Can anybody call to mind a case where pure terrorism has achieved its desired result? By terrorism, I mean the endeavour to achieve political results by deliberately horrific attacks on the populace at large, not military (in the broadest possible sense) targets. I cannot offhand call one to mind. For example, the Provisional/Real/Whatever IRA have been, off and on, waging terror attacks against British rule for fourty years or so - to little effect. And similarly for most other pure terrorist groups since at least 1900. Possible exceptions, which I would welcome the judgementas of those better informed than myself, would be the withdrawal of the British from Palestine and the French from Algeria. But both of these included substantial and effective, attacks on military, rather than civilian, personnell. The context, of course, is Palestine. Disregarding the morality of the qustion (a BIG disregarding), are the Palestinians likely to achieve their aims by terorrism against the Israeli civilian community? It seems to me - in the absence of further enlightenment - that history says not. Regardless of morality, ISTM that the Palestinians are sacrificing their youth in a manner which history suggests is bound to be futile. Far less strong-willed govenments than that of Israel have stiffened, rather than weakened, in the face of terrorism.