| Chapter Six of Pax Americana: The Military Industrial Complex and the War On Terror by Danny Quintana |
Liberal Spanish Islam was a tolerant, vibrant society that preserved the knowledge of antiquity and set the stage to bring the West out of the
misery of the dark ages. Christian churches, synagogues and Jewish scholars were protected from intolerant extremists. Algebra, astronomy,
medical science, literacy flourished under the enlightened Muslim rulers in the prosperous city of Cordova. Ideas in enlightened societies are
debated. People are encouraged to think, innovate and be creative. Without Islam, the current Western world would not exist.1
Where religion fails is when beliefs turn into an excuse for hatred and violence. From the crusades to the Inquisition, burning people in an
"auto de fe" is intolerable. Religious beliefs are just that, beliefs. Catholic Spain lost it's intellectual capital by driving out the Jews and
Muslims. Had the Spanish Inquisition not occurred, it is very possible that Spain would have remained a great world power. Religious
tolerance as practiced by the Muslims ended with Ferdinand and Isabel's "reconquesta". 2
The crimes of the Jews and Muslims during the Inquisition were their superstitious beliefs. It is logically impossible to prove or disprove
religious beliefs. This is why America's founding fathers were so adamant about separating religion and government. They were not
"Christians" as alleged by America's extreme right wing. Thomas Jefferson had this to say about religion: "But it does me no injury for my
neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."3
As a result of the First Amendment and the work of the founding fathers, America has a variety of religions. Some beliefs are annoying, a few
are sometimes dangerous. Religious beliefs change over time. Take for example the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Saints, the Mormons.
In 1832 Joe Smith claimed he talked to the angel Moroni in a forest in upstate New York. Smith, a man later convicted for fraud by a New York
jury,4 founded his own religion, a new version of Christianity complete with Jesus preaching in America to Indians who were the descendents
of “lost tribes of Israel”. The Indians were the evil “Lamenites” and their skin color was cursed because they supposedly killed the white and
delightsome “Nephites”. Blacks had "the mark of Cain" and women could never hold the “priesthood”. A man could have many wives as
polygamy was a central tenet of the early church.
The Mormons were despised by their neighbors. After much discrimination and persecution, they asked the Mexican government for
permission to move to Utah in 1846 after Joe was killed by the state militia during a jail break. In Utah they practiced polygamy until the US
Supreme Court wrongly decided Reynolds v. U.S. 98 U.S. 145 (1878) that they did not have the right of freedom of association. This court
ruling was long after the Mormon attempt to establish a theocracy. In the late 1800’s the Mormon behaviors were considered so dangerous
the United States government stationed troops in Utah to prevent them from forming their own nation. Religious ideas are like computer
viruses. They spread rapidly from empty mind to empty mind giving people a new operating system to help them cope with their difficult lives.
Beginning with a handful of members in the 1800’s they now number over four million, (they claim over 12 million on their rolls). The Mormon
religion substantially changed with time and exposure and criticism to other ideas. The Mormons of the 1800’s were not the peaceful, sweet
wonderful people they are today. The early Mormons were violent religious extremists. Brigham Young has this to say about blood and
religion:
misery of the dark ages. Christian churches, synagogues and Jewish scholars were protected from intolerant extremists. Algebra, astronomy,
medical science, literacy flourished under the enlightened Muslim rulers in the prosperous city of Cordova. Ideas in enlightened societies are
debated. People are encouraged to think, innovate and be creative. Without Islam, the current Western world would not exist.1
Where religion fails is when beliefs turn into an excuse for hatred and violence. From the crusades to the Inquisition, burning people in an
"auto de fe" is intolerable. Religious beliefs are just that, beliefs. Catholic Spain lost it's intellectual capital by driving out the Jews and
Muslims. Had the Spanish Inquisition not occurred, it is very possible that Spain would have remained a great world power. Religious
tolerance as practiced by the Muslims ended with Ferdinand and Isabel's "reconquesta". 2
The crimes of the Jews and Muslims during the Inquisition were their superstitious beliefs. It is logically impossible to prove or disprove
religious beliefs. This is why America's founding fathers were so adamant about separating religion and government. They were not
"Christians" as alleged by America's extreme right wing. Thomas Jefferson had this to say about religion: "But it does me no injury for my
neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."3
As a result of the First Amendment and the work of the founding fathers, America has a variety of religions. Some beliefs are annoying, a few
are sometimes dangerous. Religious beliefs change over time. Take for example the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Saints, the Mormons.
In 1832 Joe Smith claimed he talked to the angel Moroni in a forest in upstate New York. Smith, a man later convicted for fraud by a New York
jury,4 founded his own religion, a new version of Christianity complete with Jesus preaching in America to Indians who were the descendents
of “lost tribes of Israel”. The Indians were the evil “Lamenites” and their skin color was cursed because they supposedly killed the white and
delightsome “Nephites”. Blacks had "the mark of Cain" and women could never hold the “priesthood”. A man could have many wives as
polygamy was a central tenet of the early church.
The Mormons were despised by their neighbors. After much discrimination and persecution, they asked the Mexican government for
permission to move to Utah in 1846 after Joe was killed by the state militia during a jail break. In Utah they practiced polygamy until the US
Supreme Court wrongly decided Reynolds v. U.S. 98 U.S. 145 (1878) that they did not have the right of freedom of association. This court
ruling was long after the Mormon attempt to establish a theocracy. In the late 1800’s the Mormon behaviors were considered so dangerous
the United States government stationed troops in Utah to prevent them from forming their own nation. Religious ideas are like computer
viruses. They spread rapidly from empty mind to empty mind giving people a new operating system to help them cope with their difficult lives.
Beginning with a handful of members in the 1800’s they now number over four million, (they claim over 12 million on their rolls). The Mormon
religion substantially changed with time and exposure and criticism to other ideas. The Mormons of the 1800’s were not the peaceful, sweet
wonderful people they are today. The early Mormons were violent religious extremists. Brigham Young has this to say about blood and
religion:
"When will we love our neighbour as ourselves? In the first place, Jesus said that no man
hateth his own flesh.
"It is admitted by all that every person loves himself. Now if we do rightly love ourselves, we
want to be saved and continue to exist, we want to go into the kingdom where we can enjoy
eternity and see no more sorrow nor death. This is the desire of every person who believes in
God. Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in
the kingdom of our God and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands
the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauty and excellency (sic) of the eternities before
him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose that he is overtaken
in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation
which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also
knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with
the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, "shed my blood that I may
be saved and exalted with the Gods?"
"All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would
be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal
exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that
cannot be atoned for without the sheding (sic) of their blood? Will you love that man or woman
well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or
woman to love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never intended any such thing; his
language is left as it is for those to read who have the Spirit to discern between truth and
error; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that
we should love a wicked man in his wickedness.
"Now take the wicked, and I can refer to where the Lord had to slay every soul of the Israelites
that went out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua. He slew them by the hands of their enemies,
by the plague, and by the sword, why? Because He loved them, and promised Abraham that He
would save them. And He loved Abraham because he was a friend to his God, and would stick
to Him in the hour of darkness, hence He promised Abraham that He would save his seed. And
He could save them upon no other principle, for they had forfeited their right to the land of
Canaan by transgressing the law of God, and they could not have atoned for the sin if they had
lived. But if they were slain, the Lord could bring them up in the resurrection, and give them
the land of Canaan, and He could not do it on any other principle.
"I could refer you to plenty of instances where men, have been righteously slain, in order to
atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have
been a chance (in the last resurrection there will be) if their lives had been taken and their
blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty,but who are now angels to
the devil, until our elder brother Jesus Christ raises them up—conquers death, hell, and the
grave. I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance
whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them.
The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle's being in full force, but the
time will come when the law of God will be in full force.
"This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation
and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it. Any of
you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding
of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be
spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind. 5
(emphasis added).
hateth his own flesh.
"It is admitted by all that every person loves himself. Now if we do rightly love ourselves, we
want to be saved and continue to exist, we want to go into the kingdom where we can enjoy
eternity and see no more sorrow nor death. This is the desire of every person who believes in
God. Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved in
the kingdom of our God and our Father, and being exalted, one who knows and understands
the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauty and excellency (sic) of the eternities before
him compared with the vain and foolish things of the world, and suppose that he is overtaken
in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation
which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also
knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be saved and exalted with
the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, "shed my blood that I may
be saved and exalted with the Gods?"
"All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would
be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal
exaltation. Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that
cannot be atoned for without the sheding (sic) of their blood? Will you love that man or woman
well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant. He never told a man or
woman to love their enemies in their wickedness, never. He never intended any such thing; his
language is left as it is for those to read who have the Spirit to discern between truth and
error; it was so left for those who can discern the things of God. Jesus Christ never meant that
we should love a wicked man in his wickedness.
"Now take the wicked, and I can refer to where the Lord had to slay every soul of the Israelites
that went out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua. He slew them by the hands of their enemies,
by the plague, and by the sword, why? Because He loved them, and promised Abraham that He
would save them. And He loved Abraham because he was a friend to his God, and would stick
to Him in the hour of darkness, hence He promised Abraham that He would save his seed. And
He could save them upon no other principle, for they had forfeited their right to the land of
Canaan by transgressing the law of God, and they could not have atoned for the sin if they had
lived. But if they were slain, the Lord could bring them up in the resurrection, and give them
the land of Canaan, and He could not do it on any other principle.
"I could refer you to plenty of instances where men, have been righteously slain, in order to
atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have
been a chance (in the last resurrection there will be) if their lives had been taken and their
blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty,but who are now angels to
the devil, until our elder brother Jesus Christ raises them up—conquers death, hell, and the
grave. I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance
whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them.
The wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle's being in full force, but the
time will come when the law of God will be in full force.
"This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation
and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it. Any of
you who understand the principles of eternity, if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding
of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be
spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind. 5
(emphasis added).
Brother Brigham, dude, calm down! In 1857 the Mormons murdered 120 Americans who were peacefully traveling from Arkansas to California
in the Mountain Meadow Massacre. All children old enough to remember the event were killed.6 Like Al Qaeda’s constant attacks on innocent
people, the Mountain Meadow massacre is a historic reminder of what happens when people act on their superstitious beliefs and kill others
who don’t share their demented perception of reality. The weight of the evidence is the massacre was the blood atonement order of Brigham
Young.
in the Mountain Meadow Massacre. All children old enough to remember the event were killed.6 Like Al Qaeda’s constant attacks on innocent
people, the Mountain Meadow massacre is a historic reminder of what happens when people act on their superstitious beliefs and kill others
who don’t share their demented perception of reality. The weight of the evidence is the massacre was the blood atonement order of Brigham
Young.
 | |  | |  |
| Al Queda Will Never Win "Religion always has it's origin in extremism." David Carey |
The mainstream Mormon Church of today, with it’s temples and ward houses and thousands of missionaries would never allow a brazen act of
terrorism like tje Mountain Meadow of 1857. Today’s leaders would even take up arms to stop this type of senseless terrorism. Modern
Mormons are peaceful, law abiding, fun loving humorous, wonderful people. Brigham Young’s ideas of “blood atonement” are a relic of
religious history. Polygamy was abandoned when the Supreme Court wrongfully decided against the Mormons. While it is still practiced widely
in Utah and surrounding communities, the Mormon Church policy is against it. Thus the Mormons and Utah were allowed statehood. The
Mormon church ideas changed with time and the moderating influence of society. The Mormons approximately 175 years later are now
accepted by American society. Mormons I know both as family members and friends are sweet wonderful people who would not kill or injury
anyone.
Religions evolve. The early Christian church met all of today's criteria of a “cult”. Sometimes religions die out. The Greek and Roman deities
of antiquity no longer receive much attention other than as a mere curiosity. The blood sacrifices of the Aztecs and Mayans have ended. The
religious extremism of the Al Qaeda cult absent a substantial change in ideology will never be accepted by the global community.
On Sept. 25, 2002, just days after the CIA received the source's information, President Bush told reporters:
terrorism like tje Mountain Meadow of 1857. Today’s leaders would even take up arms to stop this type of senseless terrorism. Modern
Mormons are peaceful, law abiding, fun loving humorous, wonderful people. Brigham Young’s ideas of “blood atonement” are a relic of
religious history. Polygamy was abandoned when the Supreme Court wrongfully decided against the Mormons. While it is still practiced widely
in Utah and surrounding communities, the Mormon Church policy is against it. Thus the Mormons and Utah were allowed statehood. The
Mormon church ideas changed with time and the moderating influence of society. The Mormons approximately 175 years later are now
accepted by American society. Mormons I know both as family members and friends are sweet wonderful people who would not kill or injury
anyone.
Religions evolve. The early Christian church met all of today's criteria of a “cult”. Sometimes religions die out. The Greek and Roman deities
of antiquity no longer receive much attention other than as a mere curiosity. The blood sacrifices of the Aztecs and Mayans have ended. The
religious extremism of the Al Qaeda cult absent a substantial change in ideology will never be accepted by the global community.
On Sept. 25, 2002, just days after the CIA received the source's information, President Bush told reporters:
"Al-Qaeda hides. Saddam doesn't, but the danger is, is that they work in concert. The danger is,
is that al-Qaeda becomes an extension of Saddam's madness and his hatred and his capacity to
extend weapons of mass destruction around the world. . . . [Y]ou can't distinguish between
al-Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." 7
is that al-Qaeda becomes an extension of Saddam's madness and his hatred and his capacity to
extend weapons of mass destruction around the world. . . . [Y]ou can't distinguish between
al-Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." 7
as is common knowledge, Osama Bin Laden wanted his Afgan battle hardened troops to protect the kingdom. The Saudi Royal family instead
chose American protection. That was a smart decision. Bin Laden and his small band of killers were no match for the million man, well armed
Iraqi army. There is little doubt a megalomaniac like Saddam would have invaded Saudi Arabia had Bush senior not immediately acted and
sent troops in to protect the corrupt oil kingdom. That would have been a total and complete disaster. The West led by America removed the
Iraqi army from Kuwait and prevented the invasion of the corrupt Saudi oil kingdom, much to the dismay of a now furious Bin Laden.
Saddam was at the very top of Al Qaeda and Bin Laden's hit list. They considered Saddam an atheist and untrustworthy. According to Hamid
Mir, bin Laden's Pakistani biographer, who interviewed him in 1997:
chose American protection. That was a smart decision. Bin Laden and his small band of killers were no match for the million man, well armed
Iraqi army. There is little doubt a megalomaniac like Saddam would have invaded Saudi Arabia had Bush senior not immediately acted and
sent troops in to protect the corrupt oil kingdom. That would have been a total and complete disaster. The West led by America removed the
Iraqi army from Kuwait and prevented the invasion of the corrupt Saudi oil kingdom, much to the dismay of a now furious Bin Laden.
Saddam was at the very top of Al Qaeda and Bin Laden's hit list. They considered Saddam an atheist and untrustworthy. According to Hamid
Mir, bin Laden's Pakistani biographer, who interviewed him in 1997:
“He condemned Saddam Hussein in my interview. He gave such kind of abuses that it was very
difficult for me to write, [calling Hussein a] socialist motherfucker. [He said], "The land of the
Arab world, the land is like a mother, and Saddam Hussein is fucking his mother." He also
explained that Saddam Husseinis against us, and he discourages Iraqi boys to come to
Afghanistan.” 8
difficult for me to write, [calling Hussein a] socialist motherfucker. [He said], "The land of the
Arab world, the land is like a mother, and Saddam Hussein is fucking his mother." He also
explained that Saddam Husseinis against us, and he discourages Iraqi boys to come to
Afghanistan.” 8
The weight of the evidence is Bin Laden is a common criminal and a religious extremist. He needs to have a fair and neutral trial before an
Smith not attempted a jail break and remained incarcerated, he would not have become a “martyr” and would have simply remained the
delusional con artist criminal that is clearly the historical record. Ideas, religious or otherwise, must always be scrutinized, and publicly
debated.
Timothy McVeigh murdered 168 people. McVeigh received a fair trial in an America Federal Court before an impartial judge. He had an
excellent defense team and his twisted views of reality were exposed. The free marketplace of thought rejected McVeigh's racist ideas. He is
not perceived by Americans as a “hero” or a “mayrtr” just a dead scum bag killer. If Al Qaeda’s ideas withstand public scrutiny, they will be
accepted and adopted. The following 1998 interview of Bin Laden by ABC reporter John Miller for Frontline set's forth Al Qaeda's ideas. 9
John Miller: What is the meaning of your call for Muslims to take arms against America in particular, and is the message that you wish to send
to the West in general?
Smith not attempted a jail break and remained incarcerated, he would not have become a “martyr” and would have simply remained the
delusional con artist criminal that is clearly the historical record. Ideas, religious or otherwise, must always be scrutinized, and publicly
debated.
Timothy McVeigh murdered 168 people. McVeigh received a fair trial in an America Federal Court before an impartial judge. He had an
excellent defense team and his twisted views of reality were exposed. The free marketplace of thought rejected McVeigh's racist ideas. He is
not perceived by Americans as a “hero” or a “mayrtr” just a dead scum bag killer. If Al Qaeda’s ideas withstand public scrutiny, they will be
accepted and adopted. The following 1998 interview of Bin Laden by ABC reporter John Miller for Frontline set's forth Al Qaeda's ideas. 9
John Miller: What is the meaning of your call for Muslims to take arms against America in particular, and is the message that you wish to send
to the West in general?
Bin Laden: The call to wage war against America was made because America has spear-headed
the crusade against the Islamic nation, sending tens of thousands of its troops to the land of of
the oppressive, corrupt and tyrannical regime that is in control. These are the reasons behind
the singling out of America as a target. And not exempt of responsibility are those Western
regimes whose presence in the region offers support to the American troops there. We know
at least one reason behind the symbolic participation of the Western forces and that is to
support the Jewish and Zionist plans for expansion of what is called the Great Israel. Surely,
their presence is not out of concern over their interests in the region. Their presence has no
meaning save one and that is to offer support to the Jews in Palestine who are in need of their
Christian brothers to achieve full control over the Arab Peninsula which they intend to make an
important part of the so called Greater Israel.
the crusade against the Islamic nation, sending tens of thousands of its troops to the land of of
the oppressive, corrupt and tyrannical regime that is in control. These are the reasons behind
the singling out of America as a target. And not exempt of responsibility are those Western
regimes whose presence in the region offers support to the American troops there. We know
at least one reason behind the symbolic participation of the Western forces and that is to
support the Jewish and Zionist plans for expansion of what is called the Great Israel. Surely,
their presence is not out of concern over their interests in the region. Their presence has no
meaning save one and that is to offer support to the Jews in Palestine who are in need of their
Christian brothers to achieve full control over the Arab Peninsula which they intend to make an
important part of the so called Greater Israel.
John Miller Press: Many of the Arabic as well as the Western mass media accuse you of terrorism and of supporting terrorism. What do you
have to say to that?
have to say to that?
snuck away." Besides, terrorism can be commendable and it can be reprehensible. Terrifying
an innocent person and terrorizing him is objectionable and unjust, also unjustly terrorizing
people is not right. Whereas, terrorizing oppressors and criminals and thieves and robbers is
necessary for the safety of people and for the protection of their property. There is no doubt in
this. Every state and every civilization and culture has to resort to terrorism under certain
circumstances for the purpose of abolishing tyranny and corruption. Every country in the world
has its own security system and its own security forces, its own police and its own army. They
are all designed to terrorize whoever even contemplates to attack that country or its citizens.
The terrorism we practice is of the commendable kind for it is directed at the tyrants and the
aggressors and the enemies of Allah, the tyrants, the traitors who commit acts of treason
against their own countries and their own faith and their own prophet and their own nation.
Terrorizing those and punishing them are necessary measures to straighten things and to
make them right. Tyrants and oppressors who subject the Arab nation to aggression ought to
be punished.
The wrongs and the crimes committed against the Muslim nation are far greater than can be
covered by this interview. America heads the list of aggressors against Muslims.
The recurrence of aggression against Muslims everywhere is proof enough. For over half a
century, Muslims in Palestine have been slaughtered and assaulted and robbed of their honor
and of their property. Their houses have been blasted, their crops destroyed. And the strange
thing is that any act on their part to avenge themselves or to lift the injustice befalling them
causes great agitation in the United Nations which hastens to call for an emergency meeting
only to convict the victim and to censure the wronged and the tyrannized whose children have
been killed and whose crops have been destroyed and whose farms have been pulverized. ...
In today's wars, there are no morals, and it is clear that mankind has descended to the lowest
degrees of decadence and oppression.
They rip us of our wealth and of our resources and of our oil. Our religion is under attack. They
kill and murder our brothers. They compromise our honor and our dignity and dare we utter a
single word of protest against the injustice, we are called terrorists. This is compounded
injustice. And the United Nations insistence to convict the victims and support the aggressors
constitutes a serious precedence which shows the extent of injustice that has been allowed to
take root in this land.
an innocent person and terrorizing him is objectionable and unjust, also unjustly terrorizing
people is not right. Whereas, terrorizing oppressors and criminals and thieves and robbers is
necessary for the safety of people and for the protection of their property. There is no doubt in
this. Every state and every civilization and culture has to resort to terrorism under certain
circumstances for the purpose of abolishing tyranny and corruption. Every country in the world
has its own security system and its own security forces, its own police and its own army. They
are all designed to terrorize whoever even contemplates to attack that country or its citizens.
The terrorism we practice is of the commendable kind for it is directed at the tyrants and the
aggressors and the enemies of Allah, the tyrants, the traitors who commit acts of treason
against their own countries and their own faith and their own prophet and their own nation.
Terrorizing those and punishing them are necessary measures to straighten things and to
make them right. Tyrants and oppressors who subject the Arab nation to aggression ought to
be punished.
The wrongs and the crimes committed against the Muslim nation are far greater than can be
covered by this interview. America heads the list of aggressors against Muslims.
The recurrence of aggression against Muslims everywhere is proof enough. For over half a
century, Muslims in Palestine have been slaughtered and assaulted and robbed of their honor
and of their property. Their houses have been blasted, their crops destroyed. And the strange
thing is that any act on their part to avenge themselves or to lift the injustice befalling them
causes great agitation in the United Nations which hastens to call for an emergency meeting
only to convict the victim and to censure the wronged and the tyrannized whose children have
been killed and whose crops have been destroyed and whose farms have been pulverized. ...
In today's wars, there are no morals, and it is clear that mankind has descended to the lowest
degrees of decadence and oppression.
They rip us of our wealth and of our resources and of our oil. Our religion is under attack. They
kill and murder our brothers. They compromise our honor and our dignity and dare we utter a
single word of protest against the injustice, we are called terrorists. This is compounded
injustice. And the United Nations insistence to convict the victims and support the aggressors
constitutes a serious precedence which shows the extent of injustice that has been allowed to
take root in this land.
John Miller Press: What is your relationship with the Islamic movements in various regions of the world like Chechnya and Kashmir and other
Arab countries?
Arab countries?
Muslim should do his utmost to cooperate with his fellow Muslims. But Allah says of
cooperation that it is not absolute for there is cooperation to do good, and there is cooperation
to commit aggression and act unjustly. A Muslim is supposed to give his fellow Muslim
guidance and support. He (Allah) said "Stand by your brother be he oppressor or oppressed."
When asked how were they to stand by him if he were the oppressor, He answered them, saying
"by giving him guidance and counsel." It all goes to say that Muslims should cooperate with
one another and should be supportive of one another, and they should promote righteousness
and mercy. They should all unite in the fight against polytheism and they should pool all their
resources and their energy to fight the Americans and the Zionists and those with them. They
should, however, avoid side fronts and rise over the small problems for these are less
detrimental. Their fight should be directed against unbelief and unbelievers.
cooperation that it is not absolute for there is cooperation to do good, and there is cooperation
to commit aggression and act unjustly. A Muslim is supposed to give his fellow Muslim
guidance and support. He (Allah) said "Stand by your brother be he oppressor or oppressed."
When asked how were they to stand by him if he were the oppressor, He answered them, saying
"by giving him guidance and counsel." It all goes to say that Muslims should cooperate with
one another and should be supportive of one another, and they should promote righteousness
and mercy. They should all unite in the fight against polytheism and they should pool all their
resources and their energy to fight the Americans and the Zionists and those with them. They
should, however, avoid side fronts and rise over the small problems for these are less
detrimental. Their fight should be directed against unbelief and unbelievers.
John Miller Press: We heard your message to the American government and later your message to the European governments who
participated in the occupation of the Gulf. Is it possible for you to address the people of these countries?
participated in the occupation of the Gulf. Is it possible for you to address the people of these countries?
Bin Laden: As we have already said, our call is the call of Islam that was revealed to
Mohammed. It is a call to all mankind. We have been entrusted with good cause to follow in the
footsteps of the Messenger and to communicate his message to all nations. It is an
invitation that we extend to all the nations to embrace Islam, the religion that calls for justice,
mercy and fraternity among all nations, not differentiating between black and white or between
red and yellow except with respect to their devotedness. All people who worship
Allah, not each other, are equal before Him. We are entrusted to spread this message and to
extend that call to all the people. We, nonetheless, fight against their governments and all
those who approve of the injustice they practice against us. We fight the governments that are
bent on attacking our religion and on stealing our wealth and on hurting our feelings. And as I
have mentioned before, we fight them, and those who are part of their rule are judged in the
same manner. ...
Mohammed. It is a call to all mankind. We have been entrusted with good cause to follow in the
footsteps of the Messenger and to communicate his message to all nations. It is an
invitation that we extend to all the nations to embrace Islam, the religion that calls for justice,
mercy and fraternity among all nations, not differentiating between black and white or between
red and yellow except with respect to their devotedness. All people who worship
Allah, not each other, are equal before Him. We are entrusted to spread this message and to
extend that call to all the people. We, nonetheless, fight against their governments and all
those who approve of the injustice they practice against us. We fight the governments that are
bent on attacking our religion and on stealing our wealth and on hurting our feelings. And as I
have mentioned before, we fight them, and those who are part of their rule are judged in the
same manner. ...
John Miller Press: In your last statement, there was a strong message to the American government in particular. What message do you have
for the European governments and the West in general?
for the European governments and the West in general?
Bin Laden: Praise be Allah and prayers and peace upon Mohammed. With respect to the
Western governments that participated in the attack on the land of the two Holy Mosques
regarding it as ownerless, and in the siege against the Muslim people of Iraq, we have nothing
in particular is the fact that it is on the head of the Western and the crusading forces in their
fight against Islam and against Muslims. The two explosions that took placein Riyadh and in
Khobar recently were but a clear and powerful signal to the governments of the countries
which willingly participated in the aggression against our countries and our lives and our
sacrosanct symbols. It might be beneficial to mention that some of those countries have begun
to move towards independence from the American government with respect to the enmity that
it continues to show towards the Muslim people.
We only hope that they will continue to move in that direction, away from the oppressive forces
that are fighting against our countries. We however, differentiate between the western
government and the people of the West. If the people have elected those governments in the
latest elections, it is because they have fallen prey to the Western media which portray things
contrary to what they really are. And while the slogans raised by those regimes call for
humanity, justice, and peace, the behavior of their governments is completely the opposite. It
is not enough for their people to show pain when they see our children being killed in Israeli
raids launched by American planes, nor does this serve the purpose. What they ought to do is
change their governments which attack our countries.
The hostility that America continues to express against the Muslim people has given rise to
feelings of animosity on the part of Muslims against America and against the West in general.
Those feelings of animosity have produced a change in the behavior of some crushed and
subdued groups who, instead of fighting the Americans inside the Muslim countries, went on to
fight them inside the United States of America itself. The Western regimes and the government
of the United States of America bear the blame for what might happen. If their people do not
wish to be harmed inside their very own countries, they should seek to elect governments that
are truly representative of them and that can protect their interests. ... The enmity between us
and the Jews goes far back in time and is deep rooted.
There is no question that war between the two of us is inevitable. For this reason it is not in
the interest of Western governments to expose the interests of their people to all kinds of
retaliation for almost nothing. It is hoped that people of those countries will initiate a positive
move and force their governments not to act on behalf of other states and other sects. This is
what we have to say and we pray to Allah to preserve the nation of Islam and to help them drive
their enemies out of their land. American politicians have painted a distorted picture of Islam,
of Muslims and of Islamic fighters. We would like you to give us the true picture that clarifies
your viewpoint ... .
The leaders in America and in other countries as well have fallen victim to Jewish Zionist
blackmail. They have mobilized their people against Islam and against Muslims. These are
portrayed in such a manner as to drive people to rally against them. The truth is that the whole
Muslim world is the victim of international terrorism, engineered by America at the United
Nations. We are a nation whose sacred symbols have been looted and whose wealth and
resources have been plundered. It is normal for us to react against the forces that invade our
land and occupy it.
Western governments that participated in the attack on the land of the two Holy Mosques
regarding it as ownerless, and in the siege against the Muslim people of Iraq, we have nothing
in particular is the fact that it is on the head of the Western and the crusading forces in their
fight against Islam and against Muslims. The two explosions that took placein Riyadh and in
Khobar recently were but a clear and powerful signal to the governments of the countries
which willingly participated in the aggression against our countries and our lives and our
sacrosanct symbols. It might be beneficial to mention that some of those countries have begun
to move towards independence from the American government with respect to the enmity that
it continues to show towards the Muslim people.
We only hope that they will continue to move in that direction, away from the oppressive forces
that are fighting against our countries. We however, differentiate between the western
government and the people of the West. If the people have elected those governments in the
latest elections, it is because they have fallen prey to the Western media which portray things
contrary to what they really are. And while the slogans raised by those regimes call for
humanity, justice, and peace, the behavior of their governments is completely the opposite. It
is not enough for their people to show pain when they see our children being killed in Israeli
raids launched by American planes, nor does this serve the purpose. What they ought to do is
change their governments which attack our countries.
The hostility that America continues to express against the Muslim people has given rise to
feelings of animosity on the part of Muslims against America and against the West in general.
Those feelings of animosity have produced a change in the behavior of some crushed and
subdued groups who, instead of fighting the Americans inside the Muslim countries, went on to
fight them inside the United States of America itself. The Western regimes and the government
of the United States of America bear the blame for what might happen. If their people do not
wish to be harmed inside their very own countries, they should seek to elect governments that
are truly representative of them and that can protect their interests. ... The enmity between us
and the Jews goes far back in time and is deep rooted.
There is no question that war between the two of us is inevitable. For this reason it is not in
the interest of Western governments to expose the interests of their people to all kinds of
retaliation for almost nothing. It is hoped that people of those countries will initiate a positive
move and force their governments not to act on behalf of other states and other sects. This is
what we have to say and we pray to Allah to preserve the nation of Islam and to help them drive
their enemies out of their land. American politicians have painted a distorted picture of Islam,
of Muslims and of Islamic fighters. We would like you to give us the true picture that clarifies
your viewpoint ... .
The leaders in America and in other countries as well have fallen victim to Jewish Zionist
blackmail. They have mobilized their people against Islam and against Muslims. These are
portrayed in such a manner as to drive people to rally against them. The truth is that the whole
Muslim world is the victim of international terrorism, engineered by America at the United
Nations. We are a nation whose sacred symbols have been looted and whose wealth and
resources have been plundered. It is normal for us to react against the forces that invade our
land and occupy it.
John Miller Press: Quite a number of Muslim countries have seen the rise of militant movements whose purpose is to stand up in the face of
the pressure exerted on the people by their own governments and other governments. Such as is the case in Egypt and Libya and North
Africa and Algiers and such as was the case in Syria and in Yemen. There are also other militant groups currently engaged in the fight
against the unbelievers and the crusaders as is the case in Kashmir and Chechnya and Bosnia and the African horn. Is there any message
you wish to convey to our brothers who are fighting in various parts of the Islamic World?
the pressure exerted on the people by their own governments and other governments. Such as is the case in Egypt and Libya and North
Africa and Algiers and such as was the case in Syria and in Yemen. There are also other militant groups currently engaged in the fight
against the unbelievers and the crusaders as is the case in Kashmir and Chechnya and Bosnia and the African horn. Is there any message
you wish to convey to our brothers who are fighting in various parts of the Islamic World?
Bin Laden... Tell the Muslims everywhere that the vanguards of the warriors who are fighting
the enemies of Islam belong to them and the young fighters are their sons. Tell them that the
nation is bent on fighting the enemies of Islam. Once again, I have to stress the necessity of
focusing on the Americans and the Jews for they represent the spearhead with which the
members of our religion have been slaughtered. Any effort directed against America and the
Jews yields positive and direct results - Allah willing. It is far better for anyone to kill a single
American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities. 10
the enemies of Islam belong to them and the young fighters are their sons. Tell them that the
nation is bent on fighting the enemies of Islam. Once again, I have to stress the necessity of
focusing on the Americans and the Jews for they represent the spearhead with which the
members of our religion have been slaughtered. Any effort directed against America and the
Jews yields positive and direct results - Allah willing. It is far better for anyone to kill a single
American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities. 10
This is what Afghanistan was really like under Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
-Women were forbidden from working even if their husbands died. Since thousands of men died in this never ending conflict, numerous
women were left as single war widows. The Taliban did not care. They still would not allow women to work and support their children. Many
were forced into begging on the streets for food and money. And if they were there alone on the streets begging, they would be beaten.
-Women were not allowed to be educated or to serve as educators. They were denied medical services because male doctors could not
touch them. Medical care for women under the Taliban was virtually non-existent. Not that it mattered medical care for anyone, male or female
was filthy and completely inadequate. I remember being there shortly after the Taliban was removed from power. I was at a wheelchair
distribution at a hospital in Kabul. The place was so dirty and dusty it was awful. There were no toilet facilities with running water. There were
no anti-biotics and the doctors were still waiting for the West’s promises of aide.
-Since only two countries recognized the Taliban, Pakistan and our good buddies Saudi Arabia, there was little international aide to lift the
country out of poverty and hardship. Other countries saw these killers for the sociopaths that they were and refused to have diplomatic
relations with them.
-During the Taliban, if a woman went in public without the Burka their fate was worse than a beating. The government had the religious police
patrol the streets to see if people were acting outside of their demented version of “Islamic” law. Even ultra right wing Muslim countries like
Saudi Arabia refuse to allow their women to be so grossly mistreated. It is one thing to deny women the right to vote, to drive or to be in public
uncovered. But it is quite another to kill or maim them like advocated by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
-Afghanistan under the Taliban was a place of starvation, some of the worst repression since Pol Pot and probably the most intolerant
government in history. Most members of the Taliban were Pashtu. Consequently, they went out of their way to torture and kill the numerous
other ethnic groups that are such an important fabric of the cultural life of Afghanistan.
-There was no music. The Taliban forbid any type of rock and roll from the West, blues, Jazz, classical. The incredible Persian artists with
their music of violins, the delightful Afghan wedding songs, Arabic music, nothing was allowed.
-Children were not allowed to play football in the streets like their contemporaries throughout the world. They were not allowed to fly kites,
watch movies or television. Wedding dances were forbidden.
-All art was banned. And as is well know the destruction of the giant Buddhist statutes in the Hindu Kush mountains created in the third and
fifth centuries provoked an international outcry.
-Women were forbidden from working even if their husbands died. Since thousands of men died in this never ending conflict, numerous
women were left as single war widows. The Taliban did not care. They still would not allow women to work and support their children. Many
were forced into begging on the streets for food and money. And if they were there alone on the streets begging, they would be beaten.
-Women were not allowed to be educated or to serve as educators. They were denied medical services because male doctors could not
touch them. Medical care for women under the Taliban was virtually non-existent. Not that it mattered medical care for anyone, male or female
was filthy and completely inadequate. I remember being there shortly after the Taliban was removed from power. I was at a wheelchair
distribution at a hospital in Kabul. The place was so dirty and dusty it was awful. There were no toilet facilities with running water. There were
no anti-biotics and the doctors were still waiting for the West’s promises of aide.
-Since only two countries recognized the Taliban, Pakistan and our good buddies Saudi Arabia, there was little international aide to lift the
country out of poverty and hardship. Other countries saw these killers for the sociopaths that they were and refused to have diplomatic
relations with them.
-During the Taliban, if a woman went in public without the Burka their fate was worse than a beating. The government had the religious police
patrol the streets to see if people were acting outside of their demented version of “Islamic” law. Even ultra right wing Muslim countries like
Saudi Arabia refuse to allow their women to be so grossly mistreated. It is one thing to deny women the right to vote, to drive or to be in public
uncovered. But it is quite another to kill or maim them like advocated by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
-Afghanistan under the Taliban was a place of starvation, some of the worst repression since Pol Pot and probably the most intolerant
government in history. Most members of the Taliban were Pashtu. Consequently, they went out of their way to torture and kill the numerous
other ethnic groups that are such an important fabric of the cultural life of Afghanistan.
-There was no music. The Taliban forbid any type of rock and roll from the West, blues, Jazz, classical. The incredible Persian artists with
their music of violins, the delightful Afghan wedding songs, Arabic music, nothing was allowed.
-Children were not allowed to play football in the streets like their contemporaries throughout the world. They were not allowed to fly kites,
watch movies or television. Wedding dances were forbidden.
-All art was banned. And as is well know the destruction of the giant Buddhist statutes in the Hindu Kush mountains created in the third and
fifth centuries provoked an international outcry.
If men’s beards were not long enough, the Taliban would cut off their ears. The Taliban and Al Qaeda were worse then reported in the media.
Thousands of completely innocent people died of starvation and hundreds were murdered by the “religious police” for conduct that is normal
human behavior in the rest of the world such as wanting to work when your husband died or removing the burka because it was hot or you
just did not want to wear one. The Taliban and Al Qaeda’s hatred of women are ideas that have little chance of success. Obviously there was
no alcohol.
When I was in Afghanistan the Taliban and Al Qaeda had a saying, “men are for recreation and women are for procreation”. Their despicable
mistreatment of women is an affront on humanity. Women are our mothers, our grandmothers, our sisters, our friends, our companions, our
lovers. Absolutely nothing in the Koran condones Al Qaeda’s and the Taliban’s horrible view of how to enslave and brutally beat, starve and
demean women. This behavior has nothing to do with Islam, a religion of peace and love. One can only conclude from observing what bin
Laden, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are advocating that they are hateful homosexuals, which is quite surprising as very few gays that I have
ever met anywhere in the world hate women.
In Latin countries, the beauty and sexuality of women is appreciated. It is expected that women will be attractive. This does not mean they will
be disrespected; only that women are admired. Countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia and Argentina routinely produce world class
models and numerousMs. Universe titles. The idea that Latin women would have their clitorises ripped out and be genitally mutilated is not
something that will ever be allowed in any Latin country. And every Latin male will fight to protect their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters
from religious killers like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
In the Orient, women are leaders in industry, education, and every part of society. While some societies like the Japanese have political power
exclusively in the hands of men, no Japanese man would ever allow his wife, his mother, his sister, his friends to be genitally mutilated, beaten
for not wearing a burka, spit on, or stoned for wearing a bikini at the beach. The Japanese would not only fight to protect their women, they
will kill any member of the Taliban and Al Qaeda who would attempt to impose their twisted, disgusting, vicious view of reality on their beautiful
society.
In Thailand the women are beautiful, slim, sexy and intelligent. They are school teachers, engineers, politicians and are in every part of social
life. And yes, they are also prostitutes, strippers, and escorts. But the idea that they will be genitally mutilated, forced to wear the burka, never
be allowed in public alone, forbidden from working and will just be baby machines is not something the wonderful Thai people will ever allow.
While in that beautiful country, I saw senior games where the elderly participated in a large sports festival. Men and women were riding their
motor bikes down busy streets. Hand crafted, finely detailed art work was for sale to tourists from all over the world. Music filled the air both on
television, on the radio and in nightclubs. Women cooked food on the numerous sidewalk cafes that were on virtually every street of every
city. People were either eating or cooking. Men and women worked together in shops, as vendors, in schools and every part of society. Fine
cotton clothes were made from the looms in small villages in rural Thailand. This was exclusively a female occupation. But these traditions
were not because women are second class citizens or the subjects of torture as advocated by the Taliban and Al Qaeda. These were
traditions that are honored and respected like the elephant trainers who are exclusively a male occupation.
Thai society has freedom of religion. I saw Muslim men and women in the shopping bazaars, selling goods to various tourists and enjoying the
freedoms that go with living in a tolerant, warm, happy society. Despite the freedom of religion that clearly exists, criminals in the Muslim
community have set off numerous bombings in the south of Thailand.
Contrast these behaviors with the Taliban and Al Qaeda's Afghanistan. The only publicly activity approved by Al Qaeda and the Taliban is
prayer. For those of us who believe that prayer is a private matter, this idea will never fly. What is Al Qaeda stated goal with all of their
bombings and killings? According to the Federation of American Scientists,
Thousands of completely innocent people died of starvation and hundreds were murdered by the “religious police” for conduct that is normal
human behavior in the rest of the world such as wanting to work when your husband died or removing the burka because it was hot or you
just did not want to wear one. The Taliban and Al Qaeda’s hatred of women are ideas that have little chance of success. Obviously there was
no alcohol.
When I was in Afghanistan the Taliban and Al Qaeda had a saying, “men are for recreation and women are for procreation”. Their despicable
mistreatment of women is an affront on humanity. Women are our mothers, our grandmothers, our sisters, our friends, our companions, our
lovers. Absolutely nothing in the Koran condones Al Qaeda’s and the Taliban’s horrible view of how to enslave and brutally beat, starve and
demean women. This behavior has nothing to do with Islam, a religion of peace and love. One can only conclude from observing what bin
Laden, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are advocating that they are hateful homosexuals, which is quite surprising as very few gays that I have
ever met anywhere in the world hate women.
In Latin countries, the beauty and sexuality of women is appreciated. It is expected that women will be attractive. This does not mean they will
be disrespected; only that women are admired. Countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia and Argentina routinely produce world class
models and numerousMs. Universe titles. The idea that Latin women would have their clitorises ripped out and be genitally mutilated is not
something that will ever be allowed in any Latin country. And every Latin male will fight to protect their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters
from religious killers like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
In the Orient, women are leaders in industry, education, and every part of society. While some societies like the Japanese have political power
exclusively in the hands of men, no Japanese man would ever allow his wife, his mother, his sister, his friends to be genitally mutilated, beaten
for not wearing a burka, spit on, or stoned for wearing a bikini at the beach. The Japanese would not only fight to protect their women, they
will kill any member of the Taliban and Al Qaeda who would attempt to impose their twisted, disgusting, vicious view of reality on their beautiful
society.
In Thailand the women are beautiful, slim, sexy and intelligent. They are school teachers, engineers, politicians and are in every part of social
life. And yes, they are also prostitutes, strippers, and escorts. But the idea that they will be genitally mutilated, forced to wear the burka, never
be allowed in public alone, forbidden from working and will just be baby machines is not something the wonderful Thai people will ever allow.
While in that beautiful country, I saw senior games where the elderly participated in a large sports festival. Men and women were riding their
motor bikes down busy streets. Hand crafted, finely detailed art work was for sale to tourists from all over the world. Music filled the air both on
television, on the radio and in nightclubs. Women cooked food on the numerous sidewalk cafes that were on virtually every street of every
city. People were either eating or cooking. Men and women worked together in shops, as vendors, in schools and every part of society. Fine
cotton clothes were made from the looms in small villages in rural Thailand. This was exclusively a female occupation. But these traditions
were not because women are second class citizens or the subjects of torture as advocated by the Taliban and Al Qaeda. These were
traditions that are honored and respected like the elephant trainers who are exclusively a male occupation.
Thai society has freedom of religion. I saw Muslim men and women in the shopping bazaars, selling goods to various tourists and enjoying the
freedoms that go with living in a tolerant, warm, happy society. Despite the freedom of religion that clearly exists, criminals in the Muslim
community have set off numerous bombings in the south of Thailand.
Contrast these behaviors with the Taliban and Al Qaeda's Afghanistan. The only publicly activity approved by Al Qaeda and the Taliban is
prayer. For those of us who believe that prayer is a private matter, this idea will never fly. What is Al Qaeda stated goal with all of their
bombings and killings? According to the Federation of American Scientists,
“Al-Qa'ida is multi-national, with members from numerous countries and with a worldwide
presence. Senior leaders in the organization are also senior leaders in other terrorist
organizations, including those designated by the Department of State as foreign terrorist
organizations, such as the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya and the Egyptian al-Jihad.Al-Qa'ida
seeks a global radicalization of existing Islamic groups and the creation of radical Islamic
groups where none exist. Al-Qa'ida supports Muslim fighters in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya,
Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Kosovo. It also trains members of terrorist organizations from
such diverse countries as the Philippines, Algeria, and Eritrea. Al-Qa'ida's goal is to "unite all
Muslims and to establish a government which follows the rule of the Caliphs." Bin Laden has
stated that the only way to establish the Caliphate is by force. Al-Qa'ida's goal, therefore, is to
overthrow nearly all Muslim governments, which are viewed as corrupt, to drive Western
influence from those countries, and eventually to abolish state boundaries. 11
presence. Senior leaders in the organization are also senior leaders in other terrorist
organizations, including those designated by the Department of State as foreign terrorist
organizations, such as the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya and the Egyptian al-Jihad.Al-Qa'ida
seeks a global radicalization of existing Islamic groups and the creation of radical Islamic
groups where none exist. Al-Qa'ida supports Muslim fighters in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya,
Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Kosovo. It also trains members of terrorist organizations from
such diverse countries as the Philippines, Algeria, and Eritrea. Al-Qa'ida's goal is to "unite all
Muslims and to establish a government which follows the rule of the Caliphs." Bin Laden has
stated that the only way to establish the Caliphate is by force. Al-Qa'ida's goal, therefore, is to
overthrow nearly all Muslim governments, which are viewed as corrupt, to drive Western
influence from those countries, and eventually to abolish state boundaries. 11
America and her NATO allies sent troops into Afghanistan to fight the criminals who hijacked a religion and terrorized a country. The
international community and the Afghan people supports this war for a variety of reasons. The Afghan people want peace and a Muslim
society that is part of the global community, not a center for terrorism training and repression.
Normal people are not interested in Al Qaeda's message of hatred. They want to go to the beach on a hot day, enjoy the water and sun in
their bathing suits listen to music and have a beer. People want wedding dances and festivities. Children want to play football and fly kites.
Men want to watch sports at a pub with their friends. Parents love their little girls and want them to dance in musicals, study science, art and
become productive members of society.
No matter how much spin is used by the extreme Christian right, this lucky September 11th sucker punch happened on Bush and Cheney’s
watch. But how powerful was this criminal organization? According to Michael Hirsh,
international community and the Afghan people supports this war for a variety of reasons. The Afghan people want peace and a Muslim
society that is part of the global community, not a center for terrorism training and repression.
Normal people are not interested in Al Qaeda's message of hatred. They want to go to the beach on a hot day, enjoy the water and sun in
their bathing suits listen to music and have a beer. People want wedding dances and festivities. Children want to play football and fly kites.
Men want to watch sports at a pub with their friends. Parents love their little girls and want them to dance in musicals, study science, art and
become productive members of society.
No matter how much spin is used by the extreme Christian right, this lucky September 11th sucker punch happened on Bush and Cheney’s
watch. But how powerful was this criminal organization? According to Michael Hirsh,
“In contrast to the truly terrifying Atta, the lead 9/11 hijacker, and 9/11 master strategist Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed—both of whom took terrorism to new levels of competence—most Al Qaeda
operatives look more like life's losers, the kind who in a Western culture wold join street gangs
or become a petty criminals but who in the jihadi world could lose themselves in a "great
cause," making some sense of their pinched, useless lives. Like Richard Reid, who tried to set
his shoelace on fire. Or Ahmed Ressam, who bolted in a panic from his car at the U.S.border
during an alleged mission to bomb the L.A. airport. Or Iyman Faris, who comically believed he
could bring down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch. Or the crazed Zacarias Moussaoui, who
was disowned even by bin Laden. Then you've got the hapless Lackawanna Six, and, more
recently, the Toronto 17, who were thinking about pulling off an Oklahoma City-style attack with
ammonium nitrate—or perhaps just beheading the prime minister—but hadn't quite gotten
around to it.
Were these people potentially lethal? Yes. One doesn't have to graduate at the top of one's
class to set off explosives in a satchel on a subway. Were most of them capable of hatching a
minutely timed scheme to obtain and detonate a nuclear bomb in a city, or launch a bio-warfare
attack? No. "In an open system like a network, the bumbler level is always going to be high
because of the ease of entry," says John Arquilla, an intelligence expert at the Naval
Postgraduate School. "That's how someone like [American Taliban supporter] John Walker
Lindh can walk into the high councils of Al Qaeda and meet bin Laden. And recently the bumbler
factor has gone up considerably." Ironically the most competent "Al Qaeda" leader in recent
years, at least since the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2003, was Abu Mussab al-
Zarqawi, who came close to subverting the American project and creating a sectarian war in
Iraq.
But he did that largely on his own, facilitated by the fortuitous conjoining of Iraq with the war on
terror. Before the Iraq war Zarqawi was a nobody, hiding out in northern Iraq, largely
unconnected to Saddam's regime even though Colin Powell, in his infamous Feb. 5, 2003,
United Nations Security Council speech, claimed that Saddam had given Zarqawi "harbor." And
he was not part of bin Laden's group. Would he have attacked U.S. interests at some point,
somewhere? Almost certainly. But the Iraq invasion gave Zarqawi a chance to blossom on his
own as a jihadi.
Another figure named by Powell in that U.N. speech, Abu Atiya, was said to be the Zarqawi and
Al Qaeda link to terror networks in Europe. But according to a French investigation
documented in Le Figaro newspaper, he turned out to be a minor figure. "If he was so
important, then why was he returned to his home country, Jordan, and released at one
point?" says John Sifton of Human Rights Watch, who has closely tracked the fate of high-level
"ghost" detainees. "He does not fit the profile of high-level Al Qaeda terrorists. Neither do any
of these supposed Al Qaeda operatives that were trumped up by administration officials in 2002
and 2003. Every single one of these stories, when subjected to the harsh light of public
scrutiny, has collapsed."
Those of us who have been on the war-on-terror beat since 9/11 have been reluctant to write
about Al Qaeda this way, although some of us have suspected for a long time the group was
never all that it was cracked up to be. Especially in the immediate wake of the horrific but
brilliantly coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, it seemed absurdly
risky—if not downright unpatriotic—to suggest that perhaps Muhammad Atta was the best bin
Laden had, his Hail Mary pass, so to speak.
But there was substantial evidence showing that, up to 9/11, Al Qaeda could barely hold its act
together, that it was a failing group, hounded from every country it tried to roost in (except for
the equally lunatic Taliban-run Afghanistan). That it didn't represent the mainstream view even
in the jihadi community, much less the rest of the Muslim world. This is the reality of the group
that the Bush administration has said would engage us in a "long war" not unlike the cold war —
the group that has led to the transformation of U.S. foreign policy and America's image in the
world.
The intelligence community generally agrees that the number of true A-list Al Qaeda operatives
out there around the time of 9/11 was no more than about 1,000, perhaps as few as 500, most in
and around Afghanistan. It is also fairly well established that bin Laden and his No. 2, Ayman al-
Zawahiri, were engaged in a fierce pre-9/11 struggle with their own meager band
of followers over whether it was wise to take on the "far enemy"—the United States—when
many jihadis really wanted to engage the "near enemy," their national regimes, like Egyptian
autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
The ultimate tragedy of the Iraq war was not only that it diverted the U.S. from the knockout
blow against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan—the deaths of bin Laden and Zawahiri would
likely have persuaded most jihadis it was wiser to focus on the near enemy—but that Iraq also
altered the outcome of Al Qaeda's internal debate, tipping it in bin Laden's favor. "Iraq ended
that debate because it fused the near and the far enemy," as Arquilla puts it succinctly. America
ventured into the lands of jihad and willingly offered itself as a target in place of the local
regimes. And as a new cause that revived the flagging Al Qaeda movement. It is, no doubt, bin
Laden's greatest victory.12
Sheikh Mohammed—both of whom took terrorism to new levels of competence—most Al Qaeda
operatives look more like life's losers, the kind who in a Western culture wold join street gangs
or become a petty criminals but who in the jihadi world could lose themselves in a "great
cause," making some sense of their pinched, useless lives. Like Richard Reid, who tried to set
his shoelace on fire. Or Ahmed Ressam, who bolted in a panic from his car at the U.S.border
during an alleged mission to bomb the L.A. airport. Or Iyman Faris, who comically believed he
could bring down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch. Or the crazed Zacarias Moussaoui, who
was disowned even by bin Laden. Then you've got the hapless Lackawanna Six, and, more
recently, the Toronto 17, who were thinking about pulling off an Oklahoma City-style attack with
ammonium nitrate—or perhaps just beheading the prime minister—but hadn't quite gotten
around to it.
Were these people potentially lethal? Yes. One doesn't have to graduate at the top of one's
class to set off explosives in a satchel on a subway. Were most of them capable of hatching a
minutely timed scheme to obtain and detonate a nuclear bomb in a city, or launch a bio-warfare
attack? No. "In an open system like a network, the bumbler level is always going to be high
because of the ease of entry," says John Arquilla, an intelligence expert at the Naval
Postgraduate School. "That's how someone like [American Taliban supporter] John Walker
Lindh can walk into the high councils of Al Qaeda and meet bin Laden. And recently the bumbler
factor has gone up considerably." Ironically the most competent "Al Qaeda" leader in recent
years, at least since the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2003, was Abu Mussab al-
Zarqawi, who came close to subverting the American project and creating a sectarian war in
Iraq.
But he did that largely on his own, facilitated by the fortuitous conjoining of Iraq with the war on
terror. Before the Iraq war Zarqawi was a nobody, hiding out in northern Iraq, largely
unconnected to Saddam's regime even though Colin Powell, in his infamous Feb. 5, 2003,
United Nations Security Council speech, claimed that Saddam had given Zarqawi "harbor." And
he was not part of bin Laden's group. Would he have attacked U.S. interests at some point,
somewhere? Almost certainly. But the Iraq invasion gave Zarqawi a chance to blossom on his
own as a jihadi.
Another figure named by Powell in that U.N. speech, Abu Atiya, was said to be the Zarqawi and
Al Qaeda link to terror networks in Europe. But according to a French investigation
documented in Le Figaro newspaper, he turned out to be a minor figure. "If he was so
important, then why was he returned to his home country, Jordan, and released at one
point?" says John Sifton of Human Rights Watch, who has closely tracked the fate of high-level
"ghost" detainees. "He does not fit the profile of high-level Al Qaeda terrorists. Neither do any
of these supposed Al Qaeda operatives that were trumped up by administration officials in 2002
and 2003. Every single one of these stories, when subjected to the harsh light of public
scrutiny, has collapsed."
Those of us who have been on the war-on-terror beat since 9/11 have been reluctant to write
about Al Qaeda this way, although some of us have suspected for a long time the group was
never all that it was cracked up to be. Especially in the immediate wake of the horrific but
brilliantly coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, it seemed absurdly
risky—if not downright unpatriotic—to suggest that perhaps Muhammad Atta was the best bin
Laden had, his Hail Mary pass, so to speak.
But there was substantial evidence showing that, up to 9/11, Al Qaeda could barely hold its act
together, that it was a failing group, hounded from every country it tried to roost in (except for
the equally lunatic Taliban-run Afghanistan). That it didn't represent the mainstream view even
in the jihadi community, much less the rest of the Muslim world. This is the reality of the group
that the Bush administration has said would engage us in a "long war" not unlike the cold war —
the group that has led to the transformation of U.S. foreign policy and America's image in the
world.
The intelligence community generally agrees that the number of true A-list Al Qaeda operatives
out there around the time of 9/11 was no more than about 1,000, perhaps as few as 500, most in
and around Afghanistan. It is also fairly well established that bin Laden and his No. 2, Ayman al-
Zawahiri, were engaged in a fierce pre-9/11 struggle with their own meager band
of followers over whether it was wise to take on the "far enemy"—the United States—when
many jihadis really wanted to engage the "near enemy," their national regimes, like Egyptian
autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
The ultimate tragedy of the Iraq war was not only that it diverted the U.S. from the knockout
blow against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan—the deaths of bin Laden and Zawahiri would
likely have persuaded most jihadis it was wiser to focus on the near enemy—but that Iraq also
altered the outcome of Al Qaeda's internal debate, tipping it in bin Laden's favor. "Iraq ended
that debate because it fused the near and the far enemy," as Arquilla puts it succinctly. America
ventured into the lands of jihad and willingly offered itself as a target in place of the local
regimes. And as a new cause that revived the flagging Al Qaeda movement. It is, no doubt, bin
Laden's greatest victory.12
Al Qaeda, a weak criminal organization that was on the run afte their horrific criminal attack on innocent people got the perfect recruiting tool
they desperately needed. In violation of international law, the United States, Great Britain and a small handful of allies invaded Iraq. It is
unknown how many people have been killed. Some estimates are as high as 600,000 and a few are as low as 30,000. Iraq is
approximately one tenth the population size of America. If our country was invaded and we had over 300,000 dead and tens of thousands
more wounded and no reliable electricity or running water, millions of displaced refugees, it would be a disaster of historic proportions.
Add the Abu Ghriab scandal and now Al Qaeda has fresh recruits unlike anything that they could have imagined in their most hopeful dreams.
Even as badly as America has behaved and the daily disaster that is this war, the majority of the planet will not want to live in the hell that was
Taliban/Al Qaeda Afghanistan. The Iraq civil war will end as all civil wars end. When it does Al Qaeda’s sick and twisted world view will not
prevail. Even if Iraq turns into a regional war and Iran, Syria and Turkey get sucked in, Al Qaeda will never prevail. Too many people love
freedom and liberty to allow the religious fascist state advocated by these hate filled people. The more people Al Qaeda kill, the more they will
be hated in the Muslim world. The majority of people being murdered by Al Qaeda are Muslims.
Unlike American media's perverted portrayal of this monolithic religion, the Muslim world is a very large, diverse place with many cultures.
Some Muslim societies are moderate, modern and wealthy like the United Arab Emirates. Others are poor like Afghanistan. Many Muslims live
immediately next door to Christians, Buddhists and Hindus and even Jews. There is not one “Muslim” world, just like there is not one
“Christian” world. Like Mormonism today, Islam is a peaceful religion throughout the planet.
Members of Al Qaeda can’t play musical instruments, so they kill musicians. They can’t play football or tennis, so they kill athletes. They can’t
do art, so they kill artists. They can’t govern so they kill political leaders. They can’t develop and compete legally in business. So they kill
business people. The only real skill the members of Al Qaeda possess is they know how to blow up cars, buildings and kill people. Killing
innocent people is an act of blasphemy and is prohibited by Islamic law. Al Qaeda is to Islam what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christanity. The
members of Al Qaeda are not "Muslims". They are the losers and killers of the modern world. Just like blowing up black churches did not make
the Klan "Christians", blowing up mosques and police stations will never make Al Qaeda "Muslims". And they will never "win".
President Bush has made it clear that this “war on terrorism” will last the rest of this century. Since the main beneficiaries of this “war on
terror” are defense contractors and energy companies, was September 11th a conspiracy?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1. Islam and Islamic History in Arabia and The Middle East, SCIENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP IN AL-ANDALUS online at:
www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Ref4.htm Much has been written regarding Islam's contributions in science, mathematics, medicine
and Roman and Greek writings and knowledge. Clearly the West would not exist without Islam.
2. The "reconquesta" and the Spanish Inquisition have had a tremendous amount of scholarly work. A recent book that touches on the
subject is Hugh Thomas. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. New York: Random House. 2003. Pp.
xxi, 696. $35.00. Despite the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition, it pales in comparison to the atrocities which took place in the centuries that
followed. Humans can be the most vicious animal on the planet as evidenced by the behaviors of the Nazis, the communists, the Americans in
Vietnam and the carnage taking place in Iraq.
3. Obviously Thomas Jefferson was not a right wing "Christian". At best his philosophy is best described as a mild case of deist or maybe
agnostic. The quote can be found online at: THOMAS JEFFERSON ON CHRISTIANITY & RELIGION Compiled by Jim Walker
www.nobeliefs.com/jefferson.htm
4. Despite the Mormons' denials to the contrary, Joe Smith was in fact convicted for fraud by a New York jury. He obviously did not talk to the
angel Moroni since "angels" do not exist. It is perfectly acceptable to believe in "angels". But one should not kill others who refuse to share in
such nonsense. Much has been written regarding this con man who is the founder of an American "religion". From Fawn Brodie's excellent
expose, "No Man Knows My History" to the various writings on www.exmormon.org there is not one shred of scientific evidence anywhere
on the planet earth that even remotely supports the writings in the "Book of Mormon". Since churches in America don't have to pay taxes and
are free to preach superstitions, the Mormon Church has gross revenue of over $20 million dollars per day. The "prophet"
is in reality the "profit". But alas, the money is used to help others in addition to spreading more basically racist, sexist nonsense.
5. See To Know God is Eternal Life—God the Father of Our Spirits and Bodies—Things Created Spiritually First—Atonement By the
Shedding of Blood. A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 8, 1857. online at:
www.utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/jofdvol4p215_221brighambloodatonement.htm
6. There are numerous sites on the internet regarding this tragic event. One of the best is The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its
Completion as a Historic Episode, by Ralph R. Rea online at: http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/brondel/archive/rea.htm
7. CIA Learned in '02 That Bin Laden Had No Iraq Ties, Report Says By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, September 15,
2006; Page A14 online at:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401545.html
8. “The Osama bin Laden I Know” by Peter L. Bergen, excerpt of the book, Vanity Fair, online at: http://www.peterbergen.
com/bergen/articles/details.aspx?id=233 also at:The Real bin Laden, an Oral History, By PETER L. BERGEN online at:
www.peterbergen.com/bergen/services/print.aspx?id=233
9. John Miller’s interview with Osama bin Laden, for Frontline, the entire interview is online at:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/interview.html
10. Ibid.
11. al-Qa'ida (The Base) Qa‘idat al-Jihad Islamic Army for the Liberation of the Holy Places World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and
Crusaders Islamic Salvation Foundation Usama bin Laden Network online at American Federation of Scientists:
www.fas.org/irp/world/para/ladin.htm
12. Hirsh: Debunking the Myth of Al Qaeda. Before 9/11, Osama bin Laden’s group was small and fractious. How Washington helped to build
it into a global threat. WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY By Michael Hirsh Updated: 5:41 p.m. MT June 30, 2006 online at:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13600653/site/newsweek/print/1/displaymode/1098/
they desperately needed. In violation of international law, the United States, Great Britain and a small handful of allies invaded Iraq. It is
unknown how many people have been killed. Some estimates are as high as 600,000 and a few are as low as 30,000. Iraq is
approximately one tenth the population size of America. If our country was invaded and we had over 300,000 dead and tens of thousands
more wounded and no reliable electricity or running water, millions of displaced refugees, it would be a disaster of historic proportions.
Add the Abu Ghriab scandal and now Al Qaeda has fresh recruits unlike anything that they could have imagined in their most hopeful dreams.
Even as badly as America has behaved and the daily disaster that is this war, the majority of the planet will not want to live in the hell that was
Taliban/Al Qaeda Afghanistan. The Iraq civil war will end as all civil wars end. When it does Al Qaeda’s sick and twisted world view will not
prevail. Even if Iraq turns into a regional war and Iran, Syria and Turkey get sucked in, Al Qaeda will never prevail. Too many people love
freedom and liberty to allow the religious fascist state advocated by these hate filled people. The more people Al Qaeda kill, the more they will
be hated in the Muslim world. The majority of people being murdered by Al Qaeda are Muslims.
Unlike American media's perverted portrayal of this monolithic religion, the Muslim world is a very large, diverse place with many cultures.
Some Muslim societies are moderate, modern and wealthy like the United Arab Emirates. Others are poor like Afghanistan. Many Muslims live
immediately next door to Christians, Buddhists and Hindus and even Jews. There is not one “Muslim” world, just like there is not one
“Christian” world. Like Mormonism today, Islam is a peaceful religion throughout the planet.
Members of Al Qaeda can’t play musical instruments, so they kill musicians. They can’t play football or tennis, so they kill athletes. They can’t
do art, so they kill artists. They can’t govern so they kill political leaders. They can’t develop and compete legally in business. So they kill
business people. The only real skill the members of Al Qaeda possess is they know how to blow up cars, buildings and kill people. Killing
innocent people is an act of blasphemy and is prohibited by Islamic law. Al Qaeda is to Islam what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christanity. The
members of Al Qaeda are not "Muslims". They are the losers and killers of the modern world. Just like blowing up black churches did not make
the Klan "Christians", blowing up mosques and police stations will never make Al Qaeda "Muslims". And they will never "win".
President Bush has made it clear that this “war on terrorism” will last the rest of this century. Since the main beneficiaries of this “war on
terror” are defense contractors and energy companies, was September 11th a conspiracy?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1. Islam and Islamic History in Arabia and The Middle East, SCIENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP IN AL-ANDALUS online at:
www.islamicity.com/mosque/ihame/Ref4.htm Much has been written regarding Islam's contributions in science, mathematics, medicine
and Roman and Greek writings and knowledge. Clearly the West would not exist without Islam.
2. The "reconquesta" and the Spanish Inquisition have had a tremendous amount of scholarly work. A recent book that touches on the
subject is Hugh Thomas. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. New York: Random House. 2003. Pp.
xxi, 696. $35.00. Despite the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition, it pales in comparison to the atrocities which took place in the centuries that
followed. Humans can be the most vicious animal on the planet as evidenced by the behaviors of the Nazis, the communists, the Americans in
Vietnam and the carnage taking place in Iraq.
3. Obviously Thomas Jefferson was not a right wing "Christian". At best his philosophy is best described as a mild case of deist or maybe
agnostic. The quote can be found online at: THOMAS JEFFERSON ON CHRISTIANITY & RELIGION Compiled by Jim Walker
www.nobeliefs.com/jefferson.htm
4. Despite the Mormons' denials to the contrary, Joe Smith was in fact convicted for fraud by a New York jury. He obviously did not talk to the
angel Moroni since "angels" do not exist. It is perfectly acceptable to believe in "angels". But one should not kill others who refuse to share in
such nonsense. Much has been written regarding this con man who is the founder of an American "religion". From Fawn Brodie's excellent
expose, "No Man Knows My History" to the various writings on www.exmormon.org there is not one shred of scientific evidence anywhere
on the planet earth that even remotely supports the writings in the "Book of Mormon". Since churches in America don't have to pay taxes and
are free to preach superstitions, the Mormon Church has gross revenue of over $20 million dollars per day. The "prophet"
is in reality the "profit". But alas, the money is used to help others in addition to spreading more basically racist, sexist nonsense.
5. See To Know God is Eternal Life—God the Father of Our Spirits and Bodies—Things Created Spiritually First—Atonement By the
Shedding of Blood. A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 8, 1857. online at:
www.utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/jofdvol4p215_221brighambloodatonement.htm
6. There are numerous sites on the internet regarding this tragic event. One of the best is The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its
Completion as a Historic Episode, by Ralph R. Rea online at: http://asms.k12.ar.us/armem/brondel/archive/rea.htm
7. CIA Learned in '02 That Bin Laden Had No Iraq Ties, Report Says By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, September 15,
2006; Page A14 online at:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401545.html
8. “The Osama bin Laden I Know” by Peter L. Bergen, excerpt of the book, Vanity Fair, online at: http://www.peterbergen.
com/bergen/articles/details.aspx?id=233 also at:The Real bin Laden, an Oral History, By PETER L. BERGEN online at:
www.peterbergen.com/bergen/services/print.aspx?id=233
9. John Miller’s interview with Osama bin Laden, for Frontline, the entire interview is online at:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/interview.html
10. Ibid.
11. al-Qa'ida (The Base) Qa‘idat al-Jihad Islamic Army for the Liberation of the Holy Places World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and
Crusaders Islamic Salvation Foundation Usama bin Laden Network online at American Federation of Scientists:
www.fas.org/irp/world/para/ladin.htm
12. Hirsh: Debunking the Myth of Al Qaeda. Before 9/11, Osama bin Laden’s group was small and fractious. How Washington helped to build
it into a global threat. WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY By Michael Hirsh Updated: 5:41 p.m. MT June 30, 2006 online at:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13600653/site/newsweek/print/1/displaymode/1098/