Posted on 12/20/2002 6:21:38 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Sen. Murray asks students to ponder bin Ladens 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, its 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.
"Weve 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.
"Hes 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 havent 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 Murrays 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."
Murrays 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 Murrays comments, published yesterday in The Columbian newspaper, were mostly on the mark.
"Thats 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 Ladens 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 doesnt 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 states 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 states junior senator, Democrat Maria Cantwell, voted for the resolution.
I'm tryin'! I'm tryin'! :-)
Keep bumpin' these threads if you want to help! And email your media and politicians!
Now if it had been a Republican faux pas, no matter how small, it would be splased all over the headlines.
The East siders have to deal with Lake Washington and the 2 floating bridges into Seattle. It's not uncommon for a 15 or 20 mile commute to take 45 minutes to an hour to get into Seattle. There has been no significant road construction for the past 20 years because the Washington Transportation Committee Chairman wants us out of our cars. This is evolving some.
North and South of Seattle is rough too because of the same social engineering by the WTC. The I-5 corridor through Seattle is hourglasss shaped because the Mensa, (not), members who ran the State Transportation Department, (another worthless bureaucracy hindering transportation),decided to build the Washington Trade and Exhibition Center over the top of I-5 in downtown. So I-5 narrows in the heart of downtown from 10 lanes to 4 with no through truck bypass. This makes for a fun commute also.
Basically what you get, either you "pay" to live in the Seattle area, or you flee to the hinterlands where it's still affordable and figure out your own transportation regimine. Seattle is not family friendly and the public schools are sh!tty. And it's the liberal mecca North of San Fransisco. It's called San Fransisco North. The outland areas are considerably more conservative with some public schools being rather good.
Since you're a freelance writer you may wish to look at Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. It's a Victorian style city loaded with artisans. It's very beautiful. It's about 90 miles West of Seattle. I hope this helps. If I can help feel free to freepmail me.
I went to opensecrets.org and took a look at Patty Murray's fund-raising sources from the 1998 election. She has hefty "ideological" support, headed by Emily's List, the support group for pro-choice women Democrats. I'd be interested in knowing what other ideologies were included in that category.
A few of the individual donors were ex-military, and, even if they are personal friends, I wonder what their thoughts are right now.
I believe Washington State would vote for a Republican in 2004 if we can field a good one.
I have not yet heard if Jennifer Dunn is going to accept that job.Sure hope not.
bigfootbob has named it pretty well. Also much of the Eastside (such as the 45th), though it's tilting a bit.
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