Well, this is good, I guess.

Hamas is weird. Clearly, they are brutal terrorists and as I understand it, one of the principal groups that started using suicide bombings. As an organization, they are much less corrupt, but much more brutal than Arafat's various versions of the PLO.

I wonder what will happen with Hamas in the future. They have yet to expand attacks beyond Israel - and don't seem to have the religious and anti-modern, anti-western slant to their ideology. As I understand it, many of their leaders are well educated Palestinian nationalists. Their principal cause is the elimination of the state of Israel and the creation of a single state: Palestine.

From an American standpoint, the root argument for a single state, one person, one vote in Israel/Palestine does not seem unreasonable. There are two issues with this: 1) It means that the state of Israel would cease to exist as a Jewish state and 2) There is zero evidence to suggest that a viable, fair, democracy could exist under a mixed Palestinian/Jewish/Christian state the the Israel/Palestine area.

Hmmmm. I wonder if Hamas will eventually budge and throw their energy into peace as fervently as they have thrown their energy into war. I wish something like this would happen, but sadly do not think it is possible. They've been breeding hatred in their schools, developing and recruiting suicide children, and I think, make their money based on their attacks of Israeli citizens. Unfortunately, one day or another, either we'll come under their sights or they'll come under ours. For now it seems, we are sufficiently scared of each other not to attack.

Update: A Time article on how killing Yassin affects the US.

By reading this, I am impressed with Hamas' ability to maintain support throughout a region where loyalty is slim. Can we work with them to negotiate a peace? Or is that completely naive?

I think it might be beneficial to view these terror groups as rational agents, rather than the fanatical crazies. These Al Queda and Hamas folks are smart - they don't have a ton of money or access to superior technology, but they are smart nonetheless. It's to our disadvantage to view them purely fanatics.