Today's Berlin Walls

Apparently some walls are more memorable than others.

No rant necessary, but the writer could have objectively noted the rationale and subsequent efficacy. An upsurge of seemingly unstoppable suicide bombings by Hamas and their minions was brought to an unprecedented halt. No need for numbers (I am in the middle of a seminar, whoops) because when was the last time you heard of a suicide bomb going off in Jersualem? A very long time. Granted, Hamas publicly denounced suicide bombing in 2005 (I believe), but that hasn't stopped them from using human shields and hiding in civilian areas, but I digress. Point is: the separation fence was built to combat terror in general and suicide attacks specifically and MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. In order for them to be viable, it must be secure. An hour or two wait to cross a border is a small price to pay for saving the lives of potentially thousands of lives. We all remember the suicide bombing in Sbarro, or the multiple bus bombings. Or do people have short memory span? Is it selective hearing? But I digress again. Regardless, many nations build separation fences for their own unique reasons (some more legit than others), and if one has proved efficient, than as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

No rant necessary, but the writer could have objectively noted the rationale and subsequent efficacy. An upsurge of seemingly unstoppable suicide bombings by Hamas and their minions was brought to an unprecedented halt. No need for numbers (I am in the middle of a seminar, whoops) because when was the last time you heard of a suicide bomb going off in Jersualem? A very long time. Granted, Hamas publicly denounced suicide bombing in 2005 (I believe), but that hasn't stopped them from using human shields and hiding in civilian areas, but I digress. Point is: the separation fence was built to combat terror in general and suicide attacks specifically and MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. In order for them to be viable, it must be secure. An hour or two wait to cross a border is a small price to pay for saving the lives of potentially thousands of lives. We all remember the suicide bombing in Sbarro, or the multiple bus bombings. Or do people have short memory span? Is it selective hearing? But I digress again. Regardless, many nations build separation fences for their own unique reasons (some more legit than others), and if one has proved efficient, than as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

An interesting article, but a pity it didn't find space to mention the "Berlin" wall that divides the two halves of Cyprus, running from West to East right across the island. The Green Line, patrolled by the UN, divides "the Greeks" from the "the Turks" and is made mainly of wire rather than concrete. But where it runs though Nicosia, with a wasteland between the two lines of wire, it's very reminiscent of divided Berlin.

At the moment the Green Line looks all set to be as permanent as the Berlin wall seemed in the mid-80s...