Shock the Superpower

Wednesday, Mar 20, 2002
Last week U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney toured the Middle East to garner Arab support for America's war on terrorism, and American envoy Anthony Zinni flew back to the region in a desperate attempt to halt the rising bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians. But many Arabs see America's priorities as the opposite of reality: it is Israel, not Iraq, that poses the greatest threat. Arabs regard the Palestinian problem as a cause of Islamic terrorism, and fear that terrorism will increase unless the conflict with Israel is settled fairly. That conviction was strongly reflected in the mood among students at Cairo University. Students are angry with the U.S. and Israel, harsh on Yasser Arafat for giving up so much and bitter over their own government's impotence to act.

Anti-American and anti-Israeli protests are nothing new in many Arab countries. But with the latest Israeli onslaught against Palestinians, Arab students are increasingly taking to the streets. Last week at Cairo University — alma mater of Yasser Arafat, Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and hijacker Mohamed Atta — hundreds of students chanted anti-American slogans. Security forces pushed back demonstrators as they tried to exit the university gates and march to the nearby Israeli embassy in the Giza section of the city.

In a sign that the continuing turmoil in Israel and Palestine provides fuel for Islamic extremism, students say that many of the demonstrations are being led by Islamic militants on campus and are joined by activists from all factions of the student body. Some are still singing the praises of Osama bin Laden.

A small group of male medical students, with gelled-back hair and blue jeans, are standing under a poster calling for the liberation of Palestine. "What is happening to the Palestinians is just too much, so much unfairness," says Amr Mahmoud, 19, who is in his first year in the faculty of pharmacy. "The intifadeh is a great thing, but Yasser Arafat has to let these groups work, not chase them like the Israelis. What has been taken by force has to be returned by force." Mahmoud is angry at Arafat, questioning how he can still believe in negotiations with the Israelis. Arafat sometimes appears as a weakling to students, such as when he was donating blood for victims of Sept. 11. "Why doesn't he save his blood and donate it to his own people who are dying at the hands of America everyday!"

"Israel you mean?" I interrupt.

"Israel is America and America is Israel," retorts Bahaa Mohammadi. "Look, America does not want anything that is in the Arab interest. They made some false promises when they wanted to hit Afghanistan just to put the Arab leaders to sleep, and now they have forgotten everything they said."

Students feel that as long as the American administration continues its policy of supporting the Israelis and seeing the Palestinians only as a bunch of terrorists and gangsters, it will never be a fair mediator. "Israel gets the green light from America to do whatever it wants," says Tarek Abdel Meguid, a medical student. "America cannot be a peacebroker in the Middle East, so enough of the peace initiative crap."

Students feel that America is against the Arabs, and regard an attack on Iraq — and perhaps then Syria, Libya and Yemen — as inevitable. The U.S. has hit Iraq before, why shouldn't it hit it again. "Who will stop America?" asks Sayed Mahmoud, who is in his last year in the faculty of commerce. "Everyone in the region hates Saddam Hussein, except America. They love him and will keep him in power. He surely is an American agent."

Is the upcoming Arab summit and the Saudi peace initiative going to solve the Palestinian problem? "What will the Arab summit do, what has it done before?" asks art student Amira Gouda sarcastically. "The Intifadeh against Israeli occupation must continue." Says Rimon Talaat, a Coptic business student: "The Palestinians have already given up more than they should have. They are dying everyday to preserve the little they have left. The intifadeh is their only hope to bring about any political pressure on Sharon from inside Israel."

Political awareness on campus is extremely high thanks to satellite news channels. Thanks to Arab satellite TV, a hero has been created in the eyes of many Cairo University students who are far from being Islamic fundamentalists. Many students expressed open admiration for the man America has called the most dangerous terrorist in the world. They are well versed on Osama bin Laden's speeches and videotapes. Bin Laden has done what no other leader can ever do: he and a group of followers have given America a beating. "Bin Laden rubbed America's nose in the mud," says Mostapha Abdullah, 19, a medical student. "He and 19 others with him were able to shake and shock the only superpower in the world."

Arabs regard the Palestinian problem as a cause of Islamic terrorism, and fear that terrorism will increase unless the conflict with Israel is settled fairly.

The rag heads' idea of fairly, is the total elimination of Israel. But they will not stop there, they will be coming after us, wether or not we support Israel. There will be a holy war between Islam and the West, count on it.

Political awareness on campus is extremely high thanks to satellite news channels. Thanks to Arab satellite TV, a hero has been created in the eyes of many Cairo University students who are far from being Islamic fundamentalists. Many students expressed open admiration for the man America has called the most dangerous terrorist in the world. They are well versed on Osama bin Laden's speeches and videotapes. Bin Laden has done what no other leader can ever do: he and a group of followers have given America a beating. "Bin Laden rubbed America's nose in the mud," says Mostapha Abdullah, 19, a medical student. "He and 19 others with him were able to shake and shock the only superpower in the world."

Sorry, but that is still a fundamentalist. But if the author and these radical students want to support terrorists and a a man who is the equivalent of Heinrich Himmler, then be my guest in sharing his same fate.

Everyone in the region hates Saddam Hussein, except America. They love him and will keep him in power. He surely is an American agent."

This remark certainly shows the disconnect and ignorance that exists in the Arab world. With most Arabs beleiving that Arabs weren't responsible for Sept 11th, why should nay of their opinions be given credibility?

"Who will stop America?" asks Sayed Mahmoud, who is in his last year in the faculty of commerce. "Everyone in the region hates Saddam Hussein, except America. They love him and will keep him in power. He surely is an American agent."

What's very sad is that this prediliction for baroque conspiracy theories is so common. I have a Palestinian friend living in Houston, an engineer, who believes firmly that Arafat is an agent of the Mossad.

Discussing conspiracy theories, I asked him if he would lend credence to a theory that suggested Bobby Kennedy was killed because he was going to stop the Viet Nam war.

"Sure."

What about a theory that BK was killed by British Intelligence, because they knew he had a plan to win the Viet Nam war, thus increasing American prestige & power to the detriment of the British throne?

"Sure."

So in effect, you believe both that Kennedy was going to stop the war, and win it decisively?

"It doesn't matter what are the facts, it is just being important to know that it had to be a conspiracy, and somehow the Zionists were involved."

And they wonder why they can't beat 4 million israeliis....

"Why doesn't he save his blood and donate it to his own people who are dying at the hands of America everyday!" Why don’t we save our money and donate it to our own people who are dying at the hands of muslims everyday!

So, so much irony here.
· What a dichotomy it must be for these students to hate the U.S. so much, yet they’d come running here if we’d let them forsaking their own land.
· Studying Pharmacy, sooner or later it must dawn on the students that every single advance in the past 100 years has come from the west while their own culture hasn’t made a scientific contribution in the past 1,000 years.
· There’s no shortage of worthless desert land in any of the countries that feel the “Palestinian Problem” must be settled by force. Why don’t they just donate a nice chunk of desert to the Palis and be done with the whole thing.
· It must come as a blow to one’s arab superior ego to know that they are completely impotent to strike a decisive blow against Israel. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to learn to live with this thorn in their side.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

Amen. The Pali homeland and Israel's withdrawal from the "occupied" territories is PR.

A Pali nation under the protection of the UN will be a staging area for the utter destruction of the 6 million jews in Israel (ironic population count) and the continued war against US. Europe will fall apart as the terrorists overwhelm that socialist paradise. This Pali state will be a ghetto filled with coordinated pan-Islam planners and combat trainers for the Jihad to take over the world. The UN will declare sanctions against nations taking actions of self-defense against the Pali terrorist state, a proxy for China and the arabs arming to reorder the New World Order.

This war is to take as long as it takes until we grow weary. Pan-Islam is at war against Western Civilization, so if we are not willing to submit to theo-fascism five times a day bowing toward a meteorite in a cube in a desert, we had better get ready to win a war. Win a war of annihilation. We win or they win. There is no middle ground for peace.

Our children will see a war where world-wide economic chaos is but one theater of operations. This new age warfare is brought to us by those who would rather live in centuries past.

Israel may well be sacrificed for "Peace in our time." The USA is the only nation able to stand and fight, but we are in great peril, more so without Israel. A 2nd American Republic will survive, Islamic or free, but not both. Pan-Islam will not allow our freedom to thrive because they can not compete with us without murder. They are at total war, for generations if needed to defeat us.

There will be a holy war between Islam and the West, count on it.

Maybe. But only against part of the West. Much of Europe has already surrendered.

We still have a chance to win this without massive bloodshed. Islam will back off if it seems Allah is on not backing the current attack on the West. This will happen if we beat Iraq decisively, and our intelligence continues to be good enough to stop major terrorist attacks before they occur.

As a civilized nation, we have an obligation to try to keep this war from becoming a war against all of Islam. If we fail, get ready for what could be the bloodiest war in history.

We should not wish for millions of people to die, including the possibility that some of those millions will be Americans. But even if this worst case comes to pass, we must be ready, willing, and able to see it through. We did not seek this battle, but we will not shrink from a battle thrust upon us.

"Thanks to Arab satellite TV"

I didn't know the Arabs had the technology to launch television satellites.

Perhaps the folks who built and placed them and their ground equipment might want to think about turning them OFF.

Just a thought.

--Boris

That may be so. If it is, then bring it on.

However, there is still the possibility of a solution short of total war.

Islam was fading as a threat until oil wealth gave it second life. The wealth from oil is now going away. If we can win decisively enough at this stage, the Muslim fanatics will conclude Allah is not with them and therefore the time must not be right to attack. They will back down.

As their oil wealth becomes a distant memory, Islam will then fade back into insignificance. Eventually it may die altogether.

I believe we are at a critical point in this war. We are about to attack Iraq. If we succeed quickly and decisively enough, my scenario has a chance. If not, I suspect the grim scenario you paint is the most likely outcome.

The next few weeks will be crucial, but we have not yet passed the point of no return.

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