Posted on 10/13/2001 5:05:03 PM PDT by MadameAxe
In his latest videotaped announcement, terrorist Osama bin Laden leaves little room for anyone to still imagine he played no role in the ruthless New York and Pentagon massacres of September 11, of his fanatical justification for and lack of regret for the outcome, or of his intention to continue recruiting the misguided faithful to his banner, the better to conduct his ongoing jihad against all Americans, and all things American.
"This is America filled with fear from the north to south and east to west, thank God," bin Laden says. "There are civilians, innocent children being killed every day in Iraq without any guilt, and we never hear anybody," he says, referring to the U.N. claim that 500,000 children have died in Iraq thanks to an American embargo which allows the Iraqis to sell as much oil as necessary to buy all the food and medicine they need.
(Are any of Saddam Hussein's soldiers starving? Apparently not. So why don't they share their rations with the little tykes? Admittedly, if American actions are causing even one child to starve that's too many. I've long opposed all this ill-considered, half-hearted third world meddling that only earns us new enemies from Bosnia to Somalia. But shall we now accept at face value the claims of a United Nations which condemns the U.S. and Israel for racism while offering not a word of criticism when white farmers' lands are seized in Zimbabwe due to their race -- a United Nations which overwhelmingly voted terrorist Syria onto the Security Council this week, while contending the reason Communist North Korea again needs food aid is the fact that bad weather has just caused the crops to fail for the 47th year in a row?)
"And every day we see the Israeli tanks going to Jenin, Ramallah, Beit Jalla and other lands of Islam," bin Laden the anti-capitalist Saudi multi-millionaire continues. "And, no, we never hear anybody objecting to that. So when the swords came after eight years to America, then the whole world has been crying for those criminals who attacked. This is the least which could be said about them: They supported the murder against the victim, so God has given them back what they deserve. ... Neither America nor the people who live in it will dream of security before we live it in Palestine, and not before all the infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad," threatened the killer bin Laden.
Palestine was the name of the British protectorate which was divided in half in 1948, to form a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state of Jordan. Their properties largely seized without compensation, the Jews who had been living in what is now Jordan found themselves unmistakably unwelcome there and relocated into Israel -- no mass of Jewish squatters has camped around the borders of that country for the past 50 years, creating a "Jewishtinian problem" and leading to U.N. condemnation of "racist Jordan" for treating them unfairly.
If the Arabs who had been living in what is now Israel left their homes it was not because the Israelis drove them out. Rather, most left before they ever saw an Israeli uniform, believing Arab promises that Israel would soon be conquered and the Jews "driven into the sea." It is not America which has prevented any Palestinians from settling in Jordan or anywhere else in the Arab world, nor which prevents the Palestinian majority in Jordan -- formerly "Palestine" -- from living in "security."
In fact, as Paul Johnson points out in his fine history "Modern Times," over the past 80 years one moderate Arab leader after another has been assassinated for the offense of suggesting some reasonable accommodation might be reached with the Jews. Iraq's Saddam Hussein started his career as one of those assassins.
Some of bin Laden's closest associates have now been linked even to the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Nor have bin Laden and his minions ever expressed a word of regret over all the Muslims and other non-Americans who died in the World Trade Center, nor for the fact that the majority of those killed in the terror bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were not Americans, but rather Africans or Muslims -- or both.
Salman Rushdie is a Muslim -- the main reason Islamic fundamentalists are so outraged that he chooses to live in the West and writes in celebration of such decadent practices as "kissing in public places, bacon sandwiches, disagreement, cutting-edge fashion, literature, generosity ... movies, music, (and) freedom of thought."
Rushdie, who has survived a death sentence from Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini (imposed for the political and cultural content of his novels -- not a very inspiring sign of Muslim tolerance), rejects the arguments of those who say that American foreign policy is in any way to blame for the tragedy. "Let's be clear about why this anti-American onslaught is such appalling rubbish," Mr. Rushdie writes in a current piece for the New York Times Syndicate. "To excuse such an atrocity by blaming U.S. government policies is to deny the basic idea of all morality: that individuals are responsible for their actions."
"The fundamentalist seeks to bring down a great deal more than buildings. Such people are against, to offer just a brief list, freedom of speech, a multiparty political system, universal adult suffrage, accountable government, Jews, homosexuals, women's rights, pluralism, secularism, short skirts, dancing, beardlessness, evolution theory, sex. These are tyrants, not Muslims."
Strong words of condemnation from a man who has put his own life and safety on the line to take a stand up for pluralism and freedom of speech.
But Mr. Rushdie is a mere layman. How many leaders of the Islamic Faith -- both abroad and on these shores -- have expressed similarly strong words of rejection, revulsion, and condemnation for the practices of Mr. bin Laden and his terrorists -- as well as for their interpretation of the dictates of the Koran?
Precious few.
Oh, there have been some carefully chosen words of "regret" for the casualties of September 11. But any Allied military leader of the Second World War could have expressed "regret" over the casualties on both sides caused by our invasions of Sicily, Italy, Tarawa or Iwo Jima ... without meaning that he saw the slightest thing wrong with our war aims or strategy, without meaning that he intended anything other than the further killing of a whole lot more Germans and Japanese, as soon as possible, and as long as they chose to resist.
No, an expression of "regret" is not enough, for "regret" can be felt about "collateral damage" even in a noble and necessary undertaking.
"Even if bin Laden was not behind the September carnage, a declaration of war against him is logical," writes my friend Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, of the Minaret of Freedom Islamic think tank in Washington, D.C. "After all, he declared war on the United States in February of 1998. His signature appears on a fax sent to the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi of a directive that specified 'crimes and sins committed by the Americans are a clear declaration of war on God, his messenger, and Muslims' and ... that therefore 'to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it. ...' (Bin Laden, et al. 1998).
"If someone knows that bin Laden has repudiated this fax, they should produce the evidence now, otherwise it is a top priority for American Muslims to denounce it, and him.
"The fact that a man trains people to kill and tells them it is okay to use the techniques they learn against the innocent (and then gives a prayer of thanks when he hears that someone has done just that) is sufficient cause to consider him a terrorist," Dr. Ahmad continues.
"As Muslims we are obligated to use the same standard of justice with regard to bin Laden as with regard to Ariel Sharon. This is what the Qur'an means when it says: 'O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin and whether it be [against] rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts [of your hearts] lest ye swerve and if ye distort [justice] or decline to do justice verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.' 4:135)."
In a happy change from the kind of war fever that led to the rounding up and forced relocation of law-abiding Japanese-Americans in 1942, President Bush has been at great pains to show a careful discernment that American is not now at war with all the Arab peoples, or with Islam in general.
But Islamic leaders could do a great deal to strengthen this distinction by now coming forward to condemn bin Laden and his ilk as hell-bound murderers totally beyond the margins of acceptable Islamic faith when they call for the ambush and murder of the westerners they have chosen to blame for their own failures, for the fact the Arab nations are overwhelmingly corrupt, failed, backward and oppressive satrapies, from which millions of the best and the brightest have already escaped ... to the West.
If this is not the true teaching of the Koran, then leaders of the Arab and Islamic communities could be doing a whole lot better at denouncing it -- making it clear that those who commit wanton mayhem and murder in this extremist cause are not true followers of their prophet at all, but rather outcasts and criminals who can expect no peace or agreeable reward for such actions, in this world or the next.
Why do they not speak up, like Mr. Rushdie and Dr. Ahmad? Because they are physically afraid of the very terrorists they have bred in their midst? Or is there some other reason?
This is something 'nuanced' Westerners are going to have to come to grips with...
OBL is nothing more than what true conservatives have come to expect from those who hate America. He uses America to justify his love of murder and mayhem. The American leftists (like, the NY Times, etc) who are forced to confront the morality of killing innocent people, nonetheless need to point out what they percieve to be the faults of America as part of their evaluation of what is happening. Liberals and socialists cannot support themselves, intellectually, and so they need to call names.
Unbridled emotion and narcissism are what generates OBL and liberalism. They have both proven to be dangerous in their own way. And it all comes down to a simple idea -- either you can put yourself in the shoes of another person, or you want the power of life and death over them.
How many do you want to die? If Churchill and Roosevelt had followed your prescription in WWII, all the Italians would've fought on, instead of switching sides.
When you have a relative who's an alcoholic, do you propose to beat it out of 'em? That's what western Europeans used to do with serious alcoholics in the Middle Ages. Doesn't work. Please, think about this.
Then you could have had a whole bunch of wives.
Living in our nation's capital is good for some things, and one of those is having close daily contact with people from a wide range of cultures.
I'm impressed with people from Hindu or Buddhist religiously based cultures. Not so much so with people from Moslem lands. This was even before the horror of September 11th.
I think people are so jumpy these days, that I'd be afraid to fly if I knew half the people on the airplane were packing heat. You get one guy shooting, and then everyone will be.
I personally don't care what the federal regulations say anymore. Just look at the hemp plant prohibition. You well know my views on government "regulations" regarding issues related to hemp.
Nice to see you posting on this issue. You happen to be one of the few people on FR whose views I look for here. You tend to be moderate and rational.
Well, I think it's fair to point out that Jesus couldn't very well do this if only because he lived in a huge Empire controlled by people of a different religious bent. In fact, Jews - of which Jesus was one - were a small minority. Mohammed was basically an military adventurer that linked religion with political power, and was successful in his efforts to do so. The political situation he faced was one of city states and confusion. He was able to weld the sword and faith together in his effort take over the peninsula. Whether or not he believed what he said is another issue, IMHO. Jesus had to pursue other means, because the politics was vastly different. The Roman Empire wasn't run by Gandhi. He knew there was no chance for anything military to succeed, so why not pursue the path of peace? Particularly if you have to.
I know that sounds cynical. I admit I'm agnostic at best. All I'm saying is that you want to start a religion, you gotta take certain realities to heart.
Oh, before I post, I think it wise from my point of view to point out that once Christianity reached a critical mass in the Roman Empire, and political power was obtained, the situation changed in terms of force being applied....
I think bin Laden believes what he says. He hasn't spent much time in the west, or out of his cultural sphere. He's just crazy, and needs to be put down. He's very serious about this jihad thing. Just as Hitler was about his beliefs.
He gained his influence due to his money. Money always helps.
I thought he went to Oxford. Am I remembering wrong?
Also, I am pretty sure that a plane will not instantaneously depressurize if hit with a stray bullet, especially if the ammo was frangible. I saw someone post a very good explanation of why this is on a thread but haven't been able to find it this evening. In a nutshell, he explained that planes already have open pressure valves in them constantly controlling the release of air, so if more were to start leaving, those valves would close to make up the difference.
Sorry I can't find you a link at the moment; I'll post it if I do.
But it is the true teaching of the Q'ran.
Impressed? How? Why?
Perhaps you could provide a Top 10 List or something to explain the reasons
why you are impressed by them as opposed to others.
Just curious.
While I obviously was just floating this idea which was advanced by G. Gordon Liddy a few years agio during the Iran-Iraq war (before teh Iraq-Coalition war), I have lin\vend in & visited 8 Muslim countreis and over 50 other nations.
Franly, I don't really buy the view that psy-ops & psych-War couldn't be used as a weapon with TERRORISTS, just because they are Muslim.
I cannot imagine that ALL Moslems would be offended if we merely sent a few dozen heads of TERROTISTS & extremists in pig bellies.
gen Pershing, before WWI in 1899-1903 was in the Phillipines and executed some Huk & other Moslem terrorists with bullets rolled in pig-fat.
he sent a couple of guys back to their homes to tell what ws done.
Result: The Mul\slim extremist revbelion ended IMMEDIATELY.
If these guys are really devout Muslims, they will know they cannot get into heaven.
If they aren't them why should any Muslim care?
That said, the enemy before us does not recognize that principal. The only way to undermine their mind set is by example...to demonstrate the power of a true Republic. The very idea that the USG would rather replace a theocracy with a monarchy should give us all pause. I have never, ever seen the USG actively espouse a Republican form of government as a solution to the internal rivalry and bickering that characterizes the majority of nations.
Invariably it supports oligarchy of any stripe, but never freedom...no matter how many times the State Department repeats the mantra "democracy".
Depends on how hard you beat 'em.
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