And Bush is turning to that policy

Caleb Carr:

IS THERE AN alternative to this pattern of mistakes and countermistakes? There is, but it involves a quality that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians have ever come close to mastering: tactical restraint in order to achieve strategic advantage. Simply put, this involves looking past immediate and all-out retaliation as the best method of countering threat. It is not a call for turning the other cheek; rather, it suggests that savagely swinging back every time one's cheek is dealt so much as a brushing blow does not amount to effective boxing, much less enlightened belligerent behavior.

Israel has repeatedly defeated nation-states that acted against it. However, since the six-day war it has been an unending series of reprisals actions against disorganized representatives of the worst represented people on earth (much of it their own fault), the Palestinians. And despite the "love" of the doctrine of eye-for-an-eye neither of them have come close to solving the problem, nor even releasing the pressure that builds up for violence.

And this is the doctrine that is so appealing to so many Republicans -- never more so then it is to George Bush & Dick Cheney. It hasn't worked for Israel - to say that the problem of terrorism is any better because Israel hits back harder than the "terrorists" is to ignore reality. Something the Bush Administration lives to do anyway. The fear is always that someone will get the bomb...what has the Bush Administration really done to not make that more likely?