickly, without careful thought, and from an overpowering and immediate desire to be saved from its ravages: Give the terrorist what he is asking for, and get on with life. However, it will never end there. Satisfying one demand of a terrorist will only lead to his making more and bigger demands.

It is easy to see why if we understand the nature of the terrorists and the dynamics of their tactics.

One who is willing to stoop to terrorism to get what he wants, is an undisciplined person with strong passions that he is willing to release against innocent victims in order to achieve the goal in question. His goals must seem vastly more important to him than anything else, since he is willing to take innocent lives in order to achieve them.

If the objects of his terror give him what he wants, it will not satisfy him for very long. On the contrary, someone with such strong passions will almost inevitably soon develop new desires. Or, he is liable to inspire others with similar natures to try to satisfy their lusts.

If the use of terror was successful in one instance, it will encourage the use of terror again. It is natural to turn to the methods that worked in the past for use in the future.

Therefore the only valid and effective response to terror is to defeat it. Giving in will not stop terror; it will only bring on more terror. There is no "good" terror and no "bad" terror. It must all be wiped out.

To stand up to terror does require a certain amount of fortitude. A community must be able to withstand the terrible immediate pain that the terror can inflict, based on its understanding of the issues that are involved and the need to stand firm.

The United States has spoken very boldly about the need to fight terror in the past year, and it has acted as well. However, the way it reacted to the recent three weeks of random murders by the serial sniper is not especially inspiring.

The five million people who lived in the broad area in which the killing took place were very stressed by the experience. Schools closed. Many people stayed home. Stores and gas stations were almost empty. The drama of the sniper and the police pushed aside all other issues and riveted the attention of all America.

How would America have reacted if, instead of a single shot felling a single victim, every few days someone had blown up a bus full of passengers or a restaurant full of customers? Perhaps hidden strengths in the American people would have asserted themselves -- or perhaps there would have been utter panic and chaos.

It is normal to be afraid of random threats. It is reasonable to respond with increased caution and to limit nonessential activities.

But the healthiest response (while taking whatever police and military action is possible) is to recall that there is a Judge Who determines everything that happens, and the suffering of others is not a random result of blind misfortune but rather it has meaning as a personal wake-up call to each and every one of us to improve our ways. If we react and respond as we are meant to, then we are truly the winners and all the forces of evil will be defeated.


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