Posted 16 September 2001 - 01:51 PM
Alpha,
I have been following almost all the news channels over the last few days, reading USA Today and WSJ. I haven’t come across any serious insinuations of “World War III” by the media or the press – at least the mainstream one. As a matter of fact, I observe the mainstream US media being quite restrained on the subject.
All the insinuations by the mainstream media of declarations of war are made in a the sense of declaring war to the International Terrorism directed at its eradication.
However, I am surprised at your declarations that Afghanistan has not done anything. Even if we assume that Afghanistan has not directly participated in the organization of the acts of terrorism, evidently it has harbored and accommodated most vicious terrorist organizations and has provided them with the freedom to set training camps.
Additionally, anyone who is a little bit familiar with the Middle Eastern/Pakistani/Indian/Afghani cultures, would know that their declarations of their nonparticipation in the acts of incrementing character do not deserve much credit – have heard about Eastern “Shoghokortutiun?”
So far, the US government has not given any indications that it is going to bomb Afghanistan or how is it going to respond. From all the accounts available, it is evident that those in charge have a very sober understanding of the problem, its complexities, idiosyncrasies, etc. It has not given any indications of being driven by the principle of “eye for eye,” but has pledged to work along the lines of the eradication of terrorism wherever it may be. Any country sponsoring or harboring terrorists should be rightfully considered as terrorist state and face the consequences.
As far as the bombing of the civilians and the civilian objects of Yugoslavia are concerned, I share your resentment, and I have expressed my resentment at the time quite vociferously. Not because of the innocence of Yugoslavia, which I think has committed acts constituting crimes against humanity, but because of the acts of NATO itself have constituted war crimes. However, I would like to add that by the admission of the NATO countries, the objects being bombed have been voted on unilaterally by all the countries of NATO. The only country which has expressed slight discomfort with it has been Greece. Therefore, blaming the Yugoslavian bombings just on the US is unfair, I think. I would be very much for inviting the leftist liberal whinnies of the Vietnam war (such us the previous president of the US) along with General Wesley Clark and the European leaders to stand criminal charges.
As far as the demands of the terrorists in the latest action are concerned, while taking 5000 innocent lives, they didn’t even advance any demands. Their acts were not simple acts of terrorism, and the signature was not one of terrorism, but rather of war. The war has been declared not by the US but to the Western Civilization – this is not an action of desperate people appealing to their last resort, but a evolution of a systematic process of purely ideological character to the next stage. For example, few months ago such attempt has been made against the EuroParliament – fortunately the German secret service has been successful in preventing the usage of serane (spelling ?) gas at the premises of that body. It is illusion to think that these actions are just directed at the US.
I also share your resentment of the level of the US support given to Israel against the Palestinians. However, it is well known that it is not unconditional. It is well known that both the senior Bush administration and the Clinton administration have been systematically exerting strong pressure on Israel. While not justifying the policies of Israel towards the Palestinian, and feeling sympathetic to the plea of the latest, it would be a gross misrepresentation of the picture of the region to lay all the blame on Israel. First of all, with the exception of Egypt and Jordan, I think, no other Arab state has recognized the right of Israel to exist in the region, moreover, they have pledged for the distraction of Israel. Additionally, anytime there is a perspective of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, Hamaz, Jihad, and others intensify their suiside bombings to blow any possible resolution up. Israel, while far not behaving like an angel itself, is subject to a daily terror. Under such circumstances, it is not even meaningful to define whose fault it is – it is the fault of both side.
While, obviously, there are angry voices in the US to bomb Afghanistan to the stone age[1], most of the people behave and express themselves in a very restrained and dignified manner, and expect their government to take only meaningful measures.
Therefore, I think you are indeed mistaken, only not in the sense you claim, but rather in your initial premise.
________
1 Note that Afghanistan is already in the stone age, and bombing it wouldn't even change on a qualitative level anything substantial there.
[ September 16, 2001: Message edited by: MJ ]
