Miss Stockholm Syndrome 2002
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.
I have a different spin on the whole thing. My perspective is that Patty just "outed herself" and exposed her true beliefs, which is sad.
As a good democrat she believes in her heart that pork-barrel tax and spend politics is the only way a government shows it cares for its citizens. If you don't deliver the pork, your people won't love you. That is what she beleives and that is how she views this.
It doesn't matter the Osama is a cold blooded killer. It doesn't matter that a Democrat is a womanizer or corrupt, all that matters is that he delivers the pork to his people. Such a shame!
Murray's a liar. "We haven't done that?" Sorry, we have.
Thats why all the "roads" in Afghanistan were paved so well that 4x4's were needed to get through even in dry weather. Please someoneone anyone tell me of a single day care center, health clinic or school that teaches every child for free funded by UBL. Training camps for teaching the use of AK's and RPG's do not count in this.
If one analyzes the appeal of UBL it is an appeal that resonates well with the relatively powerless in stratified Islamic societies where the chances of even meeting a woman to settle down with are almost non-existant without some easy way to circumvent the social hierarcy that comes from your parents wealth. The focus on women as second class humans also can further alienate young males and make the lure of a plunderer so much more attractive. This has long been a very useful recruiting method and it has staffed terror troops from prehistoric times.
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
Gee...do ya think the good Senator from the great state of Washington (and her media helpers) will note the error and set the record straight?
Doubt it!
Arguing that bin Laden has accomplished good is like arguing that Mengele accomplished good; after all he was a doctor.
Why do liberals worship the likes of Mao, Castro, bin Laden, Hussein, Mugabi? Why do they curse the United States, the most generous, diverse, democratic nation on earth?
What is it about liberals, so eager to suckle at the teat of evil?
I can tell Murray stirs the emotions in the State of Washington!
That has promise !
The senators in the Northwest are as dumb as they come. On April 11, 2001, Gordon Smith said "China has never been our enemy". What??? Tell that to the 50,000 plus dead Americans in Korea. Do you even think he knows about Chosin Reservoir? The year before Smith said we should be helping the Chechnyans if it didn't mean a nuclear war with Russia. Let's face it, they're all dumb as posts.
Miss Stockholm Syndrome 2002
"Why are people so supportive of him in many countries that are riddled with poverty?" .... "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.
Well, Ms brilliant Senator and statesperson, firstly we have done exactly that, and many time more than all those Islamic charities, but we seem to lack that 'hearts and minds' thing, ie, the rabid hatred factor.
Now secondly (and I know this is difficult for you to grasp Ms Murray, but try!), the proferrment of nice things like schools and hospitals does not normally produce recipients so grateful they are willing to turn themselves into human bombs to wreak havoc on that charity's enemies. Have you heard of any suicide bombings done in the name of the Red Cross lately? Maybe you ought to try digging a little deeper before venturing forth to indoctrinate America's schoolchildren on the whys and wherefores of current political reality.
Her thinking is so muddled that even the line between treason and stupidity becomes obscured.
We should go after her like they went after Trent Lott. What she said, in my opinion, is far worse that what he said. And she was speaking to impressionable teenagers!
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