[Peace-discuss] WILL commentary

[Al Kagan]

As requested, here is my commentary that will be aired tomorrow and 
Saturday on WILL.

The Creation of Terrorism: Commentary for the Public Square, WILL-AM
by Al Kagan, member of AWARE, the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort

President Bush often claims that the terrorists hate freedom and our 
way of life. But such statements further his political agenda rather 
than address the real world.   Instead of a massive and violent 
reaction to bin Ladin’s reprehensible and criminal actions, we should 
be seriously responding to his articulated grievances, which resonate 
in the Muslim world and attract followers to his cause.  Millions of 
people remain outraged by three strands of US foreign policy. The first 
was the long-standing international sanctions against Iraq and the 
regular bombing of military installations, not less than every two 
weeks, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians.  
The second was overwhelming US support for Israel’s policies, resulting 
in reducing Palestinians living conditions to the level of poverty only 
seen in the very poorest countries. And the third was stationing US 
troops in the Middle East, especially in Islamic holy places.  Let’s at 
least acknowledge the force of these POLITICAL arguments.

The basic thrust of US foreign policy remains the same as before 9/11. 
Reasoned criticism of Israel’s policies has often been branded as 
anti-semitism, but I would rather characterize it as enlightened 
self-interest. We must come to grips with the fact that US diplomatic, 
military, and economic support for  the Israeli destruction of 
Palestinian life has increased. But the most threatening development is 
the US assault on the people of Iraq.  The initial war was horrendous, 
but the current policies are even worse.  The attack on Falluja has 
almost completely destroyed the city. How will the returning civilians 
be able to pick up their lives if their homes, jobs, and city 
infrastructure are gone?  Perhaps 100,000 people are dead from the US 
war against Iraq, and no one knows how many thousands more are 
seriously wounded, both physically and mentally. There can be no 
justification.

Not only has the war outraged the Iraqi people, but it must logically 
lead to creating a vast number of unemployed bitter people who are 
ready to do anything to kill the invaders. It is clear that some number 
of other bitter people from the rest of the Islamic world have also 
found their way to Iraq.  Finally, let’s remember the history.  Do we 
ever see any news reports in the mainstream press that remind us of the 
US support for the Mujahedeen and bin Laden to drive the Soviet Union 
out of Afghanistan? Do we remember the US support of Sadaam Hussein 
against his rivals in Iran?  Do we think that all those US dollars in 
aid to these tyrants accomplished nothing?  The US is facing 
“blowback,” attack by those who were formerly allies.

The way to defeat terrorism is to address its root causes, not by more 
military actions. The only way to make the world a safer place is to 
make it more just. To do that we need a mass movement to change US 
foreign policy. Contact AWARE, the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort, at 
www.anti-war.net to work for peace.

Al Kagan
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61820
USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax 217-333-2214
akagan at uiuc.edu
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