Posted on 09/11/2001 2:59:16 PM PDT by Thinkin' Gal
Tuesday September 11 4:04 PM ET
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By Joseph Logan
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Arab leaders voiced shock and horror at devastating attacks that leveled symbols of American power on Tuesday, but a chorus of cheers rose from streets that resent U.S. backing of Israel.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites), Washington's key Arab ally, called the plane attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and left the Pentagon (news - web sites) in flames ``horrific beyond imagination.'' Ordinary Egyptians, however, felt otherwise.
``Do you want to hear my honest opinion?'' asked Samira Mohamed, a 26-year-old lawyer. ``I was very happy when I heard the news. My happiness is based on my utter rejection of the U.S. treatment of the Middle East case.''
The jubilation was echoed in other countries with large Palestinian populations, where sentiment has crystallized against the United States over the course of an 11-month Palestinian uprising against Israel.
While Jordan's King Abdullah called the attacks ``terrorist actions that contradict all...values,'' Jordanians and Palestinian refugees in Amman took to the streets in joy, some handing out sweets to celebrate.
SYRIA CONDEMNS, IRAQ, HIZBOLLAH SILENT
Syria, which has tense relations with the United States, strongly condemned the attacks.
``Syria condemns the sabotage destructive attacks which were directed against innocent civilians in the United States,'' a Syrian information official said.
``Syria expresses its sympathy with the American people and families of the victims who fell as a result of these attacks.''
Iraq, at war with Washington, had no reaction.
The Islamist Hizbollah guerrilla group, which in the past carried out suicide bomb attacks against U.S targets in Lebanon, declined comment on Tuesday's attacks.
In Beirut, Lebanese citizens and Palestinian refugees said the attack was payback for U.S. policies in the region, chief among them its backing for the Jewish state that launched a bloody invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
``We're ecstatic. Let America have a taste of what we've tasted,'' said Ali Mareh, a Lebanese resident of Beirut.
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was quick to offer condolences to President Bush (news - web sites).
``These tragic actions contradict all human and religious values,'' Hariri said in a statement.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) condemned the attacks, but celebratory gunfire echoed across the West Bank, when television stations showed footage of New York buildings on fire and collapsing and terrified Americans fleeing the carnage.
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon greeted news of the devastating attacks with jubilant gunfire, dancing and cheering, saying Israel's chief backer deserved such a punishment.
``This is the result of American policy. America and Israel are one,'' one Palestinian gunman said.
``This is the reaction required to confront the American and Israeli arrogance,'' said Mohamad Hallak, a 40-year-old Palestinian refugee from the Rashidiyeh camp in Tyre.
SHARED JOY
Some Lebanese shared the joy.
``People are happy. America has always supported terrorism. They see how the innocent Palestinian children are killed and they back the Zionist army that does it. America has never been on the side of justice,'' said Samir, a Lebanese.
``This is the language that the United States understands and this is the way to stop America from helping the Zionist terrorists who are killing our children, men and women every day,'' said Palestinian Mohamed Rasheed.
Lebanon is home to some 360,000 Palestinian refugees. After four generations of exile, many feel embittered against the United States for its support of Israel -- a feeling which has grown during the present uprising in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza.
Palestinians who have often burned U.S. flags in protests during their 11-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation also celebrated in Arab East Jerusalem.
``I feel I am in a dream. I never believed that one day the United States would come to pay a price for its support to Israel,'' said Mustafa, a 24-year-old Palestinian gunman.
Several dozen Palestinian youths gathered in East Jerusalem to celebrate, honking out wedding tunes on their car horns.
``We are so happy that America was hit. America is against us in supporting Israel,'' Suleiman, one of the demonstrators, said.
In Nablus, motorists honked horns and gunmen fired into the air to cheer the attacks which unfolded within a few hours and stunned people around the globe.
Israel and the Palestinians have been locked in fighting since the Palestinian uprising against occupation erupted last September after peace talks stalled.
Reaction was mixed elsewhere in Lebanon. Many people, used to wars, bombardment and destruction of their cities, watched the news in disbelief and shock.
``Who could believe this is happening in the capitals of the world's only superpower?,'' said one Beirut resident.
I knew it, too. It doesn't matter to me because I'm secure in my opinions and can back them up minus hysterical rantings.
I'm as mad as anyone about this, but I'm not going to let it cloud my judgement. Irrational behavior isn't going to get us out of this mess.
They've brought the war to us now, they should have left us out of it -- because we would probably have stayed out of it, just like in WWII -- but now they've attacked us and the war is ours.
Those people in Amman etc. ought to remember that there aren't very many war mongers populating Hiroshima and Nagasaki these days.
Wow. The second time I've been called naive in two weeks. I must be slipping or something...
As to your points: What makes you think I'm non-violent. If those who committed these acts can be found, they should be captured and brought to trial (if possible) and killed outright if not.
If this is the result of a foreign government, then we should immediately declare war upon that country and thrash them until they surrender unconditionally. Our conditions should then be just, as it was with Japan who attacked us by surprise. We must not give in to our lust for revenge and destruction least we become the very thing we hate (and don't for a moment think it can't happen).
The worst thing we can do is blindly lash out and destroy in our grief and rage. If we do that, we may not be condemned by other nations, be we may be condemned by God for our hypocracy.
Finally, if I were a good Christian (which I'm not), I would say that it is for God to dispence justice and that this would be a time, more than any other, when we should display our Christian virtues such as Jesus showed to us.
I can only be so reasoned and calm because no one I know was harmed or killed by this act, and I do not identify myself or my country with NY, the WTC, or any other physical thing or person. To me, America is an idea, and even if she is somehow destroyed, that idea will live on somewhere, even if we aren't around to see it.
This is the only way I can remain calm in the face of evil: I believe that God will judge everything and that Good will always triumph, even if it does so in ways I cannot myself imagine.
I trust God even as I believe in Him.
Tuor
So... you have a feel for the rage that Mustafa has lived with for years...
Rather big difference, I'd say.
Yep, that's pretty accurate.
And I have met some "Radical Islamists" in fact, went to school with a few of 'em (Jordanians). They are VERY scary folks.
OTOH, we have some very good friends who are Iranian Muslims. Fabulous family. They and their parents' generation suffered greatly in the Radical Islamist takeover of their country by the followers of Khomeini, and consider themselves exiles.
I suspect they'd love to join in a little "anti-Jihad" right along with the rest of us.
Yep, that's pretty accurate.
And I have met some "Radical Islamists" in fact, went to school with a few of 'em (Jordanians). They are VERY scary folks.
OTOH, we have some very good friends who are Iranian Muslims. Fabulous family. They and their parents' generation suffered greatly in the Radical Islamist takeover of their country by the followers of Khomeini, and consider themselves exiles.
I suspect they'd love to join in a little "anti-Jihad" right along with the rest of us.
It makes me sick to hear so many jingoistic barbarians calling for nuclear bombing of all these nations that they feel might harbor the terrorist group behind the attack -- as if the moral equivalence to this attack is the slaughter of hundreds of millions of innocents.
Do you think that these people are delusional to believe that the US (and its far reaching commercial interests) manipulates the populations and plays power politics in the Middle East so that we can continue to extract oil from this region?
If you were in their boots, would you believe that the US wields its baton to insure justice and equity in the region -- or to keep the peoples of the region in a state of ignorance, subservience, confusion and conflict?
Has the US grown up to become the beaming light of liberty in the world -- or have we become the dazing testament to unrestrained power, immorality, greed and self-interest?
In the past 50 years, the USA has been fighting for democracy and freedom all around the world.
" And if you'd like to meet me in person to lay that "traitor" tag on me, you just let me know where and when."
You did it to yourself.
Even if we were reaping what we've sown, your cry-baby remarks contribute zero to finding a solution or saving the lives of innocent civilians. No one can appease terrorism. Islam wants the whole world.
Learn some english too.
In the past 50 years, the USA has been fighting for democracy and freedom all around the world. " And if you'd like to meet me in person to lay that "traitor" tag on me, you just let me know where and when."
You did it to yourself.
In the past 50 years, the USA has been fighting for democracy and freedom all around the world. " And if you'd like to meet me in person to lay that "traitor" tag on me, you just let me know where and when."
You did it to yourself.
In the past 50 years, the USA has been fighting for democracy and freedom all around the world. " And if you'd like to meet me in person to lay that "traitor" tag on me, you just let me know where and when."
You did it to yourself.
In the past 50 years, the USA has been fighting for democracy and freedom all around the world. " And if you'd like to meet me in person to lay that "traitor" tag on me, you just let me know where and when."
You did it to yourself.
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