Quote:
Originally posted by D9
If I am a terrorist leader, what I am going to do next has to depend on my long-term goals. Long terms goals are set in relation to values - explicitly or implicitly held.
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Ah ha! I think I have found the disconnect. D9, you are mirror-imaging. As we all know, you are a highly principled person and you loathe pragmatism. However, not all terrorist leaders are as principled as you. Some are, and those tend to be the ones with whom negotiation is futile (thats when you break out 'Getting To Yes'), very many are pragmatic. Depending on what their actual personal goal is (staying in power, not getting prosecuted, not getting cornholed in an Afghan prison) they may sacrifice their group's stated goals or principles in favor of a newer, more pragmatic course of action depending on the new situation in which they find themselves. Now you get into evaluating their situational awareness, but I think I've taken up enough room already.