re: #1 Buck

re: #3 Cap’n Magic

re: #5 Cap’n Magic

re: #6 Dark_Falcon

re: #8 Obdicut

re: #9 lostlakehiker

The future is hard to predict, especially in advance. Surely Israel did not intend that Hamas should come to rule in Gaza. But one thing does lead to another, often by paths beyond human wit to foresee. Or by improbable paths.

Why is anyone doubting this? The west has been using Islamist to fight Soviet aligned powers since the Reagan era. And there is always the assumption they can be disarmed and packed away afterwards (and the blowback is always forgotten).