In every debate involving the September 11 tragedy, it seems as if the keyword has been "rationalization." Members of the media have basically tried to make excuses for the terrorist actions. "Well, we (USA) are basically the terrorists of the Middle East, so this must be a cry for help," is a common statement made by those who have little comprehension of world affairs. People have gone so far as to say that the US is an oppressive regime.
Hopefully, all the people who say this will go to Afghanistan and try to get their articles published. Then they'll realize what an oppressive regime really is. However, what bluntly needs to be said is: US foreign policy is not the cause of this situation. The cause are the terrorists who have been taught their whole lives that their actions are just. These terrorists need to be taught the error of their ways, and they need to be struck down.
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not some vehement gung ho American who would like to see the people of Afghanistan nuked. Civilians should not be punished. It would be wrong to attack US citizens for the actions of their government, and the same should apply to Afghanis.
Don't think the US doesn't have any dirty secrets, either. The US even funded Bin Laden in the 80's to oppose the Russians. This is yet another reason why action should be taken. We got ourselves into this mess, we need to get ourselves out of it.
We have made some mistakes, and these are only a few examples. I assure you, almost every nation on earth has done such things. However, nations have to do what they need to do to survive. I'd rather have the United States of America as a world power than the Taliban.
Besides those who blame foreign policy for the recent events, there are many other groups who have a variety of other theories. For example, there exists the conspiracy theorists. Say what you want, but I find them amusing. I'm sure you all have seen the "faces in the smoke." Then there's the entertaining as always Reverend Falwell, who claims that God struck down on the people of the United States. Next there are those who claim that Bush and the GOP perpetrated the attack to gain their absurd 90 percent approval rating.
Listen, I know you people don't like the guy. Sure, he's not that smart nor do I think he should be in the White House, but he's not, by any means, the reincarnation of Satan. The GOP has enough scandals of its own to worry about without this one. Lastly, there are the vehemently anti-semetic "Zionists are racists" fanatics who claim that Israel was behind this.
Apparently, after consulting a piece of dry wood with their theories, these people think the Mossad did this to drum up pro-Israeli support. Believe me, there's already enough pro-Israeli support. They have managed to present some good evidence. Get this: it seems as though the hijackers were of Middle Eastern descent.
Dear god, Israel is in the Middle East! Of course the hijackers were Middle Eastern, they were from Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. But what about the supposed 4,000 Israeli WTC employees who didn't show up for work that day? Let's see, the Israeli government managed to alert all 4000 of these people of the impending doom and nobody else found out. They all kept it a secret and nobody objected to these actions. That, coupled with the fact that the entire story was the work of a tabloid Libyan newspaper, seems to be enough to negate this story.
Those that blame US foreign policy tend to point out that the US is an imperialistic nation, but I haven't seen any colonies being formed recently. Foreign policy is just the scapegoat. Maybe the terrorists antipathy grew because the US supports Israel. Bin Laden's hate surely stems from the US's actions in Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War. He considers the presence of US soldiers in Saudi Arabia a desecration of holy land.
What were they supposed to do, let Kuwait be attacked? If they would have done that, the same people who are complaining now would be complaining that the US let the people of Kuwait die. But they didn't. The United States opposed Saddam Hussein and his genocide geared towards Islamic Kurds and Shiites.
The problem itself is radical Islam, and the extremists who alter the words of the Koran to allow for violence. These people hate America, not because of foreign policy, but because of our secularism and our freedom. The holy soldiers cannot come to grips with the modern world, and they plan to kill those of us who have.
Look at Afghanistan. This is a country where women are killed for showing their skin. This is a country where there are currently foreign aid workers on trial for trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. The regime in Afghanistan has been using soccer stadiums to execute mass amounts people. When questioned about these practices, an Afghani official commented that if they want them to stop using soccer stadiums as a place for executions, then they should have given them enough money for soccer stadiums and places of execution. A regime like this does not deserve to exist and must be removed from power.
So what's to be done? Do we greatly modify our foreign policy? I don't think giving the terrorists exactly what they wanted would set a good precedent. Every psycho around the world would then attack United States citizens. Do we drop our alliance with Israel? Israel is the only westernized democratic country in the Middle East. It is important for the United States to maintain an alliance with Israel, to keep a foothold in the Middle East for freedom and democracy.
What is the solution? Plainly, violence. And I'm not talking about Bubba and Cletus running around attacking anyone who resembles someone of Afghani descent. These people are despicable and should be locked up. No, I'm talking about showing these terrorists that their actions will not be tolerated. People say war never solves anything. It stopped the Nazis. Is the world going to sit back and let another Hitler take power?
Frankly, even if some evidence turns up that proves Bin Laden was not, in fact, involved, I don't think anyone would really mind him being killed. After all, he is still responsible for hundreds of other deaths, even if you think his participation in this particular event was questionable.
The Taliban must be brought down as well. These leaders have the nerve to offer the United States ultimatums and threats. They have Bin Laden in custody. It is obvious that they are aiding him, and by doing so, have sealed their own demise.
A full scale war is not necessary, however. Instead, I support Colin Powell's plan for a limited military component. There should be targeted strikes on the infrastructure of the Taliban, and all its military institutions. The US should also use its other tools, those of the financial, political, and diplomatic aspect. The actions of the military should not be to cause civilian casualties. The US is already trying to help the citizens of Afghanistan, as President Bush has already promised 100 million dollars for aid to Afghani refugees. Compassion is being shown to these people, but when dealing with terrorists there should be no mercy.
What can the US hope to accomplish? For one, the destruction of the Taliban could lead to a more moderate ruling government in Afghanistan. The US will also show that it does not tolerate terrorism. With bin Laden's death, funding will be cut short to his followers, and hopefully when the head of the snake is cut off, the body will wither. If it saves us from one terrorist attack, it is worth it.
Most importantly however, is that there is no other choice. The Sept. 11 act of terrorism is beyond reason, beyond explanation. Malice and hatred are too weak to describe it. This is not the "chickens coming home to roost." These people have destroyed the lives of their own people, and they wish to do the same to the rest of the world.
The most alarming thing is that we cannot give the terrorists anything they want. We don't know what they want. Other terrorist groups like the IRA and Palestinian bombers have goals. With this, there is no cause and there is no agenda. It is pure hatred. These people have only fanatical religion. They are doing nothing but obeying what they interpret to be their god's word, so why would they listen to our words?
@s:The US to take action against the Taliban
