Although I would agree with your conclusion, I can hardly agree with your logic. Terrorism is a method of making one's voice heard; it does not by itself make a cause illegitimate, especially if used with declared and careful discretion. The African National Congress had decided on performing sabotage and possibly terrorist attacks on the apartheid governemnt in the heist of the suppression in South Africa. In their case, I would not agree with your conclusion. The Chechen cause for independence, and the role the Islamists play in it is illegitimate for other reasons, correlated but not due to their methods.

The issue is not whether terrorism "makes" a cause illegitimate. Of course it cannot (else some e.g. animal-rights bombers would "prove" that it's ok to be mean to animals).

The problem is that *this* cause (unlike other causes one might name) is *inseparable* from the issue of who would be placed in power were the cause's goal achieved. The "cause" is not just some abstract proposition but is simultaneously, in practice, an attempt at a power-grab. As The World explained, there do not seem to be any voices of moderation willing and/or able to assume such power, only terrorists and defacto tacit (or cowed) terrorist supporters, therefore it is not right to support the cause.

So in this particular case, terrorism doesn't "make the cause illegitimate" per se, but the fact that there are *only* terrorists, and no viable moderates to be found to assume the mantle of power, actually kinda does.

--Blixa

Terror is a tactic. It thrives only when there is a frustrated stupified audience drawn into witnessing a turmoil of imbalance of power, lack of initiative, and lost foresight. In some rare cases by filling a vacuum of leadership and vision terror tactics may eventually spark a reaction, a change or shift, but only through the unbearability of chaos. Terrorism thus fills a vacuum of civilization, but only briefly in the course of human events. Nature, including human nature, abhors a vacuum. Terror on the fringe never brings the change that terrorists seek. It fosters instead an alternative stability which terrorists abhor, either the dead stability of dictatorship or the living dynamic of representative freedom. Peoples always have choices. To permanently live in fear of being blown up is not one of them.

Blixa, this is the Bewildered "reader" from the second comment above. I wanted to thank you for your comment, and say, I think I see the point you and perhaps the author(s) of the original post make. I agree with this:

Since the cause in question is pursued by "terrorists" who are going, most likely, to continue their terrorising even after they grab the power, it is illegitimate. That seems to me to be the only way terrorism could make a cause illegitimate: terrorism as a way of government. But terrorism as a way of taking control of the government, as exemplified by the ANC case I wrote above, is only a tactic.

Cheers!

That seems to me to be the only way terrorism could make a cause illegitimate: terrorism as a way of government.

Apologies!

Editor's note: Corrected.

I don't know a whole lot about Cechnya and don't really care to. From my standpoint, they could all commit a mass suicide and I'd only be frustrated at one more (albiet last) headline that doesn't interest me on the front page of my newspaper.

I do object to your implication that Cechnya has to have moderate leaders in order to have a right to soverneighty. (Pardon my spelling.) Because Hussein was extremist, the U.S. could rightfully colonize Iraq now? (Think about it, it's a solution.) Either people have a right to decide how they're governed, or they don't.

Don't blame their leaders' political leanings.

I am a 14 year old student. I think that chechnya deserves freedom and if they are not granted it they should do hatever it takes to get it. It is sad that thee people are being deprived of what is rightfully theirs and it also hurts e to see humans being treated like pets or animals. This sickens me and makes me scared to grow up in a world were I an american could one day be like the cechnians and be own by another. Give the people what they want. god bless

The problem in chechnya is trhat islamo-fascist psychopaths have not yet been vanquished and totally destroyed. This is the only way to deal with anyone or any group or nation infected with the scourge of islamo-lunacy.