What are we doing?

November 9th, 2000

Well, being happy. See, yesterday is a great day for civilization! Things are on the up. Small bit of weblogging: going where Carlos went before, Fusako Shigenobu has been arrested. She's the brain behind the Japanese Red Army Faction, responsible for the hostagetaking of the French ambassador in the Hague in 1974, the first time international terrorism was made to look foolish - by Holland, represented by Dries van Agt and Joop den Uyl. The BBC timeline may say that ambassador Senard was only released after he was exchanged for Yutaka Furuya (held in France until then), which is true, but there were no casualties. Moreover, the terrorists concerned were babbled into oblivion and past their own deadlines by the Dutch emissary, Yutaka Kondo, in such an effective way that they could not face their own colleagues, having lost face so badly. On arrival in Aden they were refused entry, and so they had to deviate to Damascus, disillusioned and honourless. A fine piece of Dutch diplomacy if ever I saw one. It dealt international terrorism in general and the Red Army in particular a resounding blow. And today, here's another one, hurrah.