In a message dated 5/30/02 10:48:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> If the Japanese kamikaze pilots had had American civilian targets within
> their range, you can be assured that the pilots would have attacked those
> targets as well, although it would have greatly diluted their effectiveness.
>
>
>

I will disagree.  What civilian target could match the value of say an
aircraft carrier?  The pilots chose their targets based upon both
availability of the target and it's military importance.  A Japanese
pilot/soldier had a great sense of honor.  Attacking some target simply for
it's human tragedy value would not be something that a kamakaze pilot would
do.  Note that IF they were able to hit dams, steel mills, railroad tunnels,
etc.  while these are 'civilian' targets, they have military value but not
human tragedy/terror value and I would expect them to be targeted in any war.

This is part of why I think that characterizing the attack on the USS Cole as
a 'terrorist attack' in any way similar to the WTC disaster is way wrong.
The Cole was/is a military target.  The WTC was and Isreali shops are simply
civilian targets.

Wayne Boyer

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