If you believe Iraqi officials, suicide bombings may become as common in Nasiriyah as they are in Netanya. The parallels are obvious between what could happen during a prolonged American occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Professor Edward Sayre of Agnes Scott College in metro Atlanta says that suicide bombings historically have been retaliations for specific acts by Israel. He notes that the U.S. believes that such acts are economically motivated, and to some extent that is true. Thus, improving the economic conditions for the Iraqi people should help. But it will not stop militant groups from attacking. As long as there is U.S. occupation, these groups will recruit young men to become martyrs who will target Americans.
Sayre, an assistant professor of economics at Agnes Scott, lived in Ramallah as a visiting research associate at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) in Jerusalem. His current research examines the interaction between the peace process and Palestinian labor markets. Recent academic articles have been published in Contemporary Economic Policy and The Middle East Journal.
An oped outlining his views appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on 4/1/03.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/opinion_e398936f83bf200500c0.html
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