Great. There is a growing network of groups spread across the Middle East -- Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Egypt, for straters -- who are fanatic fringers of the Islam community and who have been growing bolder by the month ever since Khomeini rose to power in Iran, and who are absolutely convinced that the righteousness and purity of their cause is what overwhelmed the Russians in Afghanistans. (It was more likely US made Stinger missiles that turned that tide). And their cause is what? To reverse the long tide of history and place strict Islamic governments in place of those who promote human tolerance, and to overcome that tide by violent attack against individuals chosen as targets because of their beliefs.

They are using violent means and according to every indication from Intel, they are scrambling to acheive more violent means including biological and nuclear.

So what we should do is hold a conference? Work up a white paper on the root causes?

I am very sorry; I have thought long and hard about coming out plainly on the side of pacific tolerance, compassionate overwhelm and other creative but peaceful means. And the shattered smoking images of dead civilians in Tel Aviv and Wall Street keep reminding me of one really really important fact.

We are confronting a force aimed at our destruction and willing and able to hurt, maim or destroy our friends.

The correct procedure is:

1. Render this force powerless to harm us, using any mechanism that serves and only as much force as is needed to do so.

2. THEN hold a conference on why they were that way.

3. Use what we know of compassionate technologies to resurrect them and get them started toward productive and fulfilling societies.

To do first is something akin to trying to have an insightful, feeling conversation with a rapist in heat in an isolated back street. Not a good idea unless you tie him down first. THEN have your meaningful dialogue. It'll drive him cwazy!!

Kat, please forgive me, but I really feel these are the fundamental facts of the matter and it seems clear-cut to me that the individual desire for peace cannot serve as our group operating principle until step 1 above is accomplished.

A