that's not where I found the article ... but feel free to kill the messenger.
Richard Silverstein is a jewish MintPress analyst who has written the Tikun Olam blog since 2003, specializing in Israeli politics and US foreign affairs. He earned a BA from Columbia University, a BHL from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and MA in Comparative Literature from UCLA. Follow Richard on Twitter: @Richards1052 On Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 2:40:33 PM UTC-6, KeithInTampa wrote: > > Just so there's no misunderstanding where Plain Ol' gets his news sources: > > http://www.whitepower.com/index.php/2015/page/55/ > > It’s Time To Hold Israel, Israelis And American Zionists Financially > Responsible For Terrorism > > *SEATTLE — *How do you hold a nation legally responsible for acts of > terrorism perpetrated either by its citizens or the state itself? One > solution is the International Criminal Court, which exists for such matters. > > However, the ICC largely avoids taking on cases outside of Africa. Critics > accuse the ICC of operating with apolitical agenda > <http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2013/10/17-africa-international-criminal-court-kimenyi> > in > terms of cases it accepts or rejects — sometimes based on financial support > — and ignoring obvious war crimes > <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/icc-israel-war-crimes_n_6113264.html>. > > In the Mavi Marmara case linked above, the chief prosecutor rejected the > case in 2014, only to be overruled by an appeals panel several months ago. > The prosecutor is now appealing the appeal > <http://www.timesofisrael.com/icc-prosecutor-says-she-wont-reopen-probe-into-flotilla-deaths/> > . > > This sort of bureaucratic inertia has hobbled it from its inception. > > Even if the ICC does eventually accept jurisdiction, given such resistance > it appears unlikely there will be a serious attempt by the ICC to hold > Israel accountable for these acts. > > So far, Palestinian Authority attempts to get the court to accept > jurisdiction over Israeli violations of international law have had little > success. What other options or legal models may be available? > > The aftermath of the May 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara, part of the > first Freedom Flotilla, by the IDF commando force, Shayetet 13, offers an > important precedent. The Turkish government sought justice for this > massacre in which Israeli soldiers killed 10 Turks, including one > Turkish-American. Since Turkey broke off diplomatic relations over the > incident, resumption of ties have also become part of the negotiations to > resolve the dispute. Last February, the Times of Israel reported that part > of the agreement under discussion involvesIsrael paying $20-million > <http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-offers-20m-to-turkish-flotilla-victims/> > to > the families of the victims. > > Press reports this week speak of an imminent deal > <http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-israeli-detente-contingent-on-gaza-ceasefire-official-says/> > in > which Israel and Turkey would resolve their differences, resume diplomatic > relations and Israel would end the siege against Gaza. It’s not known what > the final outcome will be regarding damages, but certainly Israel will be > forced to acknowledge responsibility for the attack and pay compensation to > the victims. > > On Wed, Nov 11, 2015 at 2:05 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected] > <javascript:>> wrote: > >> It’s Time To Hold Israel, Israelis And American Zionists Financially >> Responsible For Terrorism >> >> *SEATTLE — *How do you hold a nation legally responsible for acts of >> terrorism perpetrated either by its citizens or the state itself? One >> solution is the International Criminal Court, which exists for such matters. >> >> However, the ICC largely avoids taking on cases outside of Africa. >> Critics accuse the ICC of operating with apolitical agenda >> <http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2013/10/17-africa-international-criminal-court-kimenyi> >> in >> terms of cases it accepts or rejects — sometimes based on financial support >> — and ignoring obvious war crimes >> <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/06/icc-israel-war-crimes_n_6113264.html>. >> >> In the Mavi Marmara case linked above, the chief prosecutor rejected the >> case in 2014, only to be overruled by an appeals panel several months ago. >> The prosecutor is now appealing the appeal >> <http://www.timesofisrael.com/icc-prosecutor-says-she-wont-reopen-probe-into-flotilla-deaths/> >> . >> >> This sort of bureaucratic inertia has hobbled it from its inception. >> >> Even if the ICC does eventually accept jurisdiction, given such >> resistance it appears unlikely there will be a serious attempt by the ICC >> to hold Israel accountable for these acts. >> >> So far, Palestinian Authority attempts to get the court to accept >> jurisdiction over Israeli violations of international law have had little >> success. What other options or legal models may be available? >> >> The aftermath of the May 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara, part of the >> first Freedom Flotilla, by the IDF commando force, Shayetet 13, offers an >> important precedent. The Turkish government sought justice for this >> massacre in which Israeli soldiers killed 10 Turks, including one >> Turkish-American. Since Turkey broke off diplomatic relations over the >> incident, resumption of ties have also become part of the negotiations to >> resolve the dispute. Last February, the Times of Israel reported that part >> of the agreement under discussion involvesIsrael paying $20-million >> <http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-offers-20m-to-turkish-flotilla-victims/> >> to >> the families of the victims. >> >> Press reports this week speak of an imminent deal >> <http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkish-israeli-detente-contingent-on-gaza-ceasefire-official-says/> >> in >> which Israel and Turkey would resolve their differences, resume diplomatic >> relations and Israel would end the siege against Gaza. It’s not known what >> the final outcome will be regarding damages, but certainly Israel will be >> forced to acknowledge responsibility for the attack and pay compensation to >> the victims. >> >> This offers an interesting model for pursuing future litigation to hold >> Israel financially responsible for acts of terror perpetrated by its >> citizens and its military against Palestinian civilians and citizens of >> other nations. Over the years, Israeli forces have severely injured or >> killed nationals >> <http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/26/us-mideast-shooting-idUSKCN0ID1ZJ20141026> >> of >> a number <http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.629035> of >> countries >> <http://972mag.com/seeking-justice-for-tristan-anderson-who-watches-the-watchmen/75464/> >> in >> Palestine and elsewhere. >> >> >> Shurat HaDin: ‘Bankrupting terror one case at a time’ >> >> One of the primary practitioners of “lawfare >> <http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/lawfare-palestine-israel-gaza-conflict-dunlap.html>” >> >> among pro-Israel NGOs is an Israeli-American legal non-profit called Shurat >> HaDin <http://israellawcenter.org/> (SHD, also known as the “Israel Law >> Center”). According to The New York Times, the group, founded by >> non-attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, targets Arab financial institutions >> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/24/world/middleeast/crusading-for-israel-in-a-way-some-say-is-misguided.html?_r=0> >> and >> even the assets of Arab and Muslim states, claiming they fund and/or >> support “Arab terrorism.” They use two provisions of U.S. law, the Alien >> Tort Statute and the Torture Victims Protection Act, in order to pursue >> their objectives. >> >> In a WikiLeaks cable >> <http://cablegatesearch.wikileaks.org/cable.php?id=07TELAVIV2636> filed >> by a U.S. diplomat serving in the embassy in Tel Aviv, the group’s founder >> conceded that she founded SHD in close collaboration with Israeli >> intelligence, specifically the Mossad: >> >> *“**Leitner said that in many of her cases she receives evidence from >> [Goverment of Israel (GOI)] officials, and added that in its early years >> ILC took direction from the GOI on which cases to pursue. ‘The National >> Security Council (NSC) legal office saw the use of civil courts as a way to >> do things that they are not authorized to do,’ claimed Leitner. Among her >> contacts, Leitner listed Udi Levy at the NSC and Uzi Beshaya at the Mossad, >> both key Embassy contacts on anti-terrorist finance cooperation.”* >> >> Though Darshan-Leitner does not mention receiving government funding to >> enable her to pursue her initial targets, this appears a possibility as >> well. The founder of the group declined to reveal the sources of the >> group’s funding to The New York Times in 2014, citing the vague grounds of >> “security.” >> >> Given that Israeli intelligence agents routinely testify in such cases >> and U.S. judges have even permitted such testimony in private >> <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11750153/ns/us_news-security/t/federal-hearing-angers-civil-liberties-advocates/>, >> >> in violation of the respondent’s right to confront witnesses against it, >> SHD continues its close relationship with the security services. It isn’t >> an exaggeration to say that NGOs like SHD are handmaidens of the Israeli >> state. They pursue objectives that advance the interests of the state in >> areas in which the state decides it should not directly venture. >> >> Though the numbers are unverifiable, Darshan-Leitner claimed in media >> interviews that SHD has recovered a billion dollars in assets on behalf of >> American terror victims and their survivors who were killed or injured in >> Palestinian terror attacks. SHD’s motto is “bankrupting terrorism, one case >> at a time.” She works with a network of 30 attorneys who file and pursue >> these cases in cooperation with her organization. >> >> Last Friday, according to Al-Jazeera >> <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/arab-bank-settles-case-terrorism-funding-150815145707062.html>, >> >> Arab Bank, the largest bank in the Middle East, agreed to an undisclosed >> settlement on behalf of 500-class action participants in a lawsuit that >> accused the institution of facilitating Palestinian terrorism. Provisions >> of the agreement were not disclosed, but given that the plaintiff’s >> attorney trumpeted it publicly, it’s safe to say Arab Bank will be parting >> with a significant amount. >> >> The suit appears little more than a vehicle for the Israeli government >> and its interest in promoting an image of the Arab and Muslim world as a >> nest of terrorists. Its tactics exploit the law on behalf of national >> interests, while cloaked in the mantle of aiding victims of terror. But if >> the FBI and Justice Department could use the tax code to take down Al >> Capone, what’s wrong with doing something similar to address Israeli >> terrorism? >> >> >> A model for holding Israel accountable for terror >> >> Given the success of Darshan-Leitner’s project, one can pay her no higher >> compliment than turning the tables. Israeli terrorism, perpetrated by >> individuals, terror networks like the recently exposed group called “The >> Revolt >> <http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/israels-jewish-terrorist-problem>,” >> and the state itself, have caused incalculably more harm to Arabs than >> Arabs have caused to Israelis. >> >> The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem found >> <http://www.lobelog.com/the-proportionality-of-a-33-to-1-casualty-ratio/> >> that, >> from 2000-2008, Israel killed four times more Palestinians than >> Palestinians killed Israelis. That ratio has widened since then. Though >> many of these deaths happened during armed conflict, a significant number >> were acts of terror, like an incident earlier this month in which Jewish >> extremists burned alive an 18 month-old Palestinian baby and his father >> <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/08/saad-dawabsheh-dies-father-palestinian-toddler-killed-west-bank-arson-attack-dies> >> in >> a West Bank arson attack that remains unsolved. >> >> Israel invariably refuses to hold such terrorists accountable >> <http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/31/israel-hawks-dodge-blame-two-bloody-attacks-impunity-internal-divisions> >> for >> their actions (with few exceptions, and only in cases involving notoriety >> and international exposure like the brutal kidnap-murder of Mohammed Abu >> Khdeir >> <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/trial-abu-khdeir-killers-sham-family-150701075625547.html>, >> >> burned to death by radical Israeli Jews). When prosecutions do occur, >> Israel often pardons or commutes their sentences. >> <https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israels-jewish-terrorist-became-victim/6026> >> . >> >> Holding Israeli terrorism legally accountable offers an opportunity to >> use the same U.S. laws to pursue similar targets among Israeli financial >> and state institutions. The goal would not be to bankrupt Israel or its >> banks, but rather to force Israeli corporate and government interests to >> understand that there is a steep price to pay. >> >> There are hundreds of Israeli settlers who’ve killed and maimed thousands >> of Palestinian civilians. A 2011 report >> <https://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_settler_violence_factsheet_october_2011_english.pdf> >> from >> the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs >> documented 121 incidents in which settlers caused Palestinian casualties in >> that year alone. These terrorists use guns and other weapons provided to >> them either by their settlements, the Israeli army, or other civilian >> authorities. Settlements and their security (likely including weapons used >> in some attacks on Palestinians) are directly funded by the Israeli >> government. >> >> >> US nonprofits may aid Israeli terror >> >> U.S.-based pro-settler non-profits also support acts of intimidation, >> land theft and violence against Palestinians. During his free-wheeling days >> as a Washington DC lobbyist, Jack Abramoff’s laundered $140,000 >> <http://www.texasobserver.org/2016-senatorial-courtesy-will-john-mccain-let-republican-perps-walk/> >> from >> the Chippewa Tribe through his Capitol Athletic Fund to the Beitar Illit >> settlement, according to a 2005 story from The Texas Observer. The money >> purchased “sniper scopes, camouflage suits, night-vision binoculars, a >> thermal imager and shooting mats” for a “sniper school” run by a former-IDF >> officer. >> >> The Orthodox Jewish settler who ran the school “talked of a fifth column >> of Jewish warriors that will someday issue its own ‘call to arms.’ He also >> regaled Abramoff with accounts of sniper positions his group set up to >> cover IDF soldiers as they worked, “neutralizing’ terrorists, and watching >> ‘the dirty little rats’ on the Palestinian side of the fence,” wrote Louis >> Dubose in The Texas Observer. >> >> In this case and others involving different U.S. charities >> <https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-us-charities-break-tax-laws-fund-israeli-settlements/10342> >> supporting >> similar projects, settlers benefit from tax-deductible donations and other >> forms of official support in their acts of intimidation, threats and even >> terror against Palestinians. >> >> For those few who are convicted of their crimes and imprisoned, there are >> Israeli NGOs like Lehava and Honenu which advocate for terror attacks >> <http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/.premium-1.669785> and/or support >> the perpetrators <http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=1140923> and >> their families when they are behind bars. The Nana article linked above >> notes Honenu gave $60,000 directly to convicted Israeli Jewish terrorists >> and another $10,000 to their families. These NGOs receive government >> funding to support their general mission and their work with the families >> of terrorists. The Israeli state also implicitly endorses and subsidizes >> the mission through tax deductions on donations. >> >> One of the important precedents SHD established is charging Palestinian >> organizations with culpability for terror through their funding of >> payments to the families of *shahids* >> <http://unitedwithisrael.org/us-court-finds-palestinian-authority-guilty-of-terrorism/> >> who >> carried out terror attacks. SHD targets Arab banks which offer financial >> services to individual terrorists and national bodies which provide them >> with financial support. Such behavior is mirrored precisely on the Israeli >> side. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. >> >> Further, Israel has sent its agents around the world to murder >> <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01c4qfs> (and in some cases kidnap >> <http://www.mintpressnews.com/palestinian-engineer-kidnapped-by-israeli-mossad-in-ukraine/208526/>) >> >> individuals associated with Palestinian militant groups. Though Israel >> claimed that some of them are guilty of planning and carrying out terror >> attacks, many have either had no connection to terrorism or only very >> peripheral involvement. The Mossad assassinated Mahmoud al-Mabouh >> <http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0319/Dubai-assassination-spotlights-top-cop-skills-in-a-modern-day-Casablanca> >> in >> Dubai. His crime was that he was a weapons procurement officer who arranged >> for the shipment of Iranian weapons to Hamas. >> >> Since 2007, the Mossad has also assassinated >> <http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/08/10354553-israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-irans-nuclear-scientists-us-officials-tell-nbc-news> >> five >> Iranian nuclear scientists. Though Israel has never accepted responsibility >> directly for these acts of state terror, its leaders expressed approval of >> them and even said that whoever did them should be applauded. Numerous >> foreign intelligence agencies and journalists confirmed the likelihood of >> Israeli responsibility. >> >> NGOs and lawyers should force the Israeli government to prove or disprove >> this claim in a U.S. court. If the Israelis refuse to do so or attempt and >> fail to do so, they should be held to the same standards SHD is demanding >> of Arab banks and states in U.S. courts. >> >> >> Arab Victims Face Far Higher Hurdles in U.S. Courts Than Israeli Victims >> >> Though the theory behind this proposal is sound, executing it will be a >> different matter. Gadeir Abbas, a former staff lawyer for the Council for >> American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told MintPress News that there are >> significant hurdles confronting those seeking to hold Israel accountable >> for acts of terror. >> >> First, he noted that Israel is a state, which therefore enjoys sovereign >> immunity from various types of tort cases. Since Palestine statehood isn’t >> recognized by the U.S., its political organs, like the Palestinian >> Authority, have no such protection. >> >> Abbas raised the example of Rachel Corrie >> <http://www.mintpressnews.com/mnar-muhawesh-the-rachel-corrie-legacy-a-struggle-for-justice-in-life-and-in-death/208577/>. >> >> She was a young American volunteering on behalf of the International >> Solidarity Movement to defend Palestinian homes in Gaza that were being >> demolished by the IDF. An armored bulldozer manufactured by the U.S. >> Caterpillar Company and driven by an IDF soldier ran her over and killed >> her. >> >> “When you have the U.S. government actually paying for the Caterpillar >> bulldozer which killed Rachel Corrie, it poses an almost insurmountable >> obstacle to suing Israel in a U.S. court,” Abbas said. “Add to that a >> built-in prejudice against Arab or Muslim victims who are often seen in the >> U.S. media as perpetrators, rather than victims of terror. Alternatively, >> American and Israeli Jews have not, until recently, been seen as >> perpetrators of terror. So it becomes easier for judges and juries to rule >> in their favor as victims.” >> >> In the resulting lawsuit filed by her parents, a U.S. court ruled that >> since the tractor had been purchased under a U.S. government program (and >> paid >> for by the government >> <https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/corrie-et-al-v-caterpillar> >> itself), >> this indicated our country had approved the sale and use to which the IDF >> put the vehicle. It therefore dismissed the federal suit as a violation of >> the foreign policy prerogatives of the executive branch. >> >> When the Corries followed suit by filing in an Israeli court, it heard >> the case but refused to find any culpability on the part of the IDF for >> Corrie’s killing. This, Abbas noted, is part of the high barriers faced by >> those seeking to hold Israel responsible for acts of terror and homicide >> against U.S. citizens. >> >> The former CAIR attorney did indicate that lawsuits against individual >> Israeli officials rather than the government itself might be more >> successful. An even more promising strategy would be to identify non-state >> actors such as settlers or NGOs who might support their crimes. But it >> would be critical to be able to prove that any party sued, whether an NGO >> or a bank, knew in advance that the activities it supported were illegal >> (which could include violations of international law). >> >> Despite these caveats, Abbas considers this a promising avenue worth >> pursuing, especially if victims and survivors come forward wishing to do so. >> >> Another lawyer with considerable experience in the field of corporate >> litigation told me that no major American law firms would touch such a >> case. First, it would poison relations with many Jewish clients or even >> corporate clients with a large Jewish customer base. Second, no matter how >> vigorous the defense mounted by the Palestinian Authority, the Arab Bank or >> the government of Iran, Israeli banks and government bodies would mount an >> even more ferocious defense, hiring the most prominent, aggressive legal >> team to represent them. Any legal nonprofit taking up this project would >> face extensive criticism from the Israel lobby. >> >> Despite these complications, Israeli targets present a deep-pocketed >> opportunity for a willing lawyer. The Israeli government registry for >> nonprofits notes Darshan-Leitner’s last recorded salary in 2012 was >> $110,000, quite a tidy sum in the Israeli nonprofit world. Her cottage >> industry has flourished and her associated attorneys have earned major fees >> for their work. >> >> To avoid the stain of personal benefit, those working on this project on >> behalf of Arab victims should eschew profit to the greatest extent >> possible. Expenses and reasonable fees should be covered. Any assets seized >> or settlement funds should be distributed to victims and NGOs working on >> their behalf. >> >> NGOs and law firms must hold individual Israelis, financial institutions >> and the state itself accountable for anti-Muslim terror. The major Israeli >> banks have American subsidiaries, which make them even more vulnerable. >> >> >> Print This Story >> <http://www.mintpressnews.com/its-time-to-hold-israel-israelis-and-american-zionists-financially-responsible-for-terrorism/208811/print/> >> >> [image: Richard Silverstein] >> ABOUT THE AUTHOR >> Richard Silverstein >> >> Richard Silverstein is a MintPress analyst who has written the Tikun Olam >> blog since 2003, specializing in Israeli politics and US foreign affairs. >> He earned a BA from Columbia University, a BHL from the Jewish Theological >> Seminary, and MA in Comparative Literature from UCLA. Follow Richard on >> Twitter: @Richards1052 >> <https://twitter.com/richards1052> >> >> More articles by Richard Silverstein >> <http://www.mintpressnews.com/author/richard-silverstein/> >> >> On Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 1:02:00 PM UTC-6, Travis wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> http://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2015/04/22/why-groups-use-terrorism-a-reassessment-of-the-conventional-wisdom/ >>> Why Groups Use Terrorism: A Reassessment of the Conventional Wisdom >>> >>> *Guest post by Max Abrahms >>> <http://nuweb.neu.edu/cssh/faculty/max-abrahms>* >>> >>> [image: Fleeing ISIS, Syrian Kurds walk into Turkey. By the European >>> Commission DG ECHO.] >>> <https://politicalviolenceataglance.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/15154683630_3dbbf7d033_o.jpg> >>> >>> *Fleeing ISIS, Syrian Kurds walk into Turkey. By the European Commission >>> DG ECHO >>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/69583224@N05/15154683630/in/photostream/>.* >>> >>> Over the past decade, political scientists have learned a great deal >>> about terrorism. For a while, the conventional wisdom held that groups >>> commit terrorism because it’s strategically effective. For this reason, the >>> dominant paradigm is sometimes referred to as the Strategic Model of >>> Terrorism >>> <http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/isec.2008.32.4.78#.VSaSVFxFz7d>. >>> >>> Its logic seemed self-evident: To avert additional pain to their civilians, >>> governments were presumed to adopt a more dovish stance by granting the >>> perpetrators their political demands. *Prominent scholars from Robert >>> Pape <http://tinyurl.com/ltw4tfc> to David Lake >>> <http://tinyurl.com/jwqmbze> to Andrew Kydd and Barbara Walter >>> <http://tinyurl.com/mf26ewj> promoted this viewpoint until it became the >>> conventional wisdom.* >>> >>> *There was only one problem with this emerging scholarly orthodoxy. It >>> wasn’t supported by the evidence. *Increasingly, empirical evidence has >>> revealed that terrorism is a remarkably ineffective tactic for groups to >>> induce government concessions. In 2006, I published >>> <http://tinyurl.com/ptpvobt> the first study to examine a sample of >>> terrorist groups in terms of their political effectiveness. What I found is >>> that groups are far more likely to attain their demands when their violence >>> is directed not against civilian targets, but military ones. Since then, >>> other <http://tinyurl.com/ko27esf> researchers >>> <http://tinyurl.com/otn9nu4> with different samples have confirmed that >>> hardly any of the thousands of terrorist groups since the dawn of modern >>> terrorism around 1970 have achieved their political demands by attacking >>> civilians. The historical record is not entirely barren of such cases >>> <http://www.amazon.com/Anonymous-Soldiers-Struggle-Israel-1917-1947/dp/0307594718>, >>> >>> but they are the exception that proves the rule. >>> >>> Subsequent >>> <https://www.academia.edu/1595455/_The_Political_Effectiveness_of_Terrorism_Revisited_Comparative_Political_Studies_March_2012_> >>> statistical >>> studies >>> <https://www.academia.edu/7663390/Does_Terrorism_Pay_An_Empirical_Analysis_2014_> >>> >>> have found that terrorism is not simply correlated with political failure; >>> the attacks on civilians actually lower the odds of government concessions. >>> This is because terrorism tends to shift electorates to the political >>> right >>> <http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2300112&fileId=S0003055408080246>, >>> >>> strengthening hardliners <http://tinyurl.com/ppme8vh> most opposed to >>> appeasement. But don’t take my word for it; just look at how target >>> countries have responded to Islamic State and associated Islamist attacks. >>> >>> - Last year, Islamic State said the purpose of beheading the >>> American journalist James Foley was to persuade the United States into >>> calling off military operations in Iraq. But the terrorist act had the >>> opposite political effect. In the immediate aftermath of the beheading, >>> President Obama declared that the U.S. would consequently ramp up its >>> air >>> campaign in Iraq and extend it into Syria for the first time. >>> - The Paris attacks had a similar effect on France. The French were >>> the opposite of intimidated. Instead, they were defiant. Attendance at >>> the >>> post-attack Paris march was essentially unprecedented. Crowds that size >>> hadn’t been seen since the end of World War Two. Simultaneously, sales >>> of >>> the Charlie Hebdo magazine soared from about 60,000 to millions >>> worldwide. >>> The Islamophobic far-right Front National picked up numerous supporters. >>> Of >>> course, France also dramatically increased its participation in the >>> anti-ISIS military coalition, reflected best in its deployment of the >>> Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Gulf. And while Islamic State >>> detests the Assad regime, the French public suddenly warmed to him. >>> - Canada, too, did the political opposite of what the Strategic >>> Model would predict. After a couple terrorist attacks on Canadian soil, >>> the >>> public gave its spy agency unprecedented powers to disrupt terrorism at >>> home, while suddenly favoring an expanded role in the coalition against >>> Islamic State. Indeed, Canada is now arguably even more hawkishly >>> anti-terrorism than its southern neighbor. >>> - Jordan was a real question mark. The Jordanian public had been >>> highly ambivalent about fighting Islamic State before its citizen was >>> torched to death in a cage. Would Jordan withdraw from the >>> counterterrorism >>> coalition like the anomalous case of Spain >>> >>> <http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/isec.2007.32.1.185?journalCode=isec#.VSabK1xFz7d> >>> >>> after the 2004 Madrid attacks? Just the opposite — in response to the >>> torching, Jordan began bombing the lights out of Islamic State, even >>> ordering additional fighter planes to help get the job done. >>> - The beheading of 21 Coptics in Libya had the same >>> counterproductive effect on Egypt. Although not formally a member of the >>> anti-ISIS coalition, Cairo quickly volunteered to lead a pan-Arab >>> military >>> force against Islamic State. >>> - Even Japan became more bellicose after its citizens were >>> slaughtered. Since 1947, Article 9 of the Constitution has banned Japan >>> from possessing war-making capabilities. But thanks to the terrorist >>> attacks, the Japanese rallied around the flag, pushing for the repeal of >>> Article 9 to better respond to threats like Islamic State. >>> >>> All of this raises what I’ve coined as The Puzzle of Terrorism: If >>> attacking civilians only encourages governments to dig in their political >>> heels, why do groups do it? In a new study <http://tinyurl.com/nx9nfsq> >>> in *International Organization*, Phil Potter >>> <http://politics.virginia.edu/node/988> and I propose an original >>> theory that can accurately account for variation in militant group violence >>> against civilians. *It turns out that certain kinds of groups are >>> significantly more likely to attack civilians than others – those suffering >>> from leadership deficits in which lower level members are calling the >>> shots. Leadership deficits promote terrorism by empowering lower level >>> members of the organization, who have stronger incentives to harm >>> civilians.* >>> >>> For many reasons, there’s an inverse relationship between the position >>> of members within the organizational hierarchy and their incentives for >>> harming civilians. For starters, lower level members may try to rise up >>> within the group by committing atrocities against civilians. Such >>> organizational ladder-climbing is well documented in gangs, but is also >>> quite common in militant groups – just ask Jihadi John >>> <http://nypost.com/tag/jihadi-john/>. Furthermore, lower level members >>> have less access to organizational resources than the leadership, >>> incentivizing them to strike softer targets. And leaders tend to have more >>> experience in asymmetric conflict, so they are more apt than their >>> subordinates to understand the political risks of indiscriminate violence >>> in the first place. >>> >>> In accordance with this new theory for terrorism, our study reveals that >>> decapitation strikes with drones make militant groups more likely to attack >>> civilians by weakening the leadership. Decentralized groups are also prone >>> to civilian targeting because the leadership must delegate tactical >>> decision-making to lower level members. Similarly, we demonstrate that as >>> operatives travel further away from the leadership, they gain a measure of >>> autonomy and are thus more inclined to attack the population. Unlike the >>> Strategic Model, our organizational theory does not rest on the dubious >>> assumption that terrorism helps induce government concessions. But more >>> importantly, it can help to predict which groups will attack civilians, >>> when, and why. >>> >>> *Max Abrahms is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at >>> Northeastern University.* >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> __._,_.___ >>> ------------------------------ >>> Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> Visit Your Group >>> <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdTg0OGhoBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NDcyNjY4MDg-> >>> >>> >>> >>> [image: Yahoo! 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