Bin Laden remarks give Murray grief

Tacoma News Tribune (WA) ^ | 24 December 2002 | Les Blumenthal

[Stultis]

Bin Laden remarks give Murray grief

Les Blumenthal; The News Tribune

WASHINGTON - Sen. Patty Murray says she was just trying to prompt a thoughtful discussion when she told high school students the United States might learn something from Osama bin Laden's efforts to help the poor in the Arab world.

Instead, the Washington state Democrat got her picture plastered prominently on the Web, became a hot topic of conversation on talk radio and had her patriotism questioned by the head of the state Republican Party.

Even one of her possible Republican opponents when she faces re-election in 2004, U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Spokane), challenged her to a one-on-one debate on the topic of bin Laden.

Murray, in a telephone interview, said she was shocked by the Republican response to what she considered a free-ranging discussion that represented one of the best American values - freedom of thought.

"I am astonished the Republican Party would try to spin out of control a conversation with high school students," she said. "Republicans have been trying for six months to use the war on terrorism for political purposes."

During an appearance Thursday before an honors class at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Wash., Murray (D-Shoreline) challenged students to consider why the United States is so poorly regarded by many Muslims while bin Laden is considered a hero.

"We've got to ask, why is this man (bin Laden) so popular around the world?" Murray was quoted as saying in The (Vancouver) Columbian newspaper. "Why are people so supportive of him in many countries that are riddled with poverty?"

Murray said the answer may be unpopular, but worth considering.

"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."

She added: "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 Iraq and go to Afghanistan?"

The response was relentless.

Murray's office was inundated with calls for her to appear on conservative television and radio talk shows.

The issue was featured prominently on the online Drudge Report.

Rush Limbaugh did a piece on Murray's comments. State GOP Chairman Chris Vance issued two news releases demanding an apology.

"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."

Vance was particularly critical of her for saying bin Laden had helped build day-care centers, pointing out that fundamentalist Islamic women don't work, so there's no need for day-care centers.

Nethercutt, sounding like a candidate, called Murray's comments "shocking, bizarre and uninformed. You have to wonder where Senator Murray has been living since September 11th."

Murray, who in October voted against a resolution authorizing President Bush to attack Iraq, said she considered bin Laden an "evil terrorist," and said bringing him to justice and dismantling his al-Qaida terrorist network should be the U.S. government's top priority.

But Murray said while the United States tracks down bin Laden and members of his terrorist organization, U.S. leaders also should consider the longer-term issue of improving relations with the Arab world.

She noted that the White House has created a special office, headed by a Madison Avenue advertising executive, to improve America's image.

"Having a challenging and thoughtful discussion about America's future reflects the best values of a free democracy," she said.

"To sensationalize and distort in an attempt to divide is not."

Exactly how much bin Laden has done to support schools, medical facilities and infrastructure remains conjecture in the intelligence community, though there is evidence he engaged in such activities, particularly in Afghanistan and Sudan.

A Defense Department fact sheet indicated bin Laden had imported heavy equipment to build roads, tunnels, hospitals and storage facilities in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation and in connection with the establishment of paramilitary training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mark Burgess, an analyst with the Center for Defense Information, a nonpartisan group that tracks defense issues, said bin Laden spent five years in Sudan using his own money to fund a number of infrastructure projects for the government.

"He and his organization have been involved in various welfare-type projects and charitable work," Burgess said.

Michael Swetnam, a terrorism expert who co-wrote a book on bin Laden and al-Qaida, told The Associated Press that the terrorist leader 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.

But Swetnam said the schools he financed taught mostly fundamentalist Islam that preaches hatred for the West.

Les Blumenthal: 1-202-383-0008
lblumenthal@mcclatchydc.com
(Published 12:30AM, December 21st, 2002)

[RippleFire]

BTTT

[okie01]

"He refuted her every point with specifics of what many organizations, plus the US government had done for the Afghans for years. We HAVE built all the stuff she credited Bin Laden with..."

Which, as a United States Senator, she should damn well know. Unless she's...

"Dumb as a rock, (but Liberal as they come)."

Her sole credential for holding office, I suppose...

[BrucefromMtVernon]

Patty Murray ought to get a grip....The vibes coming that woman. Oh dear....

[XBob]

the strange and sad part of this, is that she is probably correct, sort of.

'We' don't build roads and infrastructure in foreign countries. We pay for them to be built.

As Bin Laden Construction is the largest mid-eastern construction company (5th largest const. co in the world), and specializes in infrastructure construction, roads, bridges, dams, etc, it is highly likely that we paid for, and bin laden made the money and got the credit for, all those infrastructure construction projects.

[Kay Soze]

They should cause her great pain to ally her slef with our enemies.

Perhaps she can become a PR spokegal for North Korea as well.

[nightdriver]

"Murray, in a telephone interview, said she was shocked by the Republican response to what she considered a free-ranging discussion that represented one of the best American values - freedom of thought."

Since when is spouting out lies and distortions about America called "free-ranging discussion?"

I'm afraid "tennis shoes" Murray is completely unencumbered with the thought process, anyway.

[Bonaparte]

Thank you, Stultis. Excellent! =:O

[fastdraw]

Yes, but where would most New Yorkers read or hear about Patty's remarks and criticism thereof? Most of them are so isolated from the rest of the country that they haven't a clue.

[fastdraw]

>"We HAVE built all the stuff she credited Bin Laden with..."

"Even the day-care centers?"

Whoa, you're not thinking this through. Building day care centers in impoverished areas where women don't work makes little sense. Therefore, why WOULDN'T our federal government be doing this?

[beckett]

I don't really have much to add to what I said here, Stultis. I found that Swetnam was a crpytographer for the NSA, which may mean that he has very solid experience in obtaining information but not necessarily that he is an "expert" at analyzing it. He proudly touts the professors and generals on his board and staff (about 100 people work at Potomac), but doesn't provide his rank upon discharge from the military, which probably means it was Lt.Col. or below. His think tank is about seven years old so he's still struggling to establish it among the tangle of "experts" in Washington, which may explain his decision to chime in on this controversial issue. As for party affiliations, he does mention that he did some work for 41, indicating a possible Republican lean.

Bottom line, IMHO, his remarks on Bin Laden are highly worthy of criticism simply for the fact that he didn't point out where Murray erred, namely, inter alia, in claiming that Bin Laden gives a damn about "day care centers."

[Fabozz]

"Building day care centers in impoverished areas where women don't work makes little sense. Therefore, why WOULDN'T our federal government be doing this?"

D'oh! You're absolutely right. What was I thinking?