USA Today has provided welcome support for our thesis in our analysis of Day911. In that report we stated that the solution to the World Trade Center crime and prevention of any reoccurrence would necessarily require an analysis of the motives of the criminals who conducted the awful act.
No intelligent cop or TV detective would even put on his badge in the morning without asking himself 10 times, “what is the motive” for the murders? We are not looking for an excuse. We are looking for the reason or reasons why it happened. We have not so far been given one.
In the days following the WTC tragedy, it seemed that no one would ever ask this question. And as we stated, there is a logical explanation for this omission on the part of our controlled press, and it is that those in a position to ask the question and get the answer published already know the answer and dont want it known by the American public.
We stated the motive for the WTC bombing was hatred–not of the American people, as we are told, but hatred for our government. We also stated this hatred was logical, though not forgivable. We stated that elimination of the cause for hatred would not only eliminate the chance of a recurrence, but also eliminate all need for a foreign war, such as President Bush now threatens. Bush offers no logical motive for the act, but only “hate”.
The hatred for the U.S. government results from three over and persistent acts that only government is capable of carrying out: the bombing of unarmed civilians in Muslim countries; massive foreign military aid to the state of Israel; and economic sanctions placed on an overwhelmingly number of Muslim countries.
The USA Today cover story for September 19, Extremists hatred of U.S. has varied roots: Resentment builds over success, broad influence by Ellen Hale and Vivienne Walt is of valuable help in supporting what WHTT and a few others have been saying.
The USA Today story is slanted toward what is called “extremism” among Muslims. It makes much of such non-issues as mini-skirts and women in business. In fact, it seems unlikely that anyone would blow themselves up over such questions. Nevertheless it is one of the first stories in the national media that actually looks into the motives behind the suicide bombings of the WTC, and we are grateful.
Authors Hale and Walt, quoted Richard Falk, professor of international law at Princeton University, who stated, Americans take all this very personally, and they look upon this as an attack that had no foundation.” And he went on to say, “America is the most admired and most loved country in the world, but it is also the most hated.
The authors do the best job we have yet seen by a major media of listing the probable causes behind the bombing. Many foreigners have valid and logical reasons to hate what our leaders are doing to them. While Hale and Walt do attempt to figure out why America is hated, they fail to outright differentiate between hatred for our government for what it does and hatred for our people for what we do, and this is a very important distinction that needs to be made.
Hale and Walt write that the scholars and experts state “the reason hatred, resentment or deep dislike exists in one degree or another among many Muslims in the Arab world, lies in a complicated web of U.S. policy, repressive foreign regimes, poverty, religious fundamentalism and even American naivet鮠Theres resentment over U.S. economic, military and political power.”
To support these unusually frank conclusions Hale and Walt quote Jessica Stern, a terrorism researcher at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass.: Part of the fury is that the United States is the sole remaining superpower, and we are the magnet for hatred. People feel deprived. They feel that their lives have not gone the way they should. We are a convenient symbol of the other.
It is truly remarkable for anyone in the media these days to admit the US is the sole superpower, because it begs the question, with whom will a 600-pound gorilla war in a land of pigmies? If there are no competitors, how can there be a match? The taxpayers might even wonder, is it worth the cost to bomb rubble into smaller pieces of rubble, such as exists in Afghanistan.
The article also quotes a number of Muslim scholars and clerics and presents their moderated views and might actually arouse some sympathy for the hard-working and praying Muslims, if the words are taken seriously. The authors present a moderate Muslim position stating, “Few Muslims agree with bin Laden that terrorism is an appropriate tool for battling Western culture and politics.”
But it is doubtful that this article by itself would have much influence on the anti-Islamic-conditioned American public, who are not likely to believe that the Koran does not in any fashion promote violence. Hale and Walt did not help their moderates when they quoted Sheik Abdullah Shami, leader of the militant Muslim group, Islamic Jihad, in Gaza, as an example of a bitter radical. He is quoted as saying: Is America too stupid to understand that these attacks are coming upon it because we, as Muslims, resent the way it conducts business? I pity its naivete. Contemptuous language, no matter how frustrated, will only reinforce the American publics belief that they are doing a favor for any Muslim they do not lynch.
The punch line of the story is somewhat buried in the later half of the paper, where the authors tell us that among the issues that have stirred resentment among many in the Muslim world and hatred among some are: Of Israel and the Palestinians, “Despite many attempts to be a mediator, the United States still is perceived by Muslims to have unfairly provided years of unstinting support for Israel, causing widespread grievances through the Muslim world, even in countries far from the Mideast. The collapse of peace talks last year and the election of conservative Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon earlier this year have fed the agitation.”
Unfortunately the story unsurprisingly neglects to mention the real burr under Palestines saddle, which is the enormous American military aid to Israel, and its use of U.S. planes, tanks, helicopter gunships and even sniper rifles to put down the Palestinian uprising. It must be understood that so powerful is Israeli Patriot influence in the major media that no mainline press can be expected to do more than hint at such an outrage. It remains for us to do so.
Hale and Walt go on to correctly list U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia as a cause, stating our troops “were placed there just before the Gulf War with Saudi Arabias blessing to protect that nation and to serve as a staging point for taking back Kuwait; the troops have never left.” They further state, “The U.S. Air Force has about 5,000 personnel in the country. Their presence enrages some Muslims, who regard the country as holy ground because it is the birthplace of Islam.” One of the complaints against England in our Declaration of Independence is the stationing of their troops on our soil. We went to war over the issue, but they are supposed to accept it.
The USA Today further lists U.S. economic sanctions against Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Iran, as causal factors in Islamic hatred, stating, “Such sanctions, aimed at states which the United States says have sponsored or harbored terrorists, have centered almost entirely on Muslim countries.”
Hale and Walt continue their surprisingly fair-minded coverage by citing “U.S. support of
repressive Middle East regimes and feudal monarchies” as a causal factor in Arab hatred. This is unusual because the mainline Americans press tends to paint all Islamics with the same brush. Thus Americans tend to think of every Iraqi as a budding Saddam Hussein, though they would not want to be likened to their own leaders in the same way.
The authors omitted mention of several significant “repressive governments” including Turkey, the now-famous Taliban (who Pres
ident Bush admits giving foreign aid to, and Americas Arab foreign aid recipient, Egypt, which is annually bribed to keep peace with Israel at the cost of $2 billion a year.
Finally, Hale and Walt give an unusually candid appraisal (for mainline media that is) of U.S. military tactics. U.S. News writes, “The long-distance missile strikes on Iraq, in particular, have caused resentment.” Mary Kaldor of the prestigious London School of Economics is quoted as saying, “President Bush calls … attacks on the United States cowardly, but from the Mideast viewpoint surgical long distance bombing is cowardly.”
USA Today continues, “To many Iraqis, the death of civilians and the destruction of the countrys infrastructure, from bombing during the 1991 Gulf War and attacks since then — as well as from economic sanctions by Western countries — constitute terrorism.”
Fair-minded persons who know the facts of a prostrate Iraqi population being bombed almost continuously for 12 years by the “worlds only superpower” might be moved to sympathy for the people of Iraq. It is noteworthy that in GW Bushs fireside war speech on September 19, Bush had either the audacity or rank ignorance to refer to the Iraq war as a quick and decisive endeavor that was ended in a hurry. Is it possible the president does not know he is still bombing the Iraqis 12 years after his father started the genocide?
Princeton Law Professor Richard Falk states: “Its not just that Muslims are offended. They are humiliated by American policy,” and adds, “America is seen as this very glittery place, and its easy to portray it as a kind of Sodom and Gomorrah. Its a very powerful mobilizing message.” Says Falk: What were now witnessing is the terrible maturing, the terrible extremity of this resentment by these people who have been unable to realize their goals for decades, who feel entrapped and who are hunting for a way to inflict pain on their perceived enemies. Professor Falk says clearly in his Ivy League style what WHTT has been saying in kitchen table English–our government has given Muslims plenty of reason to hate us.
Most reasonable, thoughtful persons who read the entire article can see beneath the “extremism” trappings. The writers research points to much the same conclusion as to the cause of the problems that we did in “Day911.” However, it is not likely that many readers would fully grasp the import of this major publication listing facts. The causes of Arab hatred for the U.S. government will not get through to many Americans, partly because the authors have woven elements of Arab chauvinism, radicalism and hatred of the American lifestyle into their article. These are all too familiar in the coloring of our opinion against all Muslims. And GW Bush denounced the terrorists simply as professional haters of the American way of life.
It is not a sufficient motive to claim as President Bush did in his September 20th speech, that the perpetrators hate Americans, our way of life, our religion, and our habits. None of the Presidents reasons constitute adequate motive for rational men to kill themselves in order to kill a few or many of us. Why? Because our way of life may offend them but it is not imposed upon them. They could leave.
Even if a President says it, it is irrational to believe an intelligent man, much less 18 men or more would kill themselves, and other men with them, because they despise Christian churches, American music or mini-skirts, as we are given to believe. If this is what they hated they could have bombed a big church or a rock concert. If they were jealous of our wealth why would they not have become burglars or drug runners and live to spend the money? They were certainly not afraid of harm, and they had plenty of time to think about it. President Bushs explanation of their motive does not wash. The question is why does he not tell us the true motive of his enemies?
It is also not rational to claim these were insane men, for the crime was far too premeditated to be the act of any but rational persons. When they come to trial, the court will not accept insanity as a defense—wait and see. We are sorry to say our President has dodged the question of the motive.
By themselves, therefore, Hale and Walt are straws in the hurricane velocity wind. Nevertheless, we are glad the authors wrote it, because of the credence it adds to our own writings that have made similar basic points. We plan to amplify much more on this story in the coming weeks.
Exposing a practical solution to the terrorism problem and the questionable motives of our leaders is left to us. As we said in our paper, Day911, the solution lies in several simple and inexpensive acts that could have been carried out within 24 hours of the terrible bombing. The solution might even stop the sickening slide of the stock market. It includes halting, once and for all, our financial and military aid to Israel and every other country. Our leaders should also cease their war operations and bombings in Iraq and everywhere else, and withdraw our economic sanctions against every country.
Recommended Reading: One Nation under Israel. Learn why our political and religious leaders support Israel, and how its organizations influence our Congress. Learn about American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) and why it does little good to tell your Congressman about Israels crimes, for he probably has already been there on a free junket and receives campaign funds from them
Recommended Viewing: The People and the Land, by Tom Haynes, filmed in occupied Palestine, paid for by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, who refused to show it to you after you, the taxpayer, financed it. Learn first hand why Palestinian children throw rocks at tanks and men with rifles
