The Muslim militants will undoubtedly steal supplies, sell them on the black market and use the proceeds to purchase weaponry and explosives to use on the infidels.

They hated us before and now they'll hate us even more.

Since the militants are giving the orders and chasing away, for example, Australian Catholic priests, it's hard to see why you think they have been marginalized.

They're in charge, and no one in Indonesia cares to challenge them.

Nothing wrong with the militants. The war is against separatists.

OJ, I thought you wanted Indonesia to separate?

Want? No. Think inevitable? Yes. Needn't be violent though.

Nothing wrong with the militants? They blew up places in Bali killing hundreds of people. But I guess you thought there was nothing wrong with flying planes into the WTC on 9/11.

What did that have to do with Aceh?

Your comment 'Nothing wrong with the militants.'

My comment 'They blew up places in Bali killing hundreds of people.'

The circumstances of the Bali explosions were identical to those of 9/11. For you to make the claim that nothing is wrong with the militants would indicate that you believe that there is nothing wrong with blowing up hundreds of people in Bali. Since the circumstances of those explosions were at least as wrongful as the attack on the WTC of 9/11, you therefore must have approved of those attacks as well. One could, if one were Pat Buchanan, David Duke or Ibrahim Hooper, make the argument that the people in the WTC on 9/11 deserved their fate due to the 'evils' of American policy. One can make no such claim of Australian revelers in Bali, as Australia has no ability to have an 'evil' foreign policy.

So we agree 9-11 had nothing to do with Aceh. What did Bali have to do with Aceh? If it was the work of Acehan separatists it would certainly be justifiable, like bombing the King David to get a separate Zion. I don't think it's been tied to Aceh though, has it?

You are being disingenuous. You praised the militants as distinguished from the separatists in Aceh. The militants are the same group that blew up those hotels and bars in Bali. You chose to state 'there was nothing wrong with the militants.' Therefore, you must believe it was OK to blow up hotels and bars in Bali.

As for the King David Hotel, it was British military HQ, it was used to store munitions for the illegal racist British occupation, and the Hagganah warned the Brits to evacuate the civilians before it happened. Other than that, it was identical to the Bali bombings.

Bart:

If they blew them up in order to win independence for Aceh it's a legitimate act of war and a tactic likely to work. If it was just an al Qaeda fantasy bombing it's pointless.

Jewish bombers good. Muslim bombers bad.

The Bali bombings were an al-Qaeda operation. The intentional murder of civilians is generally considered to be a war crime.

The choice of target makes the difference. The Israelis chose a military target, the Muslims did not.

That the British chose to recklessly endanger civilians whether through putting military HQs in a hotel or putting munitions on ocean liners like the Lusitania was their choice not that of their adversaries. Had the British chosen to 'play by the rules' there would have been no civilian casualties in the King David bombing or the sinking of the Lusitania.

The Bali bombings were an al-Qaeda operation. The intentional murder of civilians is generally considered to be a war crime.

The choice of target makes the difference. The Israelis chose a military target, the Muslims did not.

That the British chose to recklessly endanger civilians whether through putting military HQs in a hotel or putting munitions on ocean liners like the Lusitania was their choice not that of their adversaries. Had the British chosen to 'play by the rules' there would have been no civilian casualties in the King David bombing or the sinking of the Lusitania.

No it isn't. Who went before a tribunal for Dresden or Hiroshima?

It's criminal when your foes do it--necessary when you do.

Dresden and Hiroshima were military targets. Civilian casualties were the result of the weapons of the period. There was nothing military about a few bars and hotels in Bali.

All were terror bombings--terror works.