To Fight Terrorism, We Must Connect The Dots

Out of the 19 people that attacked the nation, not one was Iraqi; 15 of them were from Saudi Arabia. This reality is curious. Saudi Arabia is supposedly an American “ally� so, why do so many of their citizens—including mastermind bin Laden —hate America?

[Speaking Truth To Empower]

The government tells us big lies – so all of us must become critical thinkers and connect the dots.

This week as the nation commemorates the sixth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, alleged mastermind Osama bin Laden’s tape indicates that the so-called war on terror is bogus, and that the White House’s interest in Iraq about oil. Had we invested all those massive resources, billions of dollars and thousands of American lives, towards going after bin Laden, would he still be releasing such videos?

We have heard many speeches from Administration figures already; not much truth will be told. Political pseudo- patriots while waving flags regurgitate worn-out platitudes about “fighting terror” and spreading “democracy,” as the nation sings “God Bless America.”

The populace is told the feel-good lie that America was attacked because “they hate us for our freedoms.” No one bothers to define who “they” are, and no one admits that the 9-11 tragedy can be linked to America’s imperial foreign policy “coming home to roost” and those who point this out are accused of “blaming America” by “giving aid and comfort to the enemy” even as the US continues to support the corrupt oil-state dictatorships such as Saudi Arabia’s from whence most of the attackers hailed. 

There is reason for worry that George W. Bush will continue piloting the ship of state for more than 16 additional months. He still does not get it.

Last week he told Australian Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile that “we’re kicking ass in Iraq.” Was he also referring to the estimated almost one million Iraqi civilians that have died as a consequence of the war?

There were no “terrorists” in Iraq before the invasion; the search was for WMDs. Now, as bin Laden monitors the news from his hiding place, violence is raging on two fronts in Iraq; there is increase in “insurgent” attacks and in the widening spiral of sectarian fighting between Shia and Sunni factions. Is this Bush’s definition of “kicking ass?”

It seems that bin Laden is a major beneficiary—as US resources are bogged down in Iraq, the 9/11 mastermind has time to ponder other moves. For far too long, many Americans have chosen to remain blissfully ignorant and apathetic to the worldwide outrages being perpetrated by Washington politicos, often underwritten by corporate interests. The American people are guilty of attention deficiency where key details seem to escape them. And the nation’s isolationist mentality has bred a harmful lack of understanding which allows transparent lies to gain traction.

This White House abused the tragedy of 9-11 to invade Iraq with the purpose of removing Saddam Hussein, while claiming that the mission was to disable WMDs and strike at the nexus of evil; later, the mission was sold as a wide strategy to bring “democracy.”     

Anyone that knows anything about Washington’s Middle East policy understands that for years Washington had promoted dictators such as Saddam as they crushed democratic sentiments in the region. Most Americans seem unaware that Saddam was US-supported
and propped. During the Ronald Reagan era, Saddam was armed and encouraged to fight against Iran in that devastating eight-year war of attrition between the two countries.

Reagan and George H. W. Bush, the incumbent’s father and a former CIA chief, knew full well that Saddam was a sadistic, draconian authoritarian but they didn’t care as long as he fulfilled their oily, geo-political aims.

Saddam became expendable when he started to stray from the imperialist playbook during George H. W. Bush’s White House years—Saddam wanted part the empire himself and invaded Kuwait. In effect, the current war is meant to tie-up loose ends left from the Persian Gulf War, under the specious guise of “fighting terror.”    

Out of the 19 people that attacked the nation, not one was Iraqi; 15 of them were from Saudi Arabia. This reality is curious. Saudi Arabia is supposedly an American “ally” so, why do so many of their citizens—including mastermind bin Laden —hate America?    

The Saudi Royal Family is despotic and holding the Saudi people under its yoke, with the held of the American military. Many Saudis consider the U.S. support for this corrupt family, and the stationing of US troops in Saudi soil protecting the Royal Family as sacrilegious. This is a fundamental reason why many Saudis pledge “holy war” against America. Also, it’s worth noting that many of the “foreign fighters” in Iraq are Saudis.

Moreover, it’s no secret that the Saudi Royal family and the Bush Family are joined to the hip in business arrangements revolving around oil. This collaboration has been lavishly beneficial to both, but the average Saudi hasn’t reaped any benefits from the oil in their country, as many live in poverty. Americans must connect the dots and denounce this unholy alliance.

Also one reason it’s been difficult to catch bin Laden is that he is using an American playbook to stay a few paces ahead. Recall that bin Laden, and by extension, Al-Qaida, were beneficiaries of CIA training when bin Laden was a holy warrior in Afghanistan fighting the Russian occupation. It is logical to conclude that weren’t it for American forces protecting the Royal family the Saudi people may have risen up by now.

It is up to the American people; continue being intoxicated by imbibing lies from government officials, or connect the dot and demand for change.
 

Benjamin is a member of The Black Star News’s Editorial Board

 

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