Strike of Syrian Terrorist Camp Just Self Defense

To the editors:

The Crimson’s Oct. 15 editorial, “Nations are Not Terrorists,” is particularly disturbing in its critique of the Israeli air-strike on a Syrian-based terrorist training camp.

To say that, by striking a terrorist training camp, Israel is threatening the stability of the Middle East is preposterous. What can be more destabilizing than the presence of such terrorist camps? What is more destabilizing to peace than the state-sanctioned and funded terrorist activities? Syria has funded Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad for decades.

These very same terrorist groups are responsible for the hundreds of deaths of innocent men, women, children and infants in Israel. Do these Syrian-supported terrorist actions constitute the “30-year [Syrian-Israeli] truce” that the Crimson editorial speaks of?

The Staff further claims that nations cannot be terrorists, but a terrorist organization cannot operate or exist without the monetary help and political protection of an established state. Nations that fund, support and harbor terrorist groups enable them to carry out their horrific attacks. These nations are directly responsible for the ensuing terrorist acts and civilian deaths. These nations, therefore, are indeed terrorists.

Israel cannot suffer any more human casualties. If Syria continues to support terrorist groups and their activities, Israel must take action. In fact, Israel should be commended, and not condemned, for its humanitarian and restrained attack on the terrorist camp—the targeted strike destroyed buildings and weapons, not human lives.

The Crimson Staff itself wrote on September 25, 2002 that Israel has an inalienable right to defend itself—in that case, from a potential Iraqi strike. Israel retains its inalienable right to defend itself from any nation that, officially or unofficially, targets and attacks Israeli civilians.

Naomi R. Cohen ’04

Oct. 16, 2003