Geraldine:

<snip>
Your list [of female terrorists] proves that they are the exception to the
rule [GM]
<snip>

No. It's just a list. And an incomplete one. What it demonstrates is that it
is very difficult to be inclusive when talking of these matters. But
inclusive we must be.

I rather distrust 'overwhelming truths'. I like my truths with a dash of
caveat.

<snip>
But how can any problem be tackled if people like yourself refuse
to even acknowledge basic facts. [GM]
<snip>

A 'basic fact' is a building block in some greater argument. I acknowledge
some of your 'facts'; but I dispute the synthesis. I also add other facts. I
think you're expressing irritation at the inconvenience of it all. But
without that inconvenience we merely shout red-faced at one another.

<snip>
Like it or not we are all enlisted in wars now and some of us want
to know why and with whom and if identifying an age group and sex
is a start then for god's sake let's start. [GM}
<snip>

What you refer to as 'identifying an age group and sex' is to create a
suspect class. As in the application of the sus law. It mistakes a
correlation for an inherent characteristic.

<snip>
to have to qualify such a simple statement of truth as this with the equally
true statement that the overwhelming majority of men aren't terrorists and
the world has had some spectacularly violent women.. well it's is depressing
that your needs should hanker after such salve. [GM]
<snip>

I suspect terrorism has changed its gender profile since the days of the
RAF, the Weather Underground, the JRA and so forth. Clearly it has changed
its _religious_ profile. These two changes may be connected. My 'needs' are
for that richer picture. Sometimes 'simple statement[s] of truth' are
themselves a salve.

<snip>
I didn't say the 'terrorists' had no foreseeable goal [...] My question was
what do we do about disaffected young men who have NO goals in life? [...]
...the war comes home about 10 yards down my street.

So, the violence emanates almost predominately from young males so my
question was 'What do young men want?' When all these Rebels without a Cause
or a Clue finally get one I'd like to know it didn't include blowing me to
kingdom come [...] I'm well aware of the political cess pool  which led up
to the bombing of New York but we really do need to understand  the kind of
psyche that can do that
<snip>

But you elide the difference between 'tribal', disaffected, goal-less young
men and terrorists. That elision is _precisely_ why I'm claiming it as part
of the *mindless violence* topos. Many of the terrorists appear to be well
educated, middle class, sometimes upper class (bin Laden's doctor chum, for
example), not all that young and highly focused. Trying to understand that
kind of psyche means not neglecting these rather tiresome little details.

I say this with feeling. There have been several police raids in my part of
the world since Sept 11 and a couple of detentions under the PTA. It is said
that there used to be a Hamas office within walking distance - a few doors
down from a synagogue, as it happens. The crack-related shootings happen
further off.

<snip>
one of the initial effects of the Taleban was to reduce the incidence of
urban rape. [CW]

Reducing rape by imprisoning women! And all the Afghan women
cried  'Gee, thanks boys'. [GM]
<snip>

You mock me, but the Taleban _were_ welcomed to begin with and by women:
rape had been a political/military reward. Hence what happened to
Najibullah's genitals. Recognising that initial stage isn't to defend the
Taleban but to describe more precisely what actually happened.

Christopher Walker