Explaining it to an American Friend

Dear Pat:

We have had such a bad week here that it is hard to even write to you. I worry for you as you are in a real hot spot of the world right now. What a time to visit your country. I don't know, maybe it is better that you are close to you friends and family there.

It has been a real hard week. Being so close to NY not only the TV,

but real places that we can actually see the NY skyline and the Trade Towers that were once there. My school has been a place of real stress this week as some of the kid's parents just never came home from work on Tuesday. I only had one good friend who lives around the corner from me who had his father killed because he worked on the 104th floor of Building 1.

This is a terrible tragedy and I guess America has been dragged into the terrorism that much of the world has been involved with for a long time.

I have a lot of hate in me right now for the people who did this and for the country who made it easy for them to do it, too. That is looking like Afganastan right now, but your country is not to far down on the list of countries that made it easy for terrorists to live, train and survive.--I think. That makes me sad. I know not all Afganastan people or Paky people are bad, but I guess your country and government makes it easier for these bad terrorists to exist. Well fuck them all. I don’t know of one good thing or product that comes out of Afganastan. I don’t care if we took an eraser to a map and made them disappear. And to see Palistinian kids and adults celebrating in the streets on the day we were under attach is disgusting.

We should bomb them too. We are a great and powerful country and we can't and won't stand for this any longer. No more Mr. Niceguy. I would hate to see kids get killed but they can grow up to be just a fucking crazy as bin Laden.

I am afraid that the US will be on a seek and destroy mission very soon. I hope that you and your family are out of the way of any bad things that are

going to happen. But they will happen. The American people, are just so angry that they are demanding justice. Well actually they want revenge really. Maybe because I live in the NY area it is worse, but I think most of the American people are behind the President.

It was unusual that President Bush asked for $20 Billion for aid and

Congress came back and gave him $40 Billion. That should tell anyone how much we want to wipe out the people who did this.

OK, I am rambling. Take care. Hope you stay well. Email me and let me

know how u are if u get this message.

C ya. Love,

Tom..

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My dear, dear friend Tom,

I don't know what to say.... would sorry be of any use? No, not sorry that someone with possible links from 'my' country might have had anything to do with the WTC tragedy... for in that event, as the German chancellor said, we were all New Yorkers-- we all felt the pain, the shock, or the the numbness. But sorry I was not sensitive enough to understand how badly you’d be affected by all this.

I shared your anger and disgust -- and perhaps your disbelief -- for a couple of days. I wanted nothing more than to see every bloody jehadi on the face of the earth burned at the stake. Such is the power of imagery that can arouse our deepest emotions. However, in the days that ensued, I have had the time, and perhaps the luxury, to step back and look at things a little more clearly. The more I looked, and especially the more I listened to and read background info on the matter, the more I am convinced of the fact that this is much, much more than a black-and-white moral issue, or, as that dolt of a president (George W.) would have us all believe, 'an attack on Freedom itself' perpetrated by the devil's own agents.

Without questioning the absolute abhorrence of the attack on innocent lives, it seems that the American response, almost typically, will be not much different -- and neither is this the first time. Remember "Our war is not with the Iraqi people-- Our war is with Saddam Hussein" back in '91? Well... after bombing Baghdad to the ground (in which an unknown number of civilians -- 100,000 by some accounts-- lost their lives), and securing their oil reserves in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, what do Messers. Powell and Bush Sr. proceed to do? Yeah... walk out of Iraq leaving Saddam to unleash his ire on another 10,000 Iraqi dissidents.

I think as a faith-ful and supposedly educated human being you have to at least ask yourself if maybe, just maybe, there is something in one's own actions that has prompted other humans to act so inhumanly.... what can make a father of three decide to pilot a plane into a building? Yet, in the American response, but for a few voices from academic institutions and the clergy, there is nary a whit of such a call for introspection-- not a bit of wavering from the position that the ONLY reason the perpetrators of these crimes act the way they do is their innate evilness! I am at a loss to figure out how this differs from, say, Osama bin Laden's characterization of America as the evil . In fact, at least folks like Laden put forth certain reasons for their hatred of American policy makers-- reasons that the notoriously insulated American public are seldom aware of (and are surprised by when this anti-American sentiment makes itself heard as in Seattle and more recently in Genoa.)

Now, while I am in no way condoning any activity that results in the loss of a single innocent life, I am suggesting that it is about time that America/Americans started at least asking themselves whether they had any part to play in creating the psyches that lead to these terrible events. The average American, of course, has little knowledge of what goes on outside of the US, much less be a party to any global injustice. The American government, well, now that's a whole different kettle of fish. Thomas, let me tell you that most folks from the developing world who have any contact with the American people, find that they are among the warmest, most friendly, genuinely helpful folks on earth. The consensus on the American governemnt, however is just about the opposite. The current administration more than ably justifies this low level of trust.

The language that Bush is using could be Bin Laden's if you exchanged "Freedom" for "Islam". (and while we're talking about attacks on Freedom itself", does Mr. bush really think that the US is the only Freedom-loving or "Free" country in the world?!?) Only, bin Laden at least has grievances with the West, however skewed his judgement may be. The US, on the other hand, would have us believe that the only reason a Saddam or a bin Laden plans an attack on the the US is because he is innately evil and bent upon destroying the principles of Freedom in the West. I wonder who is more paranoid of the two here? Neither is willing to see the world from the other's perspective. Aren't we all too familiar with this sort of lazy, smug (non)thinking-- with labelling being employed to service this laziness and self-righteousness? You know it well enough... first it was the Communisits who were the devil incarnate, then the pedophiles, now it's the turn of the 'Taliban'! having a name for the enemy on whom we can pour all scorn is really one of the most convenient, if not wisest, ways to handle conflict.

You mentioned Pakistan's nexus with the Taliban, and expressed disgust with the whole idea. It is indeed disgusting that Pakistan have supported -- even nurtured! -- the Taliban with such short-sighted goals as guerrilla-warfare in Kashmir (a disputed territory between Pak and India, which India occupies) and keeping the Shiites (the Taliban's opponents and a different sect of Muslims from mainstream Pakis) from coming to power in Afghanistan. But Thomas, the United States has had an equally strong, if indirect, hand in creating the present day religious extremists both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Back in the late 70s and 80s, when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, the US fully supported a religiously slanted military dictator in Pakistan because he could be relied upon to help the US fight it's proxy war with the Russians in Afghanistan. Hundreds of millions, if not billions, worth of arms and ammo, tanks and fighter jets were 'aided' to the mainly religiously motivated Mujahideen to fight the Reds. During the decade-long war, the country's political and economic infrastructure was completely torn to pieces.

When the Russians finally felt they had enough of their asses kicked, they packed up. Ditto the Americans! "So what?", you might ask? After all, they \\*did\\* help the Afghanis win the war, didn't they? But Thomas, leaving millions of tonnes of arms and ammo in the hands of basically uneducated folks in a starving country with no infrastructure to speak of is hardly the responsible thing to do. Contrast this to the massive pumping of resources into vanquished Japan and Germany after world war II, perhaps still not so much out of largesse as enlightened self-interest (naturally, no one wants even a defeat foe left with more reasons to hate you). Contrast also the efforts to build up France after WW2. As anyone should know, you do not leave a country in shambles after you have it fight a war for you. It spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r in the long run.

For Pakistan, it wasn't even the long run that saw the ill effects of America's support for the Afghan Mujahideen. During the decade of the war itself, Pakistan assimilated (well, 'accepted'!) three million afghan refugees --mostly illiterates, who brought with them their guns and their drug culture. And the Pakistan religiously slanted military dictatorship, kept in place partly by, yes, the Americans, emboldened and bolstered the ranks of religious extremism in the country. The mullahs learnt how they could use and abuse Pakistan's Islamic identity to have their way with its largely moderate masses. Pakistan has never been the same since. The US didn't give a shit. Until now. (In fact, the instant the Russians left, the US slapped sanctions on Pak, including a Pakistan-specific amendment prohibiting the sale of war equipment to the country. Sounds fair, doesn't it?

(Of course, you could argue that the US didn't actually create any of these problems... they just EXPLOITED the conditions that gave rise to them. but that is equally pathetic, especially for a nation that fashions itself the world's policeman)

Oh, did I mention that in the time since the Russians left, the Afghan warlords have been blowing each other to smithereens, with hapless unaligned civilians paying the highest price with their lives. The Taliban have only recently, and with NO popular mandate, assumed power. They are terrorizing the local Afghan population as much as anyone else could. Remember that little detail the next time your desire for revenge/justice has you dreaming of a Kabul flattened by aerial bombing, okay.

As for OBL's complicity in the WTC bombings, I find it hard to buy the federal agents' 'certainty'. For one, the Taliban claim to have rendered him in communicato for the past many months. Secondly, it is even harder to believe that he could have masterminded this operation WHEN HIS EVERY MOVE WAS SURELY BEING MONITORED BY US INTELLIGENCE-- which spends no less than $10b a year on anti-terrorism.

I might also add that the Talibani leadership in Afghanistan as well as all religious parties in Pakistan condemned the terrorist attacks unequivocally. The Taliban have declared that they will hand over ObL if the US can provide concrete proof of his involvement. Why does the US not take them up on their offer? What have they (the State Dept) to lose? They're planning an attack anyway, and "exposing" the dishonesty of the Taliban can only serve that end. What are they waiting for? Why do they need Pakistan to intervene on their behalf?

Thomas, in my humble opinion, the Taliban may be many things (misogynists, bigots and fanatics) but they are not liars. But of course it does not serve the US government's cause to even consider this for a second. They are out for blood, and whose better than a figure's whom Americans had already come to fear and hate!

Now that Pakistan is needed (for strategic support) the US will proceed to use it (again) like a whore, especially knowing that it (the US) can ride the current wave of international outrage and sympathy to make undue demands on this helpless nation. Pakistan indeed finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Side with the US, and we get screwed by the militant religious elements at home, not to mention the Taliban themselves next door; Refuse to help the US, and we may well find, in addition to still harsher economic sanctions, 'unfortunate civilian causalties' in bomb raids on supposed Taliban camps and strongholds. The US holds all the moral aces at the moment, and look like they're going to play them out ruthlessly. It wouldn't be surprising if, once they achieve their objectives, whatever they might be, they leave Pakistan having to play out the game with a horrible deal.

Eleanor Roosevelt, following the attack on Pearl Harbour, antagonized many Californians by calling for tolerance, and posing for pictures with Japanese Americans. the editorial board of the L.A Times were so angry they called for her forcible retirement from public office. The First Lady responded that more than fairness was at stake: "almost the biggest obligation we have today is to prove that in the time of stress we can still live up to our beliefs."

It's not to late for the American govt. to live up to the highest principles enshrined in the UN constitution... Justice and fair play for ALL, though I frankly think his administration woefully incapable of it. Revenge seems to be order of the day.

Why can't we learn from all we've been through?

Love, and godspeed and prudence in this time of grieving...

Pat.

P.S. Thomas, you also mention your disgust at the sight of Palestinians dancing in the streets. I felt similarly. But on later observation, I found that this was only possible as long as they were able to perceive the events as an attack on an abstraction called America...perhaps symbolized for them very well in the tall, proud structures that were the WTC. The instant it was perceived as a human tragedy-- as a cataclysmic event of human suffering, all rejoicing ceased.

For some, though there was perhaps the perverse satisfaction that Americans would for once know what it felt like to be at the receiving end of mindless injustice and mayhem. Apart from the Palestinians, you could count the civilian Iraqis and Sudanese among such. Few people know the true extent of the damage caused by relentless bombing of the Sudan by the US back in 1998 on the mere SUSPICISION that the Sudanese were harboring ObL who was allegedly behind the bombings of two US embassies in Africa. Don't take my word on it. Read one the most outspoken social academic/critic in America, Mr. Noam Chomsky.