I think that lack of a free education, political propaganda from an early age and constant brainwashing have produced a generation of young men who are conditioned to believe in suicide as the ultimate act of "serving one's country."

I agree that desperate people do desperate things and that the hopeless and forgotten and more likely to take radical positions, like becoming a suicide bomber. I think this is a generalization though and what we see in fundamental cultures runs deeper. The 9/11 hijackers did not "have nothing to lose." They were educated professionals (or at least college students), boyfriends and fathers with their whole lives in front of the, and, yet they choose suicide and mass murder instead. My point is that there is more to it than just having nothing to lose.

I think in every religion or country someone is willing to die for it ..Why is it so different with the hezb.?I imagine they think they are doing the right thing,Life is funny how we can judge others when all our boys are doing the same thing in iraq.

Unfortunately, as long as they keep brainwashing them at a young age that death and violence are the ways you show your love for your country, the conflict will never end. So how do we even go about solving all of this? Israel and Hezbollah need to first of all decide for themselves that enough is enough and that it doesn't matter anymore who's right or who's wrong. Will we see this in our lifetime? I just want to throw my hands up in the air at this point.

I don't really have a comment to this, Yes i believe they do, when you feel like the whole world don't care about your people, then you'l be willing to give your life for that
on the other hand I'm really sadden by the fact that you're attaching hezbollah with sucide bombing , they are two different things

And people wonder why diplomacy won't work? How do you negotiate with someone who has the mindset of a barbarian?

Its really a horrible thought to think that all these young men would actually give up their young lives for a belief so heinous as that of Hezbollah or its counter-parts.
However, how do we really know what any of us would do if we were in fact brought up from birth with those beliefs.
We so often see these would-be terrorists shrouded in black and we never stop to think about how young they really are, all we can think is that here are the scum of the earth, going about satan's business, killing without regard for human and their own lives.
As long as there are powerful groups in this world breeding hate and misdeed into their young minds, I fear there will always be terrorists.

Who Cares? I mean really! We can a potificate on the matter all we want, but at the end of the day they need to hold on to the rage they have or they are left with the fact that they live in the middle of a shit hole. Their leaders care nothing for them!! Let them rage on! It's what they live for! Rage against me and die...

Harris,
Isn't it obvious by now that these young people are conditioned from birth to feel this way? Time and time again we have heard "proud" mothers of these young men say that they encourage their children to die for their "cause." It almost seems as though they thrive on it.
I don't know how you reach these people but it would be a grave mistake to question their passion. Stay safe.

Peer Pressure, nothing like it.

I have read all comments and I was wondering how much ignorant is west. THey are not monsters, they are human beings, who can feel, see, think. For some one in Iraq there is no future, perhaps every day he or she might be thinking"I am alive". Most of them have lost their one immediate family member at least and some of them have lost all. THeir country is being invaded aand their wealth is going out. they are not living in normal condition. THere is no need to brain wash them against west, West is brain washing them evey second by sitting examples of Guaintonomo, Abu Gharib, and a lot more.
Over all these incidents now Lebnan.
Now any body with even a little common sence can reallize that if some body is not seeing hope in his life, he would try to seek it desperately in his after life.
And then when you see it after life, you have to die, so why don't die with some of the people who are responsible for all this, that how they become suiside bomber.

In response to the posting of "...Life is funny how we can judge others when all our boys are doing the same thing in iraq."

I don't know of a *single instance* of one of our boys 'blowing himself up', some instances of despicable behavior, notwithstanding.

Maybe some call it "lack of education" but times prove that it is actuallu culturally differences.Among them are manu educated and those who are involved in a west way of life.London terorist attacks are made by muslims who lived in UK!!And finaly,those peoples are desperate,morose,rancorous and angry because of Izrael brutality.You cant stay calm and blind when violence of that kind occure.Those young peoples are probably wrong but that is a way they express their selves.
Fire is in the field,many play with it...I been there and saw this in my country...will see what will happen

I think that in order to be a martyr one must be willing to die for whatever it is they believe to be right. I agree with Marc from Georgia who posed the question, "isn't that what they're (our soliders) doing in Iraq?" Isn't that also what the Crusaders were doing in the Holy War? Fighting for their religion, their way of life, and really believing they were doing the right thing? It is certainly a matter of more than having nothing to lose. It is quite the opposite. These Hezbollahites (is that a word?) who are willing to die for their country I'm sure believe more that they have everything to lose if they don't strap a bomb to themselves, or any other form of destruction and death they can come up with. Of course there are the ones who only go with the flow because everyone is doing it (Nazi Germany/ Stalinist Russia) and don't want to die, be tortured, etc.

To shrowd oneself in symbolism is one the most effective ways to fight for your cause. We have ours, they have theirs. And again it is all a matter of perspective and who's in power to enforce that persepective where either that person, party, group, etc. can influence thinking and therefore influencing actions. Fear is a powerful and effective tool, unfortunatly.

Hezbollah, radical Syrian and Iranian factions all "praise" the generations of young that they are influencing with their terrorists ways.

No different that the "Hitler youth".

It will eventually be stopped. It has to be. Can you imagine if Hitler hadn't been defeated? All of Europe and Japan (remember the kamikazes?) would be run by communist dictators.

No, we are NOT judging others and "our boys" are NOT doing the same thing in Iraq. The U.S. military does NOT train our troops for suicide missions for the sake of "freedom" for crying out loud!

It's in fact losing everything if they don't do it rather than having nothing to lose. Look at it from the Kamikaze perspective.

What you seem to be forgetting is that this is a war; There is no escaping it,(as the west can),for the Iraqi people. Have you studied the Iran-Iraq War? Iranian young males would march into minefields armed only with the Koran so as to clear the path for the regular Iranian military. There was no shortage of supplies in this tactic. Why do you not understand the Islamic mentality yet? I have been raised in the bible belt and I understand completly. It is very simple, with God on their side there is no fear of death, for once you have given your life to Islam, paradise, awaits you. These men and women are warriors who WILL die for their cause just as my great grandfather would have given his life to defeat the Imperial Japanese of WWII. The very fact that none of our men and women would die for this cause testifies that it is probably not just. Of course our men and women would die for their fellow soldiers, marines, seamen, and airmen....but for Rumsfeld and Bush? Mr. Cooper, you need to study more; it is your job to explain the Islamic mentality to the American civilian population. Your misunderstanding of the enemy makes all of us look like a bunch of uncomprehending fools. I am from the bible belt and knew nothing of Islam before the towers. I therefore went to my library and bookstores to study up on the subject. What have you been reading? If you do not plan on studying the enemies culture, leave, and keep your common sense questions to yourself. This is Aug. 2006, we have been fighting Islamist's for some 5 years, how are you so disconnected? After re-reading this I know it will not be posted, but will you maybe take my advice? At least some of it?

Aren't the suicide missions more about all of the virgins and riches they've been brainwashed to believe they'll get for their "sacrafice" than about their love and loyalty for their country and religeon?

Stay safe Harris,
Unfortunately the situation in that area is too complicated to be able to explain in few blogs and sentences.
The best way to decrease violence is communication.
Just simple exam: Compare a family that has an open relationship and communicate among each other vs. a family that keeps to each other and the only way they resolve their differences is by shouting and yelling.
Same thing here!

And that is why we will never win the "war on terrorism". How can you change that kind of mentality?

The real question is, should we even try?

Harris,
How sad that the youth of today have been taught that death will solve its problems. I feel for all these young men. Unfortunately,the sad truth is there isn't anyone giving out hope anymore.

You only have "Nothing to lose" when you're brainwashed into thinking that.

As with the WW2 Hitler Youth, propaganda and hatred provide a reason. The Mosques preach hatred and in a society that is highly charged and emotional it's easy to incite people to go out and cause death and destruction. Kill anyone and everyone is the message. Even your fellow Muslim.

It's not about Israel as evidenced by the murders going on in Iraq, Indonesia, Congo, Kenya, East Timor, Dafur, Chechnia; in fact almost every terrorist act today is committed by Muslims and whilst not all Muslims are terrorists, most terrorists are Musilm.

If anyone thinks that Muslim terrorism will stop once the Israel - Arab wider conflict is settled, is dreaming. Its Muslims V The World.

This is why they are such a powerful enemy. They don't value life.

Gillian

That is a very interesting post.
Your comment" A mass of passionate men expressing their support for Hezbollah and Moqtada al Sadr, who use violence as a way of effecting the changes they say their region needs." is particularly interesting. Is not this what our soldiers are doing? Is not violence what Israel is using to effect change in Lebanon and the West Bank.
The difference is these men do not have F-16, they have their bodies.
I think we need to understand the real reason of why on earth a teenager would decide to become a suicide bomber, is it an act secondary to extreme opression and a reaction to violence?
Those are tough questions to discuss, but until we understand what goes in the heads of these men without having our preformed "terrorist label", we will not solve the problem. If we kill them and do not change the reason they became like this, I am pretty sure we will end up with another group of "men who have nothing to loose"

Young men without hope of a good life, at least in their eyes, are easily manipulated by religious and political fanatics.

The more time passes, the more afraid I become.

Ignorance, Testosterone, and Hatred are powerful motivational tools. I believe that many of these young men do believe the only way to better their lot is to sacfifice themselve as that is the way their culture has raised them to think. "I am a righteous victim of the non-believers who do not know God and the only way I can achieve retribution is through using my body as a weapon." My only hope is one of them can come back from the dead and tell us whether the 70 virgins are real or not.

I fear that Israel's actions may have the same effect as our actions in Iraq: it will create more people who hate, and deepen the hatred of those who already hate. Why aren't more US leaders talking about the obvious parallels?

I hope that you all at CNN can interview/show more people from around the world (including, but not limited to, moderate Muslims and Jews who think both Israel's and Hezbollah's actions are wrong) calling for an end to the violence via an immediate cease-fire. What specifically are the plans the French have been trying to push forward? What do other members of the UN security council say? Once again, I think we have no idea where the rest of the world stands on actions where the goal (in this case, dismantling Hezbollah) is legitimate, but the means used will not achieve that goal.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, I think we actually need to send in even more troops (total, not just shuffling them about), and I say that as someone who was opposed to the war from the start and continues to be. At this point, we've screwed it up so bad that we need more troops acting as military police to support the Iraqi police. At the same time, we must demand that the Bush administration, which has mishandled this from the start (I imagine Rumsfeld might say something like "Golly gee" or "Gee willikers" if he were to read this), create and meet goals for training and equipping Iraqis. As important, we must move forward with rebuilding infrastructure (years later, and still no reliable electricity in Baghdad?) and we MUST provide much more humanitarian assistance to those affected by the fighting. Until there is more stability in people's lives (in terms of knowing that they won't die before the end of the day as well as providing jobs-- somebody's got to build those schools and hospitals-- and food), the fighting will continue.

[Whatever your views on Iraq and Israel/Lebanon, you can contact your senators and Congressional reps (www.congress.org has listings).]

The mess in the Middle East worries me, because I think Israel's and our actions will only make things worse over the long term, unless we both change course and opt for peace. The views of Hezbollah and their desire to destroy Israel are deplorable, but we can't forget about how Israel's and our reactions are perceived by moderate Muslims. The way to win hearts and minds is not by blowing up hearts and minds and forcing people to leave their homes. Just look at how Hezbollah's poll numbers have shot up recently. The video of innocent Lebanese being killed can be used by Hezbollah as a recruitment tool the same way Al Qaeda can use video of innocent Iraqis. Do we really want to make recruitment any easier for these groups?

I just don't see how this can work, and I wish the Bush administration and Israeli government would come to this conclusion before it is too late. I get the same sick feeling about this as I did before we went into Iraq. Usually I like being proved right, but not when mostly innocent people's lives and safety are involved and the stakes for peace are so high.

They are completely brainwashed. It is these men who can die in the name of Jihad.. yeah sure they have nothing to loose. This mission of completely wiping out the Hezbollah from Lebanon is becoming very SCARY not only for the mid east , but for the whole world..

Yes, they mean it. I am Lebanese and I saw mothers on TV expressing their hate by saying that they are proud of their sons when they die for the cause. Can you imagine, a mother... They went on by saying that they teach their children early on that their mission in life is to kill every jew on the planet. Israel is the ultimate ennemy. Here you go, a mom teaching her child how to hate...

I don't think the "nothing to lose" argument explains all martyrdom in the Arab world, but it does explain some. There is clearly a polarization that is occurring in the minds of these people, to an extent that we, as Westerners, don't really understand. We believe in balance. There is no balance in the Islamist's world. As long as Israel exists, an injustice is taking place that must be rectified through any means necessary. Then Israel responds, as any military would to the intentional targeting and killing of it's civilians, and this further entrenches the hatred towards Israel in their minds.

Here's my one question: what will satisfy these martyrs? Land? No. Money? No. Peace? Certainly not, or we wouldn't be here in the first place. Nothing short of the destruction of Israel (and the US) will satisfy them.

One interesting thought is that many are attracted to the suicide bombing because they are promised (by their recruiters) 72 virgins in paradise as their afterlife, for having died for the cause. At one point in a lull in the suicide attacks in Israel during the Palestinian Intifada, it was suggested that Israeli bus drivers were now keeping buckets of pig blood behind their seats. The point was that if the suicide bombers believed they would be denied "paradise" by touching the unclean blood of a pig, they would be less willing to give up their earthly lives to kill Jews. And, the result was a halt to the suicide bus bombings in Jerusalem. If this story is true, that tells us some interesting things about the motivations of these individuals. It also gives us a few alternative strategies for dealing with these heartless killers.

I don't condone their ate and anti-semitism. That's wrong. But I can understand why they are mad.

They learned history from their parents and grandparents, who were forced to leave their homes and the land they loved.

In 1947, Palestine included all of Israel and today's occupied terrorities, gaza, west bank, etc.

The persecution of the Jewish people in Europe was getting worse, anti-Semitism was on the rise. The Jews emigrated to their Holy Land, and tesnions began to rise.

After WWII, the newly formed United Nations recommended dividing Palestine into two states, and the minority Jewish people were given the majority of the land. The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, but the Arab states rejected the partition of Palestine and the existence of Israel. Palestian was never made a state. The armies of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Egypt attacked but the Israeli army defeated them.

In 1948 Palestinians were driven from their homeland, which was now the New Israel, into refugee camps in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and othe regions. At least 750,000 people are said to have beeen driven out (or ethnically cleansed, as some have described it.

They are still fighting over losing their homeland and the hundreds of thousands who had to leave. Many still have the keys to their homes they left behind.

There is no excuse for their anti-semitism and murdererous ways, but I can understand why they are mad, can't you?

Sitting in the comfort of their living rooms, many Americans see the angry Arabs as being crazy, brainwashed religious fools. To which I say no sir... We Americans are more brainwashed then they will ever be! We have been brainwashed into thinking these people are crazies and that they don't fight fare. But truthfully, what power on earth can compete toe-to-toe with the U.S. Military Machine? Not one! The U.S. and it's war partner, the Isreal Occupation Force, have bombs, planes, warship, helicopters, and all sorts of high tech equipment with one purpose in mind... maximum death and destruction. So if the Arab choice is to fight man to man with the U.S. backed Isreal Occupation Forces, and surely suffer defeat, and death, or use unorthodoxed means, such as turning one's self into a human bomb, the choice is simple. Just as our aim is to inflict as much death and destruction as possible in the U.S. backed bombing of Lebanon, the Arab aim is on par. They just don't have the military might that the U.S. backed Isreal Occupation Forces do. And why such a high level of passion for their cause? Wouldn't you be prepared to fight and die to protect your homeland? If Isreal has never displaced one Arab or taken over one square foot of Arab land, then the so-called terriost are in fact terriost. However, if, as the Arabs claim, that Isreal is established on stolen lands, then I think that makes the Arabs patriots of their homeland. I don't approve of the tactics of either side, but I do understand.

I don't believe that the lack of education drives young men (as I have seen or heard of young women) to lay down their lives for a cause. I believe that strong parental beliefs, whether good or bad, is the main influence driven into these young men. An education begins at home.

It's quite strange how Israel's neighbors are being balmed exclusively for the turmoil in the Middle East. I don't have to remind anyone, that if Israel's neighbors are doing their stuff based on their religion(s), the Israelis are doing(as they have been since 1948) based on their religion as well.
I would hesitate very much in comparing any religion versus any other religion. The Old Testament has quite some weird stories like 'profits' marrying their own daughters. If you want to attack a religion, be prepared for a response. If you want to invoke a religion to justify the existence of something(Israel, Saudia Arabia...etc.), which religion would you invoke? Where would it stop? Hinduism may be just as good as Islam or Christianity, if not better.
Israel's very existence is based on a fundamentalist extremist religion, Judaism. It's not very different than basing any other country on Islam of Budhism of Hinduism. What Israel is doing is murdering others based on Judaism. No difference.

Hello Harris-These people have nothing to loose because they have been taught this all their lives. If you tell them long enough, they will believe. Many children believe with all their hearts in Santa Clause. They believe if they are bad, they don't get gifts. Their parents have pounded this into their brains. Why can't we all be taught to be good and kind just because it is the right thing to do? Shouldn't God be a good, kind, compassionate and caring God in all religions? Maybe if we were all taught kindness then we could live in the peace that God intended. Peace to you all at CNN. Come home safe and soon!

When a failed society discovers that it is up against a superior one, there are only two options. One is the course that Japan chose, when it was confronted with the West, to learn from the other culture while attempting to preserve the key elements of its own culture. The second option - the one that proud humans are more likely to take - is to assume that the superiority of the other group is imaginary, the result of failure to properly follow one's own way. That was the path that, for example, some American Indians chose, just over a century ago.
Desperate? Sure, but behind that desperation is the admission of total cultural failure. What we are witnessing today is the 'Ghost Dance' of Islam.

Hezbollah's spoken mission is top destroy Israel. They started this current war, hiding among Lebonese civillians as human shields. Israel must defend itself.

What would any country do if their neighbors kidnapped some soldiers and started firing missiles directly at civillian populations?

Hezbollah is the real enemy to the people of Lebanon.

I can't help but think that if these people put as much energy into peacefully improving their lives as they do into destroying others lives that they could easily resolve most of the issues they're faced with.

This fight has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with power. The leaders of these radical movements want power and they don't care who has to kill and be killled on their behalf to get it. It's been the same with every "religious" war in history. The leaders pervert [insert religion name here] in a way that justifies killing innocent people in direct violation of the central tenets of the religion. Crusades, 30 years war, jihad, all the same. We never learn.

The depths of human stupidity never cease to amaze me.

From V for Vendetta:

A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. A symbol, in and of itself is powerless, but with enough people behind it, blowing up a building can change the world.

We are told to remember the idea, not the man. Because a man can fail. He can becaught, he can be killed and forgotten. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them. But you cannot touch an idea, cannot hold it or kiss it. An idea does not bleed, it cannot feel pain, and it does not love.
---------

What terrorists dont understand is that Ideas can be pushed forth in other ways than violence.
Watching V for Vendetta really made me think about how we see terrorists today, and in reality, would we be doing the same thing they are if our places were switched? Objectivly think about that for a minute. Would we sacrifice ourselves? Our brothers, sisters, children, parents, for an idea? for what we believe is right?... well guess what, we are, we are sacrificing our families, our friends, our lives, for this war. A pointless war.

This is the first time I have commented, but I think it's important that people realize this conflict has less to do with Israel's actions than Hizbolah's mindset. My family fled Jerusalem and Hebron nearly a century ago due to persecution -- long before the State of Israel existed. They were not recent european settlers and had been there since at least 1500. Far too often I hear suggestions, especially from europeans, that amount to destroying the state of Israel. That will not stop terrorism and will not prevent it from striking elsewhere.

From 360 - Fri Aug 4th "The constant suicide bombings in Iraq are proof people are willing to die for their cause."

My question is, do they (Hezaollah or any factor there of) have a cause? If they do, than stand up and tell the world once and for all what the cause is? I've really not heard from any reliable source what the true "cause" is.

On the contrary, I think they know they have a lot to lose.

What are you doing. This morning I saw what looked like a home shopping network for terrorists. Why are you giving all the details of our security short commings to the terrorists? Louisiana interview gave the number of security pepole and the problems with the port that so much of our oil passes through. And then you disected the airports and railway systems. Hell the terrorists do not have to work very hard to find its next target! Do you want Bush to look so bad that you are willing to sacrafice americans?

I am watching the CNN show called target America in disgust and disbelief.
How stupid can you people be to have done a search and share it with world terrorists all those involved should be persued for treason I cannot beleive how dumb your news group is and if i were an American i would boycott your show as a clear sign of disgust