More Violence Not the Answer to Terrorism

To the editors:

It is certainly understandable why Duncan M. Currie ’04 would come to the incorrect conclusion that the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and the inability of U.S. security to thwart it somehow justify Israeli attacks on Palestinians (Opinion, “Vindicating Israel’s War on Terror,” Sept. 17). We are a very vulnerable, hurt, fearful and vindictive country following the deaths of thousands of citizens. But we cannot let these emotions cloud our sense when it comes to the Israeli occupation and military actions.

Currie voices his support for the air strike in Israel that killed two men allegedly orchestrating terrorist attacks. He also mentions that said strike killed four other men in the building and two young boys nearby, who, according to the Arabic Media Internet Network, were “buried under rubble while sitting outside a grocery store in the street.” The scene of “rubble and twisted metal” that the journalist describes is painfully reminiscent of the larger chaos of downtown New York today.

Would that we could know without a doubt what persons were about to commit terrorist attacks and have a sure and safe way of arresting them without harming innocent civilians. Sophisticated as the Israeli army and security forces are, they were not able to carry out a clean removal of terrorists, and this strike was condemned by Palestinians and many Israelis. The men who were targeted were prominent Islamic political leaders, and the outrage that followed their deaths suggests that although these men were involved in some way in terrorism, the response the attack created will only lead to more terrorism and hatred.

I would also suggest to Currie that his statement that “the life of any person who is connected with murderous, bloodthirsty terrorist organizations cannot rationally be compared with the life of [an innocent civilian]” is a dangerous and false one. At a time in our country when many of us are in mourning, we need to affirm the value of each individual and every life. Every terrorist is in fact a person with a name, a childhood, a family—it is only when we work to understand how a young child grows up to be a suicide bomber, what socioeconomic situation or political issue prompts a human being to want kill him or herself and others, and what kind of organization enables that person to commit such a violent and hateful act, that we can hope to put an end to terrorism. We cannot let the violent acts of others lead us to become a violent nation, or to support acts of violence in other countries.

Miriam R. Asnes ’02

Sept. 17, 2001