Posted on 12/20/2002 6:21:38 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Sen. Murray asks students to ponder bin Laden’s popularity
The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Why is terrorist leader Osama bin Laden so popular in some parts of the world?
Perhaps, said Sen. Patty Murray, it’s because he and his supporters have spent years building goodwill in poor nations by helping pay for schools, roads and day-care facilities.
At an appearance before a high school honors class, Murray, D-Wash., offered what her spokesman called an intentionally provocative challenge for students to ponder.
"We’ve got to ask, why is this man (bin Laden) so popular around the world?" Murray asked during an appearance Wednesday at Columbia River High School. "Why are people so supportive of him in many countries that are riddled with poverty?"
The answers may be uncomfortable, but are important for Americans to ponder — particularly students, Murray said.
"He’s been out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building day-care facilities, building health-care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. We haven’t done that," Murray said.
"How would they look at us today if we had been there helping them with some of that rather than just being the people who are going to bomb in Iraq and go to Afghanistan?"
Chris Vance, chairman of the Washington state Republican Party, called Murray’s comments offensive.
"It is absolutely outrageous and despicable to imply that the American government should learn a lesson from the madman who murdered thousands of American citizens," Vance said. "I know Senator Murray has a habit of sticking her foot in her mouth, but this goes way beyond a simple gaffe."
Murray’s comments "sent the message to these students that the United States somehow deserved or brought on the September 11 terrorist attacks," Vance said. "I think all decent people can agree that we most certainly did not, that this was an unprovoked attack of terrorism."
Vance called on Murray to retract her comments and apologize.
An expert on terrorism, who co-wrote a book profiling bin Laden and al-Qaida, said Murray’s comments, published yesterday in The Columbian newspaper, were mostly on the mark.
"That’s kind of a generalization, but mostly accurate," Michael Swetnam, chairman of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Arlington, Va., said yesterday.
Since about 1988, bin Laden, believed to be the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, has been on a mission to build schools, roads and even homes for widows of those killed in the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan, Swetnam said.
There is even a rumor that bin Laden helped build an Afghani orphanage, although Swetnam said he has been unable to confirm that.
"Mostly he did underwrite — and so did many Arab charities — several fundamentalist Muslim schools throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan that teach a very, very, fundamentalist, right-wing version of Islam that preaches hatred for the West," Swetnam said.
Bin Laden’s version of Islam tells Muslims that "people in the West are trying to attack your religion (and) oppress you, and the only way to fight that is to rise up against the United States and its crusader buddies, Israel and Europe," Swetnam said.
Murray, in her remarks to students, said she doesn’t know where she comes down on the question of whether to try to counter bin Laden. Building infrastructure in Third World countries would "cost a lot of money, and we have schools here and health care facilities here that are really hurting," Murray said.
"War is expensive, too," she told the students. "Your generation ought to be thinking about whether we should be better neighbors out in other countries so that they have a different vision of us. It is a debate I think we ought to have."
Murray, the state’s senior senator, supported sending U.S. troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida. But she was among 23 senators who voted against a resolution authorizing President Bush to use military force in confronting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The state’s junior senator, Democrat Maria Cantwell, voted for the resolution.
Just like Oregon, where the tail (Portland) wags the dog (most of the rest of the state, excluding the PRE Peoples Republic of Eugene). Where there's no money for schools, but plenty for more bikelanes. Where obscenely wealthy law-flaunting athletes pony up the difference to ensure there will be spring sports for city high schools.
How appropriate that the tail is in proximity to, and actually protects the you-know-what....
The local socialists are somewhat annoying, but they're my friends and neighbors, so I'm used to them. I enjoy twitting them about their political correctness and love telling them about eating Bambi at the FReeper Meet at "Seattle"'s house. My favorite line: "Do you think orca tastes good?"
I almost cried when she and her husband moved to Maryland.
As one of your constituents I was very disappointed to read of your recent remarks concerning the admiration the world feels, in your view, toward Osama bin Laden, as a result of his building schools, roads, etc. As you are aware, those schools are madrassas, and are the principal means of the most vicious and hateful anti-American propaganda to reach young ears that have few voices speaking to them in defense of the United States. It is particularly to be regretted that your voice does not count among the latter.
I do not honestly believe that the putative virtue of being "provocative" quite excuses the bias in these words. You are aware of the efforts of the Peace Corps, and that the Arabic-speaking countries Egypt and Jordan rank only under Israel as recipients of U.S. foreign aid - you must be inasmuch as you voted for these. Why then do you choose to misrepresent U.S. efforts as consisting solely of violence?
It won't do. It is one thing to have a bearded fanatic poisoning young minds in madrassas against the U.S., it is quite another to have young American minds receive a similar poison from their own elected representative. I urge you to reconsider this reprehensible course of activity.
It won't do a bit of good, of course, but it makes me feel better.
On the West side of the Cascades it be Thurston County, Clallum County, and Skagit County. Swing Counties: Kitsap, Jefferson, and Mason. East of the Cascades is solidly conservative, but not much work.
On the other hand, we moved from downtown Seattle, deep in McDermott territory, to Snoqualmie this year, so I may be over-reacting to the nice, nice change. People here seem to possess more common sense.
Yes, yes, Peace In Our Time and all that...
FREE CONGRESS.org - THE FREE CONGRESS FOUNDATION - Notable News: "ONE WHO DARES CALL IT 'TREASON'" -Commentary by Paul M. Weyrich (COMMENTARY SNIPPET: "So how does Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) justify holding a reception for the Mujahedin-e Kalq? The U.S. State Department, since 1994, has listed this group as one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world. The State Department says that this Marxist-Muslim group has killed many Americans and had blown up a number of U.S. facilities in Iran. This group participated in the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. This group had a falling out with the Ayatollah Khomeni, according to The Washington Times, so the group fled to Iraq and now is funded by Saddam Hussein. The group helped Hussein fight the Kurds in the North of Iraq when chemical weapons were used.") (112502)
Sen. Murray is obviously stupid and possesses that knee-jerk hatred of the West that we know and love so well.
I hope Jennifer Dunn runs but I hear talk of her becoming a lobbiest instead...
And Trent Lott got run out of office for what he said about a 54 year old presidential bid.
Thank you. That will be in my next letter to her. You are, of course, absolutely correct.
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