I can't imagine a valid argument as to why civilians should ever be targeted in a political conflict. When I think of the suicide bombers, I find them abhorrent not because they are taking their own lives (we ask our soldiers to be willing to do the same, albeit with a lower probablity of actually dying) but because they target civilians.
But, I think it is fair to say that there is a war going on between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Recently, the Palestinians attempted to strike at a fuel depo, which would have caused grave damage and much of it, including civilian deaths. Where I'm challenged is that I think the Palestinians have every right, as do the Israelis, to try to destroy the infrastructure and industrial bases of the opposing countries.
This targeting is one of the ways in which wars are fought -- the English and others did it to the Germans during WWII and America did it to Afghanistan just recently. Of course the governments and soldiers should try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum -- but even with
America's smart bombs we were unable to keep the civilian causalties absent.
Ideally, there is no war and nobody dies. But, with conflict between Israel and Palestine, and our war between America and terrorism, what's reasonable in the name of war and what should we expect?
Eug'feeling fatalistic'ene