Sen. Murray asks students to ponder bin Laden’s popularity (Seattle Times version )

The Seattle Times ^ | Friday, December 20, 2002 - 02:41 p.m. Pacific | AP

[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.

[cousair]

I believe there is a real tie in between Bagdad Bonier and McDermott from Seattle with Clinton cool aid drinker Murray. There are Muslim threads there and I wouldn't doubt for a minute that a lot of Murray's reelection money comes right down the tunnel from them. Treason is an ugly word, but then, her words to the students in that Vancouver, Wa. school were pretty ugly also. Murray said Hate America First!! No matter what she says or how she spins it, that is exactly what she meant.

[B Knotts]

We should go after her like they went after Trent Lott.

I'm tryin'! I'm tryin'! :-)

Keep bumpin' these threads if you want to help! And email your media and politicians!

[aristeides]

Patty Murray may not be RAT minority leader, but she was in the last campaign the chairman of the RATs' senatorial campaign committee. (Frist was her Republican counterpart.) She did not do a successful job of work, so she may not have any future in the leadership.

[aristeides]

Adolf Hitler delivered lots of pork to the German people, until he started losing the war.

[wai-ming]

Thank you for your efforts. We must get the word out.--I'm afraid it's kind of bad timing though, four days before Christmas.

Now if it had been a Republican faux pas, no matter how small, it would be splased all over the headlines.

[bigfootbob]

The East is a growth area. It's growing up and into the Casacades. Closer to Seattle proper the costs are higher, hell, they're all pretty high. The West side of Puget Sound where I live, housing costs are still reasonable. Transportation to Seattle is the biggest hurdle for us. There's only one bridge across the Sound and 3 cross Sound ferry routes. That has caused the enormous growth Eastward from Seattle.

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.

[SeattleTiger]

Hey, friend from Spokane :-),

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.

[ken5050]

Suggestion for you long suffering Wash residents.....dig out the picture of NY liberal dem congresscritter Carolyn Maloney, who appeared on the floor of the House working a burka......then you should all call, email her asking her if she agrees with Murray's description of OBL as a good guy.....

[kcar]

"There really is only one political party left in the country, the republicans. the dims are nothing more than a dysfunctional family all fighting for their share of the inheritance. watch what happens when the moneys gone."

I like the analogy.

[Eala]

What districts are conservative-friendly?

bigfootbob has named it pretty well. Also much of the Eastside (such as the 45th), though it's tilting a bit.