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Terrorists Bomb Moscow Airport

jayme0227 writes "Terrorists detonated a bomb at Moscow's busiest airport on Monday, killing 35 people and wounding another 152, Russian authorities said. President Dmitry Medvedev, who called the bombing a terrorist attack, ordered additional security at Moscow's other airports and transportation hubs, and Moscow police went on high alert in case of additional bombs." According to the NY Times, "The airport remained open on Monday evening, and passengers continued to flow through the hall where the bomb had exploded."

72 of 640 comments (clear)

  1. Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Here we'd have closed the airport for days to make it look like we were doing something. There, they just pick up the pieces and move on. Guess who's not going to still be running things in twenty years?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by somersault · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Shouldn't they at least destroy their economy again with a prolonged war or something like that? How about a bit of racial profiling and cancer inducing body scanners? Seriously, where's the fun in bombing a country if they're not going to shit themselves?

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      I don't think I'm on board that our skin needs to be as thick as the Russians. It is admirable that they can move past such an event, but it's actually quite sad as well.

      I think it's more than a little sad that they are in such a situation. But what I find it even more than sad is hopeful. The only thing I really think it's unfortunate for people to be inured to is fraud.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 4, Informative

      The US hasn't had terrorism in apartment buildings, urban mass transit systems or transportation hubs like Russia has, so you can't say what the American response would be.

      However when there was a mass shooting at LAX in 2002, they didn't shut down the airport.

    4. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

      Russia has been involved in a high causality war costing them a lot of money and many lives since 1999. The causality rate for Russian combat soldiers in the Second Chechen War was roughly 5 times higher than for US and allied forces during the worst fighting in Iraq at the same period.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurgency_in_the_North_Caucasus
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chechen_War

      Moscow theater hostage crisis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis

      Beslan school hostage crisis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beslan_school_hostage_crisis

      Domodedovo International Airport was the entry point for other terror attacks in the past and so it was one of the, if not the first airport with full body radar scanners - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_aircraft_bombings_of_August_2004

    5. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by Dachannien · · Score: 3, Informative

      In fairness, a hallmark of Al Qaeda is to blow something up, wait for first responders to arrive, and then blow it up again. So, securing the area might reduce loss of life in the event there were a second bomb.

    6. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by mrxak · · Score: 2

      Yeah, honestly I'd rather they just put us through metal detectors alone, while we still have our shoes on. The occasional bombing from terrorists is such a minor threat compared to all the other things that kill people every single day. Toss in some Israeli-style profiling, starting right when you drive into the airport, and again and again before you even get to the checkpoint, and we'll be just fine.

      I don't want security, I just want hassle-free travel. Give me liberty or give me death. No other option is acceptable.

    7. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by DMUTPeregrine · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The only way to defeat the terrorists is to refuse to be terrorized.

      --
      Not a sentence!
    8. Re:Obviously not afraid of terrorists in Russia by Psmylie · · Score: 2

      You seem to be under the impression that the security theater has anything to do with security[.*]. It's about seizing more power, first and foremost.

      That, and making people think they're safe to fly... air travel is vital to the US (and international) economy. If people were too afraid to fly, it would have devastating impacts on everything from car rental agencies to the tourist industry to huge companies like Boeing. That's why the government keeps throwing money at them every time they claim they're having financial troubles.

      Unfortunately, and predictably, the security theater simply shifted the threat from the airplanes themselves to the large group of people waiting to get through the security that's supposed to keep them safe.

      People have been saying for years that we need to get people checked through faster at security. This kind of threat wasn't unthinkable even ten years ago. I remember hearing people talk about the risks to holiday travelers at airports for over a decade. Huge crowds of people are vulnerable to this sort of thing, and those nice, maze-like roped lines keep people penned in like cattle, which makes explosives an extremely, horrifyingly effective weapon in those situations.

      The solution is to get people through security faster. Which means less stringent security. Metal detectors and chemical sensors only, to get the people through quickly, and scan the luggage. It's a win/win: less invasive, more secure (against this kind of attack) and less expensive. Also, less frustrating for travelers, who won't have to deal with standing in line for as long as they do now.

      Hopefully we make the changes needed before this kind of attack becomes common. Because, one thing I'm sure of is that terrorists around the world made note of this and will be looking at similar targets of opportunity.

      --

      psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

  2. Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sacrificing civil liberties does not prevent terrorism.

    1. Re:Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by couchslug · · Score: 2

      "Sacrificing civil liberties does not prevent terrorism."

      The only level of violence and reprisal sufficient to deter terrorism is at the level of what are called "war crimes", so only societies who are both powerful and ruthless can defeat (serious) terrorists.

      The only counter to people who embrace being destroyed for their cause is to destroy an overwhelming number those they are fighting for. To the extent that societies embrace the "rights" of their mortal enemies, they are unable to fight.

      Limiting the rights of their FRIENDS in order to get to their enemies doesn't work very well for obvious reasons.

      We should know this in case one day we decide that suicide in order to maintain the facade of righteousness is stupid

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    2. Re:Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by strength_of_10_men · · Score: 2

      That's what we SHOULD learn from this. The US government, on the other hand, will just foist more security theater on the population by restricting access to baggage claim areas.

    3. Re:Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In fact, this is precisely the scenario that we've been talking on Slashdot for so long - the terrorists detonated the bomb in the crowded area right before the first controlled checkpoint in the airport (customs).

    4. Re:Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by MoriT · · Score: 2

      Except that there is an inverse correlation between political engagement and terrorism. Additionally, war crimes frequently allow access to weaponry, giving some people the opportunity to use those weapons against you or your civilians. Even if your response to every terrorist action is to track down and kill every member of the terrorist's family, you're just going to inspire siblingless orphans to come after you, or people who hate their families anyway.

      The only thing that deters terrorism is at least the illusion of political agency. As long as people feel like they are doing something by participating in political rituals, whether or not they are effective, they don't radicalize. It's like the "door close" button on elevators.

    5. Re:Sympathy for the victims, lessons for us by myowntrueself · · Score: 2

      Case in point: Malaysia and South Korea teaching the West how to deal with piracy.

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
  3. Next time you're at an airport, think about this by itsownreward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just think about this next time you're queued up forever in the security theater line waiting to get your junk touched. It seems like the ideal place to attack an airport and get lots of casualties.

  4. Nice to see... by Richy_T · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "The airport remained open on Monday evening, and passengers continued to flow through the hall where the bomb had exploded."

    Good to see the terrorists haven't won everywhere...

    1. Re:Nice to see... by Obfuscant · · Score: 4, Insightful
      My last impression (as we were getting ready to come home) was that they had a little old lady cleaning the men's room. Not only was it open, no one seemed bothered by it.

      I'm curious. Exactly why should anyone be bothered by it? Was she too old to be working and should have been on retirement? Or is your junk so special that you think a little old lady is getting turned on by seeing you handle it?

  5. Beef it up by burris · · Score: 5, Funny

    Clearly, it is time to move the security checkpoint out into the parking lot.

    1. Re:Beef it up by trollertron3000 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why not pre-screen them at home and then freeze them into cryo-storage for shipment?

      --
      Tiger Blooded Bi-Winning Machine
    2. Re:Beef it up by danachap · · Score: 5, Informative

      Clearly, it is time to move the security checkpoint out into the parking lot.

      That's how they roll in Israel. Apparently, it's quite effective. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/744199---israelification-high-security-little-bother

    3. Re:Beef it up by lixee · · Score: 2

      You laugh, but that's what happened in Casablanca, Morocco after the 2003 bombings (that mainly targeted hotels and restaurants). Access to the airport was forbidden to anyone who doesn't hold a foreign passport or a plane ticket. Meanwhile, people who were giving a ride to the travelers were packed like cattle outside a fence right into the parking lot. I remember asking a cop what's to stop a bomber from blowing us up right there. He replied without blinking that dead tourists and a shattered building was a lot worse than dead locals. A chilling experience.

      --
      Res publica non dominetur
  6. Re:Next time you're at an airport, think about thi by SirGeek · · Score: 4, Informative

    Then they should have the bomb sniffing dogs sniffing you. Much less invasive and will ACTUALLY find any bomb residue/traces.

  7. Not exactly WWII by TheNarrator · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The last time Russia was fighting for its territorial integrity 24 million Russians died. The terrorists have severely underestimated what it takes to frighten the Russian leadership into making concessions. You see, as long as all the terrorists die, the Russians don't really care. If you look at the Beslan massacre or the Moscow Theatre Seige, there was very little concern for the hostages, many of whom died during the raids by the security forces. It seems the main thing the government accomplished in both of the raids was killing all the terrorists and minimal casualties to security forces. It's probably modeled after things like Stalin's decision to not evacuate Stalingrad when the Nazis invaded.

    1. Re:Not exactly WWII by mjwx · · Score: 2

      The real question is whether or not this style of combating terrorism is more effective than others.

      It's a hell of a lot more effective then hiding under your bed watching a colour coded "be afraid" signal.

      Or wasting trillions on a war that only delivers more eager recruits into the hands of your enemies by destroying their homes, families and livelihoods.

      You just don't get what this says do you.

      The Russian government have just given the organisers of this attack an effective middle finger whilst shouting "It takes more then that to scare a Russian". Nothing the US has done against terrorism in it's past has ever been quite as effective, it proves to the organisers of this attack that there was no real effect, no disruption of services, no over-reaction that will burn a lot of money. Terrorists can only pull off an attack like this every few years if they are well funded and extremely well organised, it's basically the same as developing an atomic weapon in terms of cost, manpower and planning but it hinges on people becoming scared to even work. If people don't get scared, the entire attack was for naught.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    2. Re:Not exactly WWII by techno-vampire · · Score: 3, Informative

      I don't know where you got that idea, but this section of the Wikipedia article on the battle should demonstrate how wrong you are. The Red Army fought to defend the city right from the beginning, although all they had left was a toe-hold by the time the counter-offensive started. I realize that this is Slashdot, but you should still at least try to get your facts right, especially when they're not in dispute.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    3. Re:Not exactly WWII by rahvin112 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Wikipedia isn't a source, anyone with any sense would know that.

      I have studied this war and I have taken collage courses that discussed it extensively including reading the logs and diaries of those involved. Stalin tried extensively to rewrite history after the war and claim holding onto Stalingrad was his idea at the start. Reading Wikipedia it's clear he was at least partially successful in that some fool that read the "corrected" version posted it. Stalin evacuated the entire Red Army across the Volgo river and committed the 6th army one of the weakest in the corp to defend the city at pain of death (if they tried to evacuate they would be shot). As the only army still remaining on the western side of the Volga it wasn't until the Nazi's were already in the city that the 6th arrived and began defensive maneuvers. I doubt Stalin thought they would succeed but he believed they would distract the Nazi's from severing the bridgeheads that allowed the Red army counterattack to cross.

      Stalin committed the rest of the army to defense of two bridgeheads and crossings of the Volga while the rest of red army regrouped, reinforced and rearmed. As the Volga is a very large and dangerous river (compared to the Mississippi) with limited crossings. It wasn't until it was clear that the citizens along with their only reinforcements in the 6th Red Army had held the city (under penalty of death) that Stalin allowed real professional generals to began planing the offensive that cut off the Nazi supply lines and cost the Nazi's the most battle hardened and experienced divisions in the Nazi army. Later in the early winter when it was clear that Hitler was fully committed and the 6th was almost fully exhausted did Stalin order reinforcements boated across the river to hold the city until the remainder of the army was ready. Make no mistake, Stalin didn't order the holding of the city at any cost until it was clear that it could be done and he had the reinforcements on the way to perform the pincer maneuver from the two bridge heads that isolated the heart of the German army and starved them to death.

      Stalin made sure to claim after the war that he planned it all from the start but the history is pretty clear that he didn't take that path until it was clear that the 6th with the help of the citizens and under threat of being shot by their own side did it become clear he could actually turn the tide. Incidentally it was his success in forcing the 6th to fight that caused him to create the suicide divisions in the army (that would be shot if they didn't advance) that was so successful in destroying the german army. Make no mistake, when he ordered the sixth to hold the city at any cost he did so with the belief that they wouldn't succeed and it wasn't until after they were nearly wiped out and he was in danger of losing the bridgeheads that he committed reinforcements.

      Now if you relied on real history sources rather that Wikipedia you would know how inaccurate it can be.

    4. Re:Not exactly WWII by tpheiska · · Score: 2

      ... offensive that cut off the Nazi supply lines and cost the Nazi's the most battle hardened and experienced divisions in the Nazi army.

      I think your reference of the German armed forces as the "Nazi army" is misleading at best, predjudiced at worst. Most WWII historians/enthusiasts prefer Wehrmacht or the German army. Many of them were not Nazis.

      --
      "wahts woring iwth my tyoping?"
  8. I went through this airport the day before. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not surprising that these idiots were able to bomb the place. Whilst there's always a guy at the door with a metal detector / baggage scanning machine when you walk in everyone just walks right through so you're not actually being scanned unless they specifically stop you (never happens unless they *really* don't like they way you look. Now of course that will change for a while... but Russia is such a big place with so many landmarks that can be targeted that there's no way to stop some lunatics from blowing themselves up in public and killing people if they're really keen on it.

    The one difference worth noting is that in Russia/Israel/India etc... they just get back to work, in USA they would've created some 500 million $ memorial and immortalized the event for at least a decade.

  9. Re:Joke Time by jgagnon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think the point was that condemning an entire religion for the actions of a few is, well, stupid. Be it Christian fundamentalist murderers, Islamic fundamentalist murderers, cow rapers, or fungal mutant centrists.

    --
    Remember to maintain your supply of /facepalm oil to prevent chafing.
  10. Re:All Religions are like that by Nadaka · · Score: 3, Interesting

    All religion is tainted. The foundation of modern Christianity was forged in the inquisition and before that in the crimes of the Hebrew. No religion can be just when it is founded on oppression, rape, murder, slavery and genocide. I know this because I have lived in a "good christian home" and saw violence and depravity that few can imagine. I know this because I read my bible, every chapter, every verse, every word. Then I studied other religions and found them as filled with vile filth as my own. A good man can not found his morality on so corrupt and decayed a foundation as that.

  11. Re:Joke Time by Anonymusing · · Score: 2

    Point taken.

    Maybe this would be better: I'm sure all Christians are like the Irish Republican Army, the Lord's Resistance Army, the National Liberation Front of Tripura, the Russian National Unity, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Hutaree.

    --
    Liberal? Conservative? Compare perspectives at Left-Right
  12. For a minute I thought I was on slashdot. by lsdi · · Score: 2

    But somehow I got redirected to the daily beast.

  13. So much for security theater by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think that this demonstrates how utterly pointless most of airport security we've implemented truly is now that terrorists have shown that they're completely willing to blow themselves up and kill hundreds of people before getting on the plane. Why go to all the hard work of actually getting on a plane when there's plenty of people queued up at a security checkpoint that you can easily kill and cause just as much panic and terror?

    There's no easy way to prevent this, unless the security checkpoint is at the front door, in which case you still have a large queue of people, even more miserable and pissed off that they have to stand inline outside. Even if they made people strip naked, it still wouldn't stop the first clever terrorist to shove the bomb up his ass.

    1. Re:So much for security theater by TheL0ser · · Score: 4, Funny

      still wouldn't stop the first clever terrorist to shove the bomb up his ass.

      Since when is shoving anything up your ass considered "clever"?

  14. How long until someone blames... by darkrowan · · Score: 2

    ... Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for this? Yes, I went there.

    --
    AccountKiller
  15. Unfortunately you have to move on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Terrorist attacks are horrible.

    I've personally been in areas in Israel where massive bombs exploded killing and maiming dozens of people, weeks before the incident. It's a fact of life.

    There are bomb scares every day in Israel. Woops. Grandpa left his grocery bag unattended next to an ATM. Area is closed off.
    You can see people waiting impatiently, tapping their feet with a "come on get on with it" look at the bomb sapper in full gear is tippy toeing to the bag (abandoned grocery bag),
    detonating it in minutes. Once the all clear is rang out, as the bomb sapper is nervously taking his bomb proof helmet off, sitting on sidewalk, slowly pulling out a cigarette, people are practically pushing and shoving next to him,
    right next to where the "bomb" was, queuing to use the ATM.

    I saw this scenario happening a few times.

    People get on with their lives.

    security theatre is dangerous, and only common sense, intelligence, and self-policing will work.
    Make sure you design public spaces with heightened terrorist attack value (e.g. airport) well designed to lower casualty count.

  16. Re:Next time you're at an airport, think about thi by radtea · · Score: 2

    Much less invasive and will ACTUALLY find any bomb residue/traces

    Right, because ONLY Terrorists(TM) have any traces of explosives on them, and not any of the mining engineers, chemists, etc, etc, etc, who happen to be passing through the airport!

    Seriously: I've worked for a couple of mining and geological exploration companies and to here them tell it all these "anti-terrorist" measures do nothing but make their lives less convenient.

    If I were a Terrorist(TM) I'd get a job with a mining company, get a letter from my employer certifying that I handle explosives, and then blow something up. These measures are so easy to circumvent they are hardly worth mentioning.

    --
    Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  17. Re:Joke Time by clarkkent09 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There are lots of ethnic issues around the world. Why is it that every time some crazy fucker blows up himself and a whole bunch of innocent people he turns out to be a Muslim. Coincidence?

    --
    Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
  18. Re:All Religions are like that by kevinNCSU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I know this because I have lived in a "good christian home" and saw violence and depravity that few can imagine

    If few can even imagine the "violence and depravity" you witnessed at home, and Christianity is one of the world's major religions, it stands to reason that perhaps by any definition of Christianity that you didn't actually live in a "good Christian home". Also I don't know what version of the bible you're reading "every chapter, every verse, and every word" of but if it has anything about the Spanish Inquisition being the foundation of Christianity then you should probably buy a new one.

  19. Re:Joke Time by scubamage · · Score: 3, Informative

    More precisely its a conflict between Russia and separatists in an area that Russia has long tried (sometimes occasionally) to occupy. That the separatists happen to be largely Muslim is inconsequential. educate yourself.

  20. Re:Next time you're at an airport, think about thi by Cwix · · Score: 2

    I was a combat engineer in the Army. Trust me, you don't want to have ANY residue on you if your going anywhere near a federal building/airport.

    --
    You are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts.
  21. Another sad day, now move on by Locke2005 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First of all I would like to express my condolences to all the victims of this senseless act of brutality. Second, I would like to express my respect for the mature manner in which the Russians handled this. I've always said regarding the US that we have reached maturity as a society only when someone can commit an atrocity and no laws or procedures need to change as a result. Terrorism is all about getting a reaction; if you react to the terrorists, then the terrorist have won.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  22. Re:If we're lucky.... by Cwix · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hopefully, Russia took out Jerusalem and we'll have World Peace.

    They would fight over the ruins.

    --
    You are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts.
  23. Re:Joke Time by scubamage · · Score: 2

    I understand that. However realistically he most likely still holds more sway in the country than Medvedev does out of sheer popularity. I stated that I wish he were our president because I feel someone who actually has had to work in the seedy underbelly of intelligence gathering as well as served faithfully in the military may actually make a far better president in the USA than a bunch of overprivilaged, pampered frat-boys.

  24. huh ? by unity100 · · Score: 2

    Soviet Union was the main supporter

    what kind of bullshit is this ? i am living in one of the countries usa/nato has used islam as a control tool to prevent encroachment of 'reds'. we are still paying the price for that 'security' policy today.

    dont sell bullshit.

  25. Re:Joke Time by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

    There are over a billion Muslims in the world. There is a 1/6 chance of any randomly selected person being Muslim. Last I checked, Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kozinski were not Muslim. I had Christians, Muslims, and Jews at my wedding... we got along then, and 10 years later we are still getting along!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  26. Re:Joke Time by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is an ethnic issue between Russia and North Caucasus.

    It was an ethnic issue back in 1994-1996, during the First Chechen War. It stopped being an ethnic issue in 1999, when "mujahideen" from the then de-facto independent Chechnya invaded the neighboring Dagestan, proclaiming the long-term goal of driving the "kaffir" out of Caucasus and establishing a unified Islamic state there.

  27. Bad choice of words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Civil rights cannot be "sacrificed" or bargained with in any manner. The very notion smacks of tyranny, and fosters a conformist ideology where it is expected that governments cherry-pick the civil rights they "allow" for "their" people.

    But I never sacrificed anything after 9/11 -- did you? Of course not. I don't know anybody that did. What actually happened is that your civil rights were stolen. from you. Denied. Oppressed. Attacked. You and I didn't have a say in it at all, and neither did the pawns who cheered it on. There was no "sacrifice" in any of this, only the elite at the top of the pyramid playing god with powers that no mortal man is worthy of.

    Let's call a spade a spade: civil rights are either honored or oppressed. There is no picking and choosing.

    1. Re:Bad choice of words by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Humbug. The referendum on our government's response to 9/11 was the decisive re-election of Bush/Cheney in 2004. You can say they used scare-mongering to win over the public, but ultimately the public is responsible for the votes they (we) cast.

    2. Re:Bad choice of words by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 2

      There's a simple way to beat terrorism, and it is to stop being assholes and give them what they want. Guess what? it's rightfully theirs in most cases. This is something that gets ignored all the time, but why does terrorism exist? well, it's an incredibly desperate measure, that has few chances of success. It's the only thing oppressed people without access to an army can do. During the US independence war, countless acts of "terrorism" where committed, but they don't get called "terrorism", they are labeled as "patriotic". Terrorism is the last desperate action of an oppressed group to regain their freedom, or right a wrong. Its own people will call it patriotic, the oppressor will call it terrorism. It is actually quite simple. Do you see well fed middle class businessman blowing up stuff to achieve something? You don't, because they have something to loose. When you put people in that worse position, of being oppressed, and having nothing to loose, that's when you get desperate acts. By definition, just about anything that is requested through terror threats is possibly a reasonable demand (Why? Well, because somebody put that person in a such a desperate situation. Nobody should ever be pushed that far back into a corner).

      Palestinians are being murdered by an invasion force, and being kicked out of their own land (land they've had for thousands of years). They just want peace and their own land returned. The IRA just wants the British to stop invading them and get out of their land. The ETA just wants to be free from Spain and France.

      Sure, some of them are just religious idiots or other kind of fanatics, but even then, we could just settle most of them just by recognizing their basic request of land, freedom and fair treatment, give them independence and stop messing with their business, and 99% of them will just go away. Sure, 1% will keep trying to murder you just because your skin looks different or because you have a different imaginary guy in the sky, well, they don't stand a chance. Do you think that if tomorrow Spain and France free the Basque territory, and some ETA jerks continue to bomb Spain, they would get support from the Basques? No way, the Basque people themselves would turn them in to the police. Sure, there are a few crazy bastards just about everywhere, but they can't do anything by themselves. They are dangerous when large sectors of the population supports them. Do you know why large sectors of the population support them? Because large sectors of the population are poor and oppressed, change that situation, and the problem goes away.

      --
      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  28. Re:All Religions are like that by operagost · · Score: 2

    It seems that we waited a while, and now the Muslims are burning and torturing people while the Christians are building hospitals and developing technology.

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  29. Re:Joke Time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols didn't blow themselves up.

  30. Re:Joke Time by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why do you link to an article about the First Chechen War, which happened in mid-90s? A lot of things happened since then - for example, a second war which began after religious faction in Chechen rebel government (people such as Shamil Basaev, Doka Umarov, and amir Khattab) got the upper hand in the little infighting that they had after Dudaev's death - the war which began as a jihad to "liberate" Muslim territories outside of Chechnya.

  31. Re:All Religions are like that by kevinNCSU · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't see how this relates at all to the topic I was addressing but I'd agree with the money issue. I've never seen a church that required you to pay anything though unless you want to use their building for a wedding or something, which seems rather understandable to me. Unless we're going to consider asking for donations to be the definition of corrupt now and lump that child cancer hospital that asks for donations at the movie theater into the corrupt category.

    I don't understand why having principals and guides about how children should be raised would make a faith corrupt. We're talking about a way of life here, and your claiming that no way of life should guide someone in how to deal with the biggest part of most people's lives? That just doesn't make any sense.

  32. Re:Next time you're at an airport, think about thi by at10u8 · · Score: 2

    If you have easy access to explosives, you probably SHOULD be inspected more closely, don't you think?

    Household products are sufficient, so who does not have easy access?

  33. Transposed Conditionals by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No, it's not a coincidence. It's also not very useful.

    You need to examine the distinction between "Statistical Significance" and "Practical Importance".

    For example, suppose the difference in IQ scores between people in two cities is 1/2 point. The studies can be extremely accurate and the results can be correct to a strong degree of statistical significance, but the overall result is of no practical importance.

    Similar with Muslim extremists. Try to assign a probability (high or low) to each of the following:

    Probability that someone is a Muslim, given that they are terrorist.
    Probability that someone is a terrorist, given that they are Muslim.

    There are about 8,500 people on the U.S. "no fly" list, and about 1.5 billion followers of Islam. If *all* terrorists are Muslims, you still have to sort through 175,000 profiled people to find one terrorist.

    This is not a piece of data which is useful in and of itself from which to draw conclusions or make policy.

    You don't have to be afraid of your neighbors, even if they are are from Pakistan.

  34. Re:Joke Time by mangu · · Score: 2

    Yes, all separatists use suicide bombers, regardless of their religion. Like in Quebec or Slovakia, for instance. Oh wait...

  35. Re:What we COULD do to help Russia... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 2

    Russia recently developed the largest fuel-air explosive yet deployed. They should erase an enemy city in reprisal for every attack.

    It's a bit tricky when all cities in Chechnya are officially fully under control of the federal government - so what, bomb your own citizens on your own territory?

    In fact, there's no war there at all. Just some local police operations against small bands of desperate terrorists. Or so the Russian TV tells me.

  36. Re:Joke Time by stdarg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That the separatists happen to be largely Muslim is inconsequential.

    But as a consequence of the separatists being Muslim, their cause is taken up by supporters of global jihad throughout the Muslim world. Just like fighters in Kashmir and Palestine, they receive support from abroad solely due to their religion and the religion of their opponents.

    How can you not call that a consequence?? Do you even know what "inconsequential" means?

  37. Re:Joke Time by sexconker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There is no "Islamic Terror".

    There are deep intelligence operations. These are funded by Mossad, CIA, Pakistan's ISI, etc.

    A complete investigation of David Headley - for just one example - would give you some idea of the nature of para-political, deep-state actors in perpetrating terror for their own ends, and the usefulness of the "Islamic" fiction.

    If you think that you are capable of correctly evaluating the the real nature of these events, based on the unexamined and uninvestigated statements of official sources? Then you do not correctly ascertain the meaning or implications of the term "disinformation".

    Ask yourself this: "Does my government maintain a policy of disinformation, regarding its own people? If so, how would I know? Is the reporting of independent, corporate news agencies a sufficient source of information to verify or validate these claims?"

    http://www.carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php

    http://danwismar.com/uploads/Bernstein%20-%20CIA%20and%20Media.htm

    I suggest you take up mindfulness meditation for 5-15 minutes a day. Wen yourself from all "news" for one month. Then come back, and look freshly at the spinning matrix of lies.

    You have a UID of 137, and you've posted the dumbest thing I've ever read on the internet.

    Your argument is "You can't trust the government! You can't trust the media! Trust me and my hyperlinks! Also, meditate!".

  38. Re:Joke Time by stdarg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There are over a billion Muslims in the world. There is a 1/6 chance of any randomly selected person being Muslim.

    If only 1 out of 6 suicide bombers were Muslim you would have a pretty good argument right there. Maybe you're not proving what you think you're proving.

    I had Christians, Muslims, and Jews at my wedding... we got along then, and 10 years later we are still getting along!

    That's nice, but were your wedding guests randomly selected from the entire world? No? Then what is your point? That your own close circle of friends has different dynamics than the societal thrusts of populations numbering in the hundreds of millions and billions spread across the entire globe?? Wow, I never would have guessed that.

  39. Re:Joke Time by mcrbids · · Score: 2

    The "crazy fucker" who shot
    Gabrielle Giffords strangely, wasn't Muslim.

    (cough)

    --
    I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
  40. Re:All Religions are like that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Buddhism is not a religion, but thanks for playing all the same.

    Said like a man of true ignorance.

    Except that Buddhism is NOT a religion. It's a school of thought. It focuses on peace, harmony, etc. The fact the people practice it as if it were a religion, or tack on their own supernatural back story (which flies in the face of the actual teachings) is irrelevant.

    How about actually trying to study Buddhism?

    Buddhist concepts like karma, which differs from Hindi karma, are purely religion.

    Then there's reincarnation which is also part of Buddhism.

    To call Buddhism something other then a religion is an argument purely from ignorance.

  41. Re:So Amazingly Pointless by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

    The goal of religious terrorism is never to get people to convert. In fact, terrorism is by its very nature political. In the case of Chechnya, the issue is not so much religion as it is government. The issue is that ethnic Chechens feel the region should be autonomous. They just happen to be predominately Muslim. Now, there are plenty of radical Chechens out there and are fighting aver religion, but most of those don't operate in Russia, they went to Afghanistan or Iraq.

    Now, Islamic terrorism generally is about control. A group wants to control whatever area, state, or region they are in, so they try to undermine the government. One if the ways a government is undermined is by showing that the government cannot provide the security necessary to a society(I have always found it interesting that the very group that causes the insecurity actually reaps the political benefits of it). Once a government cannot provide for security or other basic necessities of society the political wing of the terrorist group will step in. Once the terrorist group gains control, then religion will begin to play a part, as these groups generally tend to adhere to rather strict forms of Islam(in fact the perceived moderation of a government can often lead to the rise of these groups). The controlling group will impose their own interpretation of Islam, and those who do not wish to adhere to that will leave, be driven out, or possibly killed. Eventually, assuming the group stays in power, their religious views would spread along with their territory. So, for Islamic terrorists, conversion comes at the end of their time line, if it comes at all. The best proof that religion is not a true concern is that the overwhelming majority of the victims of Islamic terrorist attacks have themselves been Muslim. Religion itself is not a motivation(at least, not for the leaders. It may be for whichever misled underling blows himself up, but not for the group as a whole); it is the path through which these groups can attain their real motivation:power.

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  42. Re:Joke Time by sumdumass · · Score: 2

    Yes, besides, if you do criticize Islam, they will kill you. Well, call for your death.. if they don't succeed, the first isn't necessarily not true, just not succesful.

  43. Assholes. by PinchDuck · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Slaughtering innocent people who are just trying to get from point A to point B won't further your aims, won't garner any sympathy, and certainly won't win you the hearts and minds of the rest of the world. You aren't freedom fighters, heroes, or martyrs, you're just assholes killing innocent people.

  44. Re:Joke Time, not by Rockoon · · Score: 2

    Just so you know, Chechen is not a religion like Islam/Muslim is.

    The Chechen people are primarily Islamic in faith.

    I know that you didnt really want to support the point of the person you were replying to, but thats exactly what you did.

    Now I don't know if its the religion itself, the economic conditions that are primarily experienced by those of the religion, the political situations in the regions of its popularity, or what...

    ..the fact remains that most of the time that somebody blows themselves up, intent on taking others with them, it is someone from an Islamic background.

    One might argue that this fact is evidence that the other religions and their respective political blocks have so thoroughly long-term-fucked these people over that this sort of thing just plain makes more sense to them than it does to others.

    Now what I truly believe is that poverty is at the core of all this shit, that if you remove wide-spread poverty from the equation then you end up with a different sort of problem. People rioting instead of people blowing themselves up.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."
  45. Re:Joke Time by DriedClexler · · Score: 2

    You can get a much higher body count if you don't have to make it out alive yourself. So yes, it's much better when terrorists constrain themselves to using methods that allow themselves to walk away alive.

    For example, if someone illegally parks a big suspicious truck right against a building and runs off, you have a chance to clear the area while the time bomb is ticking. But if he doesn't care about surviving, he just plows the thing straight into the building, no warning, and gets a more destructive detonation.

    Yeah, I'll go with the non-self-sacrificial terrorists.

    --
    Information theory is life. The rest is just the KL divergence.
  46. Re:Joke Time by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why? Because Dagestan was predominantly Muslim and the first militia formations opposing Chechens in Dagestan during the first days of war was Muslim as well.

    Various Dagestan ethnicities are, traditionally, Sufi Muslims. On the other hand, the folk who invaded in '99 were hardcore Salafi fundamentalists who regard most Sufi practices - especially the institute of murshids, and Sufi ritualized dhikr - as shirk, and see it as their religious duty to stamp it out (and they did try to do so in captured areas of Dagestan). So religion still makes a difference there.

    The same division exists within Chechnya, by the way. Chechen nationalist party - represented in past by Dudaev and Maskhadov - are mostly traditionalist in aspects of religion, and so are Sufi (though Dudaev wasn't even particularly religious in general). The Islamist party, with a nucleus formed of foreign "mujahideen" and young new converts such as Sayyid Buratsky - are Salafi. The latter party prevailed, which is why the war in '99 even happened. The latter party is also the one that unilaterally disbanded Chechen government-in-exile and proclaimed "Caucasian Emirate".

  47. Re:Joke Time by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Contrary to popular Slashdot lore, low UIDs do not necessarily correlate with increased intelligence.

    They might start correlating with increased dementia...