Earl Croasmun -> Ed Hulett wrote:

 RC>>>> What do you think it was that emboldens terrorists?

 BA>>> In two words:  press coverage.  IMO all such coverage should
 ->> cease.  But it
 BA>>> won't, because 'if it bleeds, it leads.'

 ->> That is the most absurd claim yet. 3000+ innocent people died on
 ->> 09-11-2001 because the perps wanted to see their names in the
 ->> paper?!?!?!

 ->> Suicide bombers blow up innocent people in Israel because the bombers
 ->> want to see their faces on the nightly news?!?!?!?!

 ->> Good God! You can read literally anything here in FIDO!

 EC> Bob A. is correct in a pure sense of what "terrorism" is all about.
 EC> Terrorists go for maximum exposure and visibility.  They also kill in
 EC> the process, but the visibility of the killing is more important than
 EC> the number killed.

The intent for attacking the WTC was to kill as many people as possible and
strike fear in the hearts of US citizens. Otherwise they would have chosen
some other target where not as many innocent people would have been killed.

 EC> There is a reason that the World Trade Center was targeted - twice - and
 EC> the White House and the Pentagon.  They are visible symbols.  The goal
 EC> was not to kill the maximum number of people.

They didn't choose those targets because they wanted press coverage.

 EC> Suicide bombers are a mixed group.  Some are primarily terrorists.  Some
 EC> are just killers.  Kamikaze attacks were attempts to kill people and
 EC> sink ships, not to terrorize the public. But when a suicide bomber goes
 EC> into a restaurant in Israel at lunchtime and blows up himself and five
 EC> bystanders, the goal was not just to kill five people but to scare the
 EC> whole Israeli population into fearing attack any time and any place.

Actually their goal is to kill and injure as many innocent people as
possible. Otherwise they would wait until no one else was there and just
blow up the building.

 EC> To some degree he is right about publicity.  The anthrax attacks got far
 EC> more publicity than they deserved, and increased the terror impact while
 EC> inspiring copycats and hoaxers.  But when 200 people get killed in Bali
 EC> or when sarin gas is released in Japanese subways it is hard NOT to
 EC> publicize the stories.

In Ackley's world there would be no freedom of the press. In his world, the
press would be nothing more than a propaganda machine for the central
government.

Ed

-- 
"Strive to be the greatest man in your country, and you may
be disappointed.  Strive to be the best and you may succeed:
he may well win the race that runs by himself."

-- Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanack, 1747)

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