The United States of America
Only in English!
Thoughts, collected in connection with the terrorist attack on the States,
Or the voice of a common man
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First of all: I want to join the choir of those who condemn
terrorism as unpardonable, inhuman, barbaric act even if it is a reaction to
something unpardonable, inhuman, barbaric.
The attack of terrorists on the US was unimaginably monstrous, the work of
ugly, crazy mass murderers. My heart is with the victims, their relatives and
friends, with everyone touched by this barbaric act of terrorism.
It was at the same time an absolutely precise plan of splendid brains,
excellent experts in military, aviation, security, construction and even public
relation questions, executed practically flawlessly by brave, intelligent
soldiers of a power in which they blindly believed.
xxx
I decided to collect my thoughts and the thoughts of others that I
value higher than my own ones. Everything said, written below is done with
sympathy, with the intention to help finding the best solution to
annihilate terrorism on our Earth.
- I believe the shock is too big to keep the brains of
decision-makers work within the barriers of normalcy. This is one of the
dangers of the moment. Let's hope they do not take decisions too quickly, in
the heat of anger.
- The second important point is that the whole administration, civil
and military of the US proved to be silly, incompetent, unfit for their services.
This is also one of the dangers of the moment: they will try to prove -
hitting back or wherever they think is appropriate - that they are the best
defenders of the Fatherland. Why do I think they were silly or blind?
- The country received threat after threat for years, but these threats became
very frequent and they were accompanied by,
combined with anti-globalization protests.
- The protest in the Middle-East gave birth to a new form of attacks: kamikazes
appeared on the scene.
- The most important failure is that the administration got a serious warning:
if my informations are correct, an Iranian jailed in Germany asked the police to
let him call the authorities of the State, because he had to inform them of a
planned terrorist attack. They put down the receiver both in the White House and
at CIA after he
uttered a few sentences. Pearl Harbour was repeated then as well, not only in
New York. (Népszabadság, 15th of September, referring to Neue Presse.)
- Two huge spying organizations, spending tens of billions every year were not
capable to collect or unable to put together informations flowing definitely not
only outside the State, were unable to find the network of guerilla groups,
persons - even inside the States - who must have been working for years to prepare this bastardy act.
- The danger of wrong counterstep has been increased when the President of
the USA was entitled to declare war against terrorist groups and states
that cover them. It is dangerous, because wrong man got absolute power at
wrong moment. Wrong man, because the champion of capital punishment got
it when he just took over the power and is responsible for the failure to
halt the attack. He is prone to hit immediately, hit hard, hit into
the first bush.
- Let us go back to terrorism in general. Why is the world so much shocked
about terrorism? The whole history of mankind is a chain of terrorist acts,
isn't it? Take any book on history and try to find more than a decade in any
part of the world at any time that has gone without war or rebellion,
without mass killings of some kind. Be that ancient civilizations, Medieval
Europe, modern times, civil or religious wars were raging, leaving behind
millions of killed innocent people. Why do we not call the Mongol invasion
of half of the world terrorist horror, why do we not call the extermination
of the native Indians of America terrorist act, why do we call the cruel
killings of Christian wars against Jews and Muslims "crusades" or
even "holy wars"? Should we try to define what should be called
terrorism? Difficult, but let's try.
- Terroristic is - in my mind - any act that is aimed at fellow human beings,
endangering their life. Stop? Probably a few words must be added: unless it is
proved that without applying such measures the life of other human beings is in
immediate danger. Right?
If we agree on that, wars are definitely acts of terrorism. At least from one
side definitely. I would even add that some acts of war, the ones that are
"out of proportions" should be considered terrorist acts and America
is not the last in using unnecessary measures. Think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Have you seen the pictures and films taken immediately after those terrorist
attacks? Think of Dresden. Around 120.000 killed in one terrorist attack, most
of them burnt alive. Have you seen the town decades after it happened? When I
was 7 years old, the city of Nagyvárad (now Oradea) was
"carpet-bombed" by around 350 giant bombers (American and British). Do
you think there was any difference between that town and Manhattan after it? No,
definitely not. You may say that the bombardment was aimed at the railway
station with the intention to destroy the supply-line of the fascist armies.
Yes, OK. But it was relayed from one of the bombers a few minutes before the
bombardment started, on the waves of the No1 radio-station of Hungary, that the
raid was over. Aiming at innocent human lives. "Come up from the bunkers,
no more danger." Definitely terrorist act.
What makes the difference? A lot.
One of them is that small groups or individuals could not cause much headache
in the past: they could not travel far, did not have means of mass-destruction ,
the differences of human fates were not so obvious, open and the intelligence to
judge about it was limited. Now - we could see the difference.
We believed that the main danger, the possibility of war between the two
super-powers was over, nobody expected such destruction from smaller powers.
And the shock of Manhattan is so painful, because America never was attacked
before. Pearl Harbor was limited to one harbor and the targets were warships. No
comparison between the two is possible. This attack on New York was aimed at
civilians, much more barbaric than the Japanese one was.
xxx
Let us have a rest and look what others thing of this horrible event:
My
collection from the Internet in an hour or so:
1.
Ideas of technical character
A
visitor of Afternic.com:
"Perhaps
airplanes should be equipped
with robotic controls to prevent unauthorized flight
patterns."
Another
American site:
From computers that could steer airliners away
from skyscrapers to face-recognition devices already used to spot casino cheats,
technology could provide ways to make the skies safer.
2. Site
„Jewish People”:
2.1.:
The events of
September 11th were obviously horrific. One of the worst
days in history.
But as the Arab leadership was being interviewed, we consistently heard
them utilize the exact same three talking points:
l. That they are very sorry for the victims.
2. That although they do not condone terrorism...
3. they believe that the anger of the radical Islamic people has
escalated because of U.S. policies in the Middle East, in siding with
Israel against the Palestinian people.
This is dangerous and untrue talk, as you can imagine. It will confuse
and
twist the truth. We need to set the facts straight, and we
need to do
this immediately. Please write to your local papers, large
and small,
using the following points:
Radical Islamism (not Islamism) is dangerous. It breeds terrorism.
It has
no respect for human life. They interpret their belief to divide
the
world into two: the dar-al Islam, which is the house of peace, and the
dar-al-harb which is the house of war. The United States, as the
most
powerful nation in the world (which is not a Muslim nation), is the
"Great
Satan." The non Muslim countries need to be conquered and
controlled,
with the non Muslim infidels even subjected to lives of slavery, (as in
the Sudan where they have terrorized the Blacks in that country).
You can
point to various examples throughout the world which have absolutely
nothing to do with Israel, and were true long before Israel ever came
into
existence. Remember
Afghanistan and the Philippians where people suffer regularly at
the
hands of the radical Islamists. It would be ridiculous to hide
terrorism
behind the relationship between the United States and Israel, but that
is
what the Arab lobby is intending to do.
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2.2.: THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY
Will
America be told to sit down with the terrorists to try to find an end
to this? We do hope there will be no reprisal attacks, since this
would just
be continuing the 'cycle of violence.'......
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My
comment:
ad
2.1.: I believe this opinion is going too far into the past, and is not right
declaring that the Arabs limit the problem to the relationship between the US
and Israel. But the opinion rightly condemns fundamentalism. I fully
agree that fundamentalism (not only the Islamic one) is very-very dangerous,
especially if it is lifted to government level.
3.
The opinion of an Internet-firm's CEO:
"We
will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts, and
those who harbor them." I am confident that those responsible and their
allies will soon realize what a foolish and terrible mistake they have made.
These acts will not go unpunished.
My
comment: This is not the opinion of a thinking human being, but of a parrot. And
parrots are very dangerous: they blindly follow slogans, flags, crowns,
crosses, weapons.
Otherwise
the last sentence of the opinion is correct. But the rest is stressing the
responsibility of "...those who harbor them" and "their
allies". This is not a "hot topic", it is almost impossible to
carry out and may lead to marshlands.
4.
The opinion of a Jewish site:
It's
painful to say, but we must confront the U.S. government's failure
By Daniel Pipes
http://www.jewishworldreview.com
-- IT
IS likely that more Americans died yesterday due to acts of violence than on any
other single day in American history.
Two parties are responsible for this
sequence of atrocities. The moral blame falls exclusively on the perpetrators,
who as of this writing remain unknown.
The tactical blame falls on the U.S.
government, which has grievously failed in its topmost duty to protect American
citizens from harm. Specialists on terrorism have been aware for years of this
dereliction of duty; now the whole world knows it. Despite a steady beat of
major, organized terrorist incidents over eighteen years (since the car bombing
of the U.S. embassy in Beirut in 1983), Washington has not taken the issue
seriously.
Here are some of its mistakes:
- Seeing
terrorism as a crime. American
officials have consistently held the view that terrorism is a form of
criminal activity. Consequently, they have made their goal the arrest and
trying of perpetrators who carry out violent acts. That's all fine and good
as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. This legalistic mindset
allows the funders, planners, organizers, and commanders of terrorism to
continue their work untouched, ready to carry out more attacks. The better
approach is to see terrorism as a form of warfare and to target not just
those foot soldiers who actually carry out the violence but the
organizations and governments who stand behind them.
- Relying
too much on electronic intelligence. It's
a lot easier to place an oversized ear in the sky than to place agents in
the inner circle of a terrorist group, and so the Central Intelligence
Agency and other information-gathering agencies have put on their headphones
and listened. Clearly, this is not enough. The planning for the events that
took place yesterday requires vast preparation over a long period of time
involving many people. That the U.S. government did not have clue points to
nearly criminal ignorance. As critics like Reuel Gerecht keep hammering
home, American intelligence services must learn foreign languages, become
culturally knowledgeable, and befriend the right people.
- Not
understanding the hate-America mentality. Buildings
like the World Trade Center and the Pentagon loom very large as symbols of
America's commercial and military presence around the world. The WTC was
already once before attacked, in a bombing in early 1993. It should have
been clear that these buildings would be the priority targets and the
authorities should have provided them with special protection.
- Ignoring
the terrorist infrastructure in this country. Many
indications point to the development of a large Islamist terror network
within the United States, one visible to anyone who cared to see it. Already
in early 1997, Steven Emerson told the Middle East Quarterly that the threat
of terrorism "is greater now than before the World Trade Center bombing
[in 1993] as the numbers of these groups and their members expands. In fact,
I would say that the infrastructure now exists to carry off twenty
simultaneous World Trade Center-type bombings across the United
States." The information was out there but law enforcement and
politicians did not want to see it. The time has come to crack down, and
hard on those connected to this terror infrastructure.
If there is any good to
come out of yesterday's deaths and trauma, it will be to prompt an urgent and
dramatic change of course in U.S. policy, one that looks at the threat to the
United States as a military one, that relies on human intelligence, that
comprehends the terrorist mentality, and that closes down the domestic network
of terror.
An
easy assumption pervaded the airwaves yesterday that the morning's horrors will
have the effect of waking Americans to the threat in their midst. I am less
optimistic, remembering similar assumptions eight years ago in aftermath of the
1993 bombing of the World Trade Center; but that turned out not to be the
wake-up call expected at the time. Perhaps because only six people died then,
perhaps because the bombing was not accompanied or followed by other incidents,
that episode disappeared down the memory hole. We owe it to yesterday's many
victims not to go back to sleep again.
We
also owe it to ourselves, for I suspect that yesterday's events are just a
foretaste of what the future holds in store. Assuming that the attacks in New
York and in the Washington area were only what they seemed to be, they killed
and injured only those who were in the buildings under attack or in their
immediate vicinity. Future attacks are likely to be biological, spreading germs
that potentially could threaten the whole country. When that day comes, this
country will truly know what devastation terrorism can cause. Now is the time to
prepare for that danger and make sure it never happens.
JWR
contributor Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and the author of
several books, most recently Conspiracy: How the
Paranoid Style Flourishes and Where It Comes from. Comment by clicking here.
My comment: If I were American, I would most
probably make the same mistake of thinking only from inside The US. From inside
everything said (except the threatening of foreign governments) seems
to be correct, BUT do not forget to study the situation from outside as well. I
shall revert to this question later.
5.
wsws:
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WSWS
: News
& Analysis : North
America
The political roots of the terror attack on New York and Washington
By the Editorial Board
12 September 2001
Use
this version to print
| Send this link by
email | Email the author
The World Socialist Web
Site unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon. Those responsible for the hijacking of four
commercial passenger aircraft and their conversion into flying bombs are
guilty of mass murder. Nothing of a socially progressive character will be
achieved on the basis of such an indiscriminate and callous destruction of
human life.
These acts of homicidal
terrorism manifest a toxic combination of demoralized pessimism, religious
and ultra-nationalist obscurantism, and, it must be added, political
opportunism of the vilest character. Terrorist
organizations—notwithstanding their anti-American rhetoric—base their
tactics on the illusion that random acts of horrific violence will compel
the US ruling class to shift its policies. Thus, in the final analysis,
they hope to make a deal with Washington.
However it seeks to justify
itself, the terrorist method is fundamentally reactionary. Far from
dealing a powerful blow against imperialist militarism, terrorism plays
into the hands of those elements within the US establishment who seize on
such events to justify and legitimize the resort to war in pursuit of the
geopolitical and economic interests of the ruling elite. The murder of
innocent civilians enrages, disorients and confuses the public. It
undermines the struggle for the international unity of the working class,
and counteracts all efforts to educate the American people on the history
and politics that form the background to contemporary events in the Middle
East.
Nevertheless, our condemnation
of Tuesday’s terrorist outrages does not in the slightest imply any
lessening of our principled and irreconcilable opposition to the policies
of the US government. Anyone who wishes to understand the why and
wherefore of yesterday’s events must study the historical and political
record of the US in the Middle East, especially over the last 30 years.
The unrelenting efforts of American imperialism to secure its domination
over the oil resources of the region, which has entailed, among other
things, unstinting support for the Israeli state’s oppression of the
Palestinian people, has placed the United States in violent opposition to
the legitimate and irrepressible democratic, national and social
aspirations of the Arab masses.
In the immediate aftermath of
Tuesday’s events, politicians, editorialists and media pundits have
declared over and over that Americans must recognize that the destruction
of the World Trade Center means the United States is at war and must act
accordingly. But the fact of the matter is that the US government has been
engaged in direct warfare in the Middle East, in one form or another, for
the better part of two decades.
Putting aside the massive
material aid that it provides for Israeli military operations, the United
States has been bombing one or another Middle Eastern country almost
continuously since 1983. US bombers and/or battleships have attacked
Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Iran, the Sudan and Afghanistan. Without actually
declaring war, the United States has conducted military operations against
Iraq for nearly 11 years. The ongoing daily bombings of Iraq are barely
mentioned in the American media, which has made no attempt to ascertain
the total number of Iraqis killed by US bombs since 1991.
Given this bloody record, why
should anyone be surprised that those who have been targeted by the United
States have sought to strike back?
The same media that is now
screaming for blood has routinely applauded the use of violence against
whatever country or people are deemed to be obstacles to US interests. Let
us recall the words of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman,
who had this to say to the Serbian people during the US bombing campaign
in 1999: “It should be lights out in Belgrade: every power grid, water
pipe, road and war-related factory has to be hit.... [W]e will set your
country back by pulverizing you. You want 1950? We can do 1950. You want
1389? We can do 1389.”
The foreign policy of the US
is a mixture of cynicism, brutality and irresponsibility. Washington has
pursued a course that has inflamed the hatred of large sections of the
world’s population, creating an environment in which recruits can be
found for bloody terrorist operations. In rare moments of candor, foreign
policy specialists have acknowledged that the actions of the United States
provoke hatred and the desire for retribution. During the Balkan War,
former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger stated: “We’ve
presented to the rest of the world a vision of the bully on the block who
pushes a button, people out there die, we don’t pay anything except the
cost of a missile ... that’s going to haunt us in terms of trying to
deal with the rest of the world in the years ahead.”
This insight has not prevented
the same Eagleburger from declaring Tuesday night that the United States
should respond to the destruction of the World Trade Center by dropping
bombs immediately on any country that might have been involved.
George W. Bush’s address to
the nation Tuesday evening epitomized the arrogance and blindness of the
American ruling class. Far from America being “the brightest beacon for
freedom and opportunity in the world,” the US is seen by tens of
millions as the main enemy of their human and democratic rights, and the
main source of their oppression. The American ruling elite, in its
insolence and cynicism, acts as if it can carry out its violent
enterprises around the world without creating the political conditions for
violent acts of retribution.
In the immediate aftermath of
Tuesday’s attacks, US authorities and the media are once again declaring
that Osama bin Laden is responsible. This is possible, although, as
always, they present no evidence to back up their claim.
But the charge that bin Laden
is the culprit raises a host of troubling questions. Given the fact that
the US has declared this individual to be the world’s most deadly
terrorist, whose every move is tracked with the aid of the most
technologically sophisticated and massive intelligence apparatus, how
could bin Laden organize such an elaborate attack without being detected?
An attack, moreover, against the same New York skyscraper that was hit in
1993?
The devastating success of his
assault would indicate that, from the standpoint of the American
government, the crusade against terrorism has been far more a campaign of
propaganda to justify US military violence around the world than a
conscientious effort to protect the American people.
Moreover, both bin Laden and
the Taliban mullahs, whom the US accuses of harboring him, were financed
and armed by the Reagan-Bush administration to fight pro-Soviet regimes in
Afghanistan in the 1980s. If they are involved in Tuesday’s operations,
then the American CIA and political establishment are guilty of having
nurtured the very forces that carried out the bloodiest attack on American
civilians in US history.
The escalation of US
militarism abroad will inevitably be accompanied by intensified attacks on
democratic rights at home. The first victims of the war fever being
whipped up are Arab-Americans, who are already being subjected to death
threats and other forms of harassment as a result of the media hysteria.
The calls from both Republican
and Democratic politicians for a declaration of war foreshadow a more
general crackdown on opponents of American foreign policy. General Norman
Schwarzkopf, who commanded American troops in the 1991 invasion of Iraq,
spoke for much of the political and military elite when he declared on
television that the war on alleged terrorist supporters should be
conducted inside as well as outside the borders of the US.
It is the policies pursued by
the United States, driven by the strategic and financial interests of the
ruling elite, which laid the foundations for the nightmare that unfolded
on Tuesday. The actions now being contemplated by the Bush
administration—indicated by the president’s threat to make “no
distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who
harbor them”—will only set the stage for further catastrophes.
See Also:
The
political significance of Israel’s assassination policy
[7 September 2001]
After
the Slaughter: Political Lessons of the Balkan War
[14 June 1999]
Top of page
Readers:
The WSWS invites your comments. Please send
e-mail.
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1998-2001
World Socialist Web Site
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Comment:
Definitely leftist view. But let me quote Time again (July 23, 2001/vol.158 No4)
in connection with the publication of "Empire", a Marxist view on globalization:
"...on globalization, Marxists have been worth reading for 153 years".
I
basically agree with the above analysis.
6.
Muhammad Ali’s Plea:
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MUHAMMAD's PLEA TO AMERICANS
World
Entertainment News Network--Boxing legend MUHAMMAD ALI made a desperate
plea to Americans not to tarnish his fellow Muslims with the same brush
as the terrorists.
THE GREATEST, who was born as CASSIUS MARCELLUS CLAY, is shocked and
saddened by the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, but
asked American citizens not to condemn the Islamic population for the
tragedies.
He says, "I am a Muslim. I am an American."
The former world heavyweight champion spoke in wake of hostility against
Mosques and turbaned taxi drivers, which has erupted since Tuesday's
tragic events.
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7.
Arab opinions:
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Beirut, Monday,
September 17, 2001. Updated 08:30 AM
+2GMT
Please reload your browser
for the latest update |
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Family:
‘impossible’ that Lebanese was terrorist
‘He enjoyed parties … he even drank
alcohol’
Ziad Jarrah was a ruthless and cunning Islamic extremist
who hijacked an airliner with the intention of crashing
it into a prominent American landmark, according to the
US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has placed him
on a list of 19 people suspected of carrying out the
world’s worst terrorist atrocity.
But Ziad Jarrah’s family on Sunday painted a very
different picture, claiming the 27-year old Lebanese
engineering student was a carefree young man who drank
alcohol, lived with his girlfriend and never showed any
interest in religion or politics. The FBI believes
Jarrah, a Sunni, helped hijack United Airlines Flight
93, a Boeing 757 that left Newark, New Jersey, for San
Francisco but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania,
killing all on board. However, Jarrah’s grieving
family said it was impossible for Ziad to have been the
merciless terrorist alleged by the FBI. FULL
STORY |
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Sfeir
adds voice to condemnation of attacks
US ambassador grateful for local show of support
The Maronite patriarch said Sunday that last
week’s attacks on New York and Washington were “an
act of terrorism,” and he urged wide-scale US
retaliation.
“Those who planned, encouraged and approved the attack
are many,” Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said during
a Mass dedicated to victims of the attacks told the
ceremony. “They deserve punishment so that they would
be an example, one which deters others from carrying out
similar acts against innocent humanity.”
Among those attending the Mass in Bkirki was new US
ambassador to Lebanon, Vincent Battle. Also present were
members of the US Embassy, as well as Maronite League
head Hareth Chehab, Tadamon Party president Emile Rahme,
a delegation of the Maronite Council headed by Raymond
Roufayel and several political, social and religious
figures. In spite of his aggressive stance,
FULL
STORY |
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Lebanese
news |
Hizbullah regrets lives lost in US
In its first comment on last week’s suicide
attacks in New York and Washington, Hizbullah on
Sunday described the assaults as “tragic events”
but warned the United States not to resort to more
“unjust policies.”
“After many Muslim scholars stated their position
toward the bloody attacks which recently occurred in
New York and Washington ... we call for caution and
not falling prey to a state of fear and panic that was
intended to be spread throughout the world to give the
US administration free rein to practice all types of
aggression and terrorism under the pretext of fighting
aggressions and terrorism,” a statement said.
“Now the big question is whether what the American
administration is planning really has to do with
retaliating against the perpetrators of the latest
attacks, or whether it wants to exploit those tragic
events to exercise more hegemony over the world and
practice more unjust policies which have led to this
level of hate against the US by many peoples and
governments in the world.
“We are sorry for any innocent people who are killed
anywhere in the world. The Lebanese, who have suffered
repeated Zionist massacres in Qana and elsewhere,
massacres that the US administration refused to
condemn at the UN Security Council, are familiar with
the pain and suffering of those who lost their loved
ones in bitter events.”
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Lebanese
news |
Jumblatt says US behind terror attacks
Bin laden is ‘an american agent’
PSP leader believes that FBI and Mossad were
ultimately responsible for the hijackings in New York
and the Pentagon in an attempt to start a war in the
Middle East
Rita Boustani
Daily Star staff
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt
believes the US Central Intelligence Agency and Israeli
secret service bodies were behind last week’s deadly
attacks in the US, and that Saudi dissident Osama bin
Laden is an “American agent.”
“There are several questions regarding the people
behind the attacks in America,” Jumblatt told a
Saturday ceremony in the Chouf.
“I think (the attacks) were a coup carried out by the
secret services. The CIA and the Mossad could be behind
(the attacks) to provoke a new war and occupy the Middle
East.
“Osama bin Laden is an invention of the American
secret services, who chose to fight against the Soviets
in Afghanistan with US backing,” Jumblatt added.
“It is surprising that a great state, which has a
military budget of $350 billion, wasn’t able to thwart
these attacks … One should find out whether the
American (secret) services are implicated in starting a
merciless war between America and the racist West
against the Arabs and the Muslims.”
Jumblatt also called for a moment of silence in memory
of people killed during the attacks, as well as for
“Arabs killed in Palestine, in south Lebanon, in
Syria, Jordan and Iraq in the war against Israel,” he
said.
Jumblatt’s ally, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi,
reiterated the government’s condemnation of the
attacks, calling them “unacceptable … We have shown
solidarity with the US regardless of its policies,” he
told al-Sharq radio Saturday.
Aridi said both bin Laden and the Taleban regime in
Afghanistan were a product of the US, and that
Washington should clarify the definition of terrorism to
avoid “plunging the world into chaos.”
He urged Americans not to wage an international campaign
against a certain group of people “just because they
are Arabs and Muslims.”
He also asserted that Lebanese resistance was not based
on terrorism. “We have never occupied land or attacked
anybody or committed crimes against humanity,” he
said.
Other ministers spoke out against the US’
international role and possible reaction to Tuesday’s
deadly attacks.
Energy and Water Minister Mohammed Abdel-Hamid Beydoun
said the US had to punish those who killed innocent
people, but only according to international law, not
merely to let “Americans heal their wounds by causing
the death of more innocent victims.
“Any act that doesn’t comply with international law
is condemnable and is a terrorist response to
terrorism,” Beydoun told a graduation ceremony in
Sarafand.
Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said Sept. 11 would be
remembered as the start of a “re-balancing of
power.” During a TV interview Saturday, Salameh said
there had been a drastic change in America’s strategy
now that it had become a victim.
“The call from the US for an alliance to restore its
military prestige against one person means that we have
… a real problem. The enemy is now a person working
through international networks,” he said.
Social Affairs Minister Asaad Diab, speaking Sunday,
said that, had the international charter of human rights
been better applied by world leaders, the attacks would
not have taken place.
For his part, Baalbek-Hermel MP Assem Qanso said the
attacks were the result of past humiliations inflicted
by the US, as well as its pro-Israeli bias.
“A day will come when the whole Palestinian people
will stage operations against the US and Jews, due to
much pressure on them,” Qanso.
Meanwhile, France’s Ambassador Philippe Lecourtier
said all countries should cooperate to fight terrorism,
though he stressed a need to first define it.
Asked if he considered Hizbullah a terrorist
organization, Lecourtier responded: “Don’t try to
make me fall in this trap.” With agencies
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CairoVoice:
"God Bless America" clip is displayed permanently on the site, which
is the No1 in Egypt!
Lybia:
Monday, 17 September, 2001: Libyan
leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi has called for an international conference on
terrorism, saying past calls to that effect from Libya and Egypt had remained
unheeded. Qadhafi was speaking at a public rally in Soloug, 30 miles south of
Benghazi. The event marked the 70th anniversary of the death of nationalist hero
Omar al-Mukhtar, who was captured by the Italian occupying forces in 1931 and
hanged in Soloug. "We must convene an international conference to study the
roots of terrorism...and reach a consensus on the definition of terrorism,
because, for instance, Israelis accuse Palestinians of terrorism and vice versa.
So what is terrorism?" Qadhafi said. [Reuters]
Monday, 17 September, 2001: Libyan
leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi has warned the United States that it could fall into
a Soviet-style quagmire in Afghanistan if it retaliates there for devastating
terror attacks on New York and Washington. Qadhafi said the US had the right to
respond militarily to the unprecedented attacks in which thousands are feared to
have died. But he urged restraint in the fight against terrorism. "The
United States has the right to seek revenge," Qadhafi said at a public
rally in the small town of Soloug, 30 miles south of Benghazi. Ordinary Libyans
have expressed sympathy with the victims of Tuesday's attacks and strident
anti-Americanism seems no longer the norm in Libya. A person at Sunday's rally
who started to shout anti-American slogans was immediately booed and shouted
down by the crowd. [Reuters]
My comments:
1. It seems that the whole Arab world agrees with America that terrorism has
to be annihilated. Even Gadhafi, one of the evils in the eyes of the American
administration. Be careful, America, try to assist in nourishing this positive
tendency, instead of bombing this country or countries!
2. Some of the opinions may be nightmares, I decided to display them as well
just to show, that peoples or even states, condemning the attack, may have
opinions regarding possible revenge very much differing from the plans of the
US.
xxx
Some good news:
- The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church expressed his hopes that the
answer of America will not be directed solely by hatred and revenge. Listen
to him.
- Arafat donated (his) blood, inviting fellow Arabs to follow suit.
- Kissinger expressed his views, underlining that the exclusion of
bin Laden and his groups alone cannot solve the problem of terrorism.
- Tony Blair seems to have cooled down and expressed his more wise
views, a step by step approach: first we have to find the culprits, punish
them, etc. Wiser approach than his first reaction was.
- Joschka Fisher is trying to influence the decision-makers of the
West to take well measured and weighted steps against terrorism.
- The top officials of the European Union gather soon to harmonize
their views on the necessary steps.
- Bush visited a mosk and warned against treating muslims in general
as terrorists. A good sign.
- China (one of the evils) joined the world, expressing sympathy.
It seems that there are almost no countries in the world who are not with
you, America. This is a fantastic opportunity!
Some strange news:
- For a couple of days the media was using a hair-raising expression: "limited
nuclear blow". Not the first time in the post-war history of
America. JFK was once complaining, that one of his most difficult problems
was that his generals always demanded the use of nuclear weapons or
as best "mass bombings". I hope this stupidity, which may
easily lead to the end of life on Earth will be forgotten forever.
- The No2 in the military of the US named those countries that are
the targets of counterblow. Six or seven Islamic states with a population of
around 160 million. JFK (and the American nation) - you are absolutely
right, some of your generals are mad!
- One of the 19 Arab terrorists, that were named as participants of
the attack is alive and protesting. If the CIA is working like this,
nobody may be sure about the rightness of any target of the planned
countermeasures.
- Putin has claimed that Chechen guerillas must have been
among the executors of the attack and some proofs were immediately found in
Chechnya. I cannot evaluate this nightmare otherwise than as an attempt of a
mass-murderer to wash his hands. Shame.
- If the madia conveys controlled information, (1) bin Laden was the
"child" of America, who trained him and his group to fight
guerilla war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, (2) there were (or even
are) guerilla training centers in North England! Ex-children turned against
their fathers? Does America and the rest of the Western powers stop
training guerillas as the very first step on the road of annihilating
terrorism?
- Islam, muslims are the most frequently used expressions these days.
Do not continue this, it may lead to religious war. I heard even a remark
that followers of the Bahia faith might be targets of trailing (since they
are similar to the fundamentalists?). Be aware: Islam is growing fast, Bahia
even faster, it will probably be the faith No1 on Earth soon. Do you intend
to fight against the faithful believers of the same God you believe in?
Some thoughts about some of the expressions used by the administration of the
US:
- Evil. It is used too widely now, as it was too generally used in
the past as well. If you use this expression when you mean the terrorists,
you are right. But you have had evils in the past, that were destroyed by
people you helped to come to power and who proved to be mass murderers, like
Pinochet in Chile. Builders of systems that differ from yours are not always
evil forces even if you think so.
- Good and bad: Same, who is the judge? Where is the border? All of
us are human beings with faults and mistakes. The more money is involved,
the worse the behaviour of the owner - as usual. Be careful not to hurt
anyone with these definitions.
- Justice: Bush used this expression talking about the planned war.
If it is used in connection with the attack and terrorism, he is absolutely
right. If he uses this expression to justify a war against some evils, he is
absolutely wrong. All these expressions are relative, more care should be
attached to them.
I cannot avoid thinking of Arabs I met, Arabs I liked, Arabs, who in certain
cases proved to be better than we, white people are.
- I recall my first Swedish-table lunch, the one I enjoyed in Damascus, at
the residence of the agent of a Hungarian foreign trading company. The
family looked like any Syrian Arab, but they considered themselves real
Syrians, Christian Syrians. The whole family, parents and three beautiful
young ladies were nice, polite, well educated, their hospitality was
unbeatable, the table was rich and excellent. I shall never forget them.
- The driver of the Hungarian pavilion in Damascus, Hussein served us for 13 consecutive
years, spoke fluent Hungarian, was always quick, punctual, polite. When we
had to depart - after leaving behind the inhuman camps of homeless
Palestinians on one side of the road to the airport - he started crying with
huge tears in his eyes. Could you ever forget this?
- I was invited by Hussein to visit his birthplace, Malula, one of the first
Christian places in the world. I had lunch with his big family on a carpet,
I was requested to get dressed in their white burnouse and head-dress, I was
called effendi. Nice hospitality and friendliness everywhere.
- The head of department of Barclays Bank in Tripoli of Lybia, who handled
the account of the Hungarian pavilion, was a Palestinian. A short man of
middle age with bald head came always to the counter from somewhere behind,
whenever I appeared on the scene, smiling and making my life with them
easy. When the time of my departure drew near, he invited for a barbecue and
presented me with a wall-carpet. Whenever I look at it, I see his friendly
face and bald head, an unforgettable Arab.
- I underwent my second haemorrhoidectomy in Tripoli. The physician proved to
be Palestinian, he was excellent, in comparison with the Hungarian hospital,
where I was first operated, his method was more modern, the process of
healing much quicker. I was surprised in a very positive sens.
- The transport agent of the Hungarian transport company that served us met
me in Beyrouth just before the war in Lebanon started. He spoke fluent
English, French and - to my surprise - German. He, his office, the then
Paris of the Arab world, the Casino of Beyrouth, small children changing
money, the quiet, but sparkling life of the city and the beautiful girls
remain forever with me.
- Probably the most remarkable was my trip to Ghadames, the
"capital" of Tuaregs. Arabs or not? It is not important. Tall,
brave, frightening people when you first look at them, but they are also
very-very nice, friendly, their hospitality surpasses the highest
expectations. When we were invited to have our lunch in a richly decorated
tent, a man was standing behind every chair, commanding the best services
possible for his guest. Fantastic!
- If you take the trouble to learn a few Arab words and gestures, you
will be treated as a friend. They value every friendly gesture very high .
I could continue and probably will some other time.
This much I just told you to call your attention to a few facts:
- Arabs are definitely peaceful, polite people with big heart. I have
never felt anything unsafe about them.
- Palestinians are excellent, they are - besides Libanese and Egyptians -
the best brains of the Arab nation.
- How could it happen that a small part of Arabs could be transferred into
extreme, kamikaze terrorists? Fundamentalist religious teachings? Yes, they
may influence the unintelligent layer, but something more is needed.
Probably a "well-drawn picture" of an enemy. But for building such
a picture actions are needed from that enemy, acts that are not acceptable
to the masses and can be successfully condemned. America?
Awful news:
- According to experts a war against Afghanistan may quickly cause
hunger-death of around 5 million Afghans. It would be a terrible burden on
the heart of America and the whole world. And a ratio 1000:1. Do you think
anyone on this Earth would accept such a step as righteous one?
- Other unbelievable barbaric attacks were under preparation in Europe since
the early years of this decade, a couple of them were prevented just in the
stage of execution, in the last minutes.
- I do not believe my ears: has Bush really called the planned war
against terrorism crusade? Have you read anything authentic about
the crusades? They were real terrorist raids on Jews and Muslims!
The main questions?
I shall try to answer a couple of questions that I feel are the most
important ones.
- Who did it? The idea to find the main culprit in bin Laden seems to me too
simple and too quick. I stressed at the very beginning of our discussion,
that the attack must have been planned, organized, executed by excellent
brains of experts in different professions. Satanic, but top quality brains.
There must be others, other groups, better educated people and closer to
high technology resourses than bin Laden. Search for at least 3-4 groups
under the command of an aviation, most probably military aviation expert.
bin Laden might have been the "supplier" of kamikaze soldiers, but
I doubt that much more was done by him.
- Why was it done? Definitely to demonstrate that America is vulnerable,
that the role America is playing for the last couple of decades
does not serve the interests of wide layers of the population of the world. What
are the problem-areas? Why was the WTC selected - besides the political and
military centres of the State - as the civilian target? I guess, at
least the following:
- The economic weight (definitely not a sin in itself) of America
became overwhelming
for the underdeveloped world and they do not experience enough understanding of
their problems.
- The technological gap (again not a sin) is fast widening between
America and a few developed nations and the rest of the world.
- The wealth of the world is distributed disproportionately. It is
concentrated in the US, in the hands of a few families, mainly in white hands,
in the North. At the same time the majority of the population of our Earth is
living below human standards. The deepness of inequality seems to reach
unbearable proportions and carries in itself the danger of world crisis, the
danger of a sudden explosion. This would be a sin of both sides.
- America remained the only superpower and as a child, it enjoys the
situation. Acts alone, hits or hits back on his own, plays the role of world-gendarme.
This is political blindness. This behaviour fans the anti-American
sentiments to a heat, especially in non-white countries.
- The permanent or almost permanent military presence of America in vast
areas of the world is also a factor that irritates the peoples of the countries
involved.
- May it be repeated? Yes, there may be even worse weapons in the hands of
terrorists. We could guess here in Hungary after the collapse of the
Soviet Union that ores needed to build nuclear weapons were offered for sale
by unscrupulous "new riches". Nobody can guess, how much of these
stolen reserves have fallen into the hands of terrorist forces. I do not
want to talk about chemical and biological weapons. Too frightening.
How do I see the solution?
I believe there are at least two sides of the question:
I. How to liquidate existing terrorism?
II. How to eliminate the causes of possible rebirth of terrorism?
The way America, NATO, other associations will handle question I. will make
easier or impossible the solution of question II.
ad I. Liquidation
- Liquidate first of all guerilla training centers in your countries
and try to achieve the same in the countries of NATO.
- Do not hurry, be absolutely sure that the chosen targets are
bases of terrorists. Try to hit all known terrorist bases at the same time.
Your action must be very short, not lasting for years as the administration
of the US is planning.
- Use your most modern weapons, weapons that hit only the chosen targets,
do not kill civilians.
- Do not make a single step alone, act as part of NATO.
- Get the approval of the United Nations before making a single step.
- Do not hurt the feelings of nations, states. All disputed questions on
state level try to resolve with diplomatic measures.
- Do not harm religious feelings. Stop immediately using expressions
islamist, extremist, fundamentalist, Arab, evil, state terrorism.
- Never call your acts war, revenge or even retaliation. Call it
simply annihilation of terrorism.
If you follow the above described line of action and behaviour, you will have
some, very little, but some hope that you will be able to eliminate the
rebirth of terrorism.
To have serious hopes you have to start the reconstruction of the
whole world-order (at least expressing your serious intention) before
starting any operation. You have
to change your role of world-gendarme to the role of peace-keeper, builder of a
better, more righteous, more efficient world-order.
With that we arrived to II.:
I know capitalism will never change.
I know communism - socialism cannot be repeated, as dictatorships they (most
of the states "building" socialism) were horrible, as planned
economies - inefficient, full of contradictions, as "liberators" of
the world - dangerous.
But the existing contradictions of our world - if not eliminated - will serve
as breeding ground of (international) terrorism: I shall try to make a list of
the main contradictions:
- More quick birth-rate than economic development = growing hunger. The
tendency is better now, I understand. But rush and extend really efficient
assistance to those countries, where the growth of population is the highest
(India), to establish efficient birth-control.
- Pollution, exploitation without limits of the nature (enviroment) =
lowering of the already very low living conditions of the poor layers of
societies and barrier of economic development, health hazard. Sit down and
agree to be the first in taking measures against spoiling the life of our
race.
- Homelessnes I.: Nations or even ethnic groups that have lost their
Fatherland or independence and are fighting for the restoration of their
rights. Solve the problems of Palestinians, Chechens, Kurds, Basks, Irish,
Kashmirians etc., etc., within a couple of years, using exclusively
political methods. Do not be afraid of referendums, let peoples decide
their faith themselves. America, fight this war without weapons.
- Homelessness II.: Secure human shelter for every single human being. It
will be cheaper than to produce weapons that will be needed to fight
terrorism of homeless beggars.
- It is a must to solve the awful health-conditions on the bigger part of
our Earth. An Indian physician told me in around 1977 that 75% of the Indian
population have never seen doctors or medicaments and the average lifespan
in India was 52 years then. Faraway danger, but danger if you look at this
problem only from the view of terrorism.
- If we understand that the overall (low) standard of living is the main
factor of discontent, than we also have to understand that to spend as
much money on education as possible is a must. Establish really
efficient education programs all over the world. Ask Microsoft about this.
- Hatred I.: Eliminate racism, discrimination of any kind connected with
birth, colour, race, language, look, name, position in the society! Think of
Mahatma!!! Start checking in the countries of NATO, EU, your other allies.
Try to convince leaders of countries where gypsies are treated as animals
and at the same time medieval ranks , honours are climbing back to stop this
process. Halt fascist tendencies, wherever they appear again.
- Hatred II.: Eliminate religious conflicts at whatever cost. Beg, educate,
ask the top level of Churches to sit down, participate as mediator in their
meetings, if possible, forbid any discrimination on religious ground. Tony
Blair, rush and ask the fighting citizens of your empire to cease being
stupid, to forget hatred in the interests of the whole human race.
- Increase the role of the United Nations, our Earth needs a controlling
body. I know this is a very complicated question, but start the necessary
negotiations.
- Elimination of poverty is my last point, last, but probably the
most important. I do not know, how the rules and playing ground of
capitalism will ever make possible the (permanent) redistribution of wealth,
but it is absolutely clear for me, that if 40-50 families may have (I do not
rememer the exact figure) half of the wealth of the world, 7-8 countries
dominate in absolute sense the economy of our Earth, you will not be able to
live without growing terrorism. No way! Suitcase atomic bombs, chemical and
biological weapons will be used, and again against the
military-political-commercial centers of the world, first of all against the
States.
I close this chapter with acknowledgement: America has given the world
tremendous treasures. Human rights, freedom of conscience, thought, speech,
liberation of Europe from fascism, fantastic technological development, rich
life to its citizens.
But America, you arrived to a parting of ways: either you continue playing
the role of world-gendarme and fight against growing terrorism or you change
your mind and select the wiser road, the role of peace-builder, peace-keeper,
friend of different systems, of all nations, religions, in which case after a
century or so you will be able to put quietly down your weapons. Think before
you hit, before you launch a crusade.
xxx
Wake up America, wake up Capitalism, wake up Riches, wake up North, wake up
White Race, wake up Big Powers, wake up World. Our life is in danger. The life
on Earth, the life of our Earth.