"The suicide bombing campaign has clearly thrown Israel into disarray. It has demoralized its population and has severely damaged Israel's economy," said Gal Luft, a former lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces.

Luft described the suicide bomb as "the poor-man's smart bomb," and said using it had enabled the Palestinians to move some way toward alleviating the huge military disparity between them and the Israeli army -- widely believed to be one of the most effective military machines on the planet.

"It's the only way the Palestinian Authority can attempt to counter Israel's vastly superior fighting ability and military might," Luft said.

Former CIA official and Middle East expert Stan Bedlington agreed, calling the wave of suicide bombings extremely effective. "Israel's economy has been severely damaged, and its tourism industry has simply collapsed," he said.

The effects on popular morale are everywhere, said Bedlington. "If you read a lot of Israel's daily press, you hear of empty shopping malls, stores and shops boarded up, deserted streets at night."

On the other hand, the Palestinians have strategic political goals that are being destroyed by the Blastafarians. How much outrage have we heard from the appeasers of Europe lately, with Israeli forces recapturing portions of the PA areas? How much bad press has it generated here in the states? The answer to both questions is, almost none, and none at all from anyone who might be listened to.

The Mulsimplosions are destroying the pretense of moral authority that the Palestinians try to flaunt, so now no one cares what the Israelis do to them. So how effective are "human smart bombs" when it comes to achieving political goals? Or, more accurately, how detrimental are they?

Of course, the mainstream media being what it is, they have to sum up with some statements that coincide with their own delusions:

The April Israeli invasion has only "bred more hatred among the Palestinians and that will produce more suicide bombers."

According to U.S. officials, on June 16, Israel began work on construction of a "separation fence" using barriers, sensors, roads and aerial patrols to try and prevent suicide bombing infiltration. Israel has also broken up the West Bank into eight security zones comprising 120 army checkpoints and 220 military enclaves.

Not only will these measures not work, said Luft, "they act to increase the prestige of the suicide bombers, which already enjoy "heroic stature." His answer? "Hard bargaining. Use carrots to obtain a declaration renunciation of suicide attacks from the Palestinians in exchange for removal of a number of Israeli settlements," he said.