Iraq, Israel, and an Irate Mother
"If the US would get out of Iraq and Israel would get out of Palestine, you wouldn't have this terrorism."
Mrs. Cindy Sheehan, August 2005
Mrs. Sheehan has been demanding a meeting with President Bush to ask him why her son Casey was killed in Iraq. She has publicly speculated that "neocons" in the Administration planned the US invasion of Iraq to help Israel. Her remarks have been quoted by Al Jazeera and white supremacist websites, such as that of ex-Klan leader David Duke.
It is not enough to condemn these comments as anti-Semitic; we should deal seriously with her claims. What is the truth about American involvement with Iraq? Do we face Arab terrorism because of US friendship for Israel?
Q. Why have Arab terrorists attacked the United States?
A fatwa (religious edict) issued by Osama bin Laden in 1996 condemned the "Zionist-Crusader" alliance for "spilling the blood of Muslims in Palestine and Iraq" as well as about ten other places. The stationing of American forces in Saudi Arabia is also condemned. The claim that terrorists " hate our freedom " is not supported by the fatwa. (1)
Q. Did Saddam Hussein support Arab terrorism?
At least one of the hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise-ship was using an Iraqi diplomatic passport. Saddam rewarded the families of suicide bombers in Israel with $25,000 each.
Although Saddam's regime was clearly aligned with Arab terrorists, there is no evidence that he backed attacks on the United States, including those on September 11, 2001. Since Al Qaida did not need Saddam's help, there is no reason they would have told Saddam or anyone else about them in advance.
Q. Did Saddam try to produce nuclear weapons?
In addition to developing poison gases, Iraq under Saddam Hussein embarked on a nuclear development program in the 1970's, but Israel bombed the Osirak reactor in 1981. Iraq apparently tried to obtain uranium and other nuclear technology after that, but there is no evidence that the reactor was ever rebuilt. After the 1991 Gulf War, international sanctions were effective in preventing a resumption of the nuclear program. Despite over two years of searching, no nuclear equipment has been found in Iraq.
Q. If Saddam did not have an atomic weapons program, why did he expel UN inspectors ?
Saddam Hussein apparently relished the role of defying the US and the UN, and giving the impression that Iraq was more powerful than it really was.
Q. When and why did President Bush decide to invade Iraq?
According to former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Bush was determined to topple Saddam Hussein from the time he became President. This claim is supported by the British "10 Downing Street Memo." Bush believed that Iraq was secretly acquiring and making Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), including atomic weapons, and undermining US efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. However, until the September 11 attacks, the American people would not have supported military action against Saddam. Once the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was deposed, plans to invade Iraq were given top priority.
After it became clear that there were no WMD in Iraq, the rationale for the war shifted to establishing democracy there. Now that elections have been held and a new constitiution has been drafted, Bush maintains that US forces must "stay the course in Iraq" until the insurgency has been beaten and a democratic government is secure. That could be a really long time.
Q. Would Congress have authorized the war if the original purpose had been to convert Iraq into an Arab democracy?
Probably not. Most Americans would prefer that democracy prevail in other countries, but are not willing to risk the lives of American soldiers to achieve that goal. We were told that deposing Saddam was necessary to defend America, that the Iraqi people would welcome our forces, and that Iraqi oil revenue would pay for the war. Although some Iraqis have welcomed the coalition forces, none of these claims were entirely true.
Q. Who has gained the most and who has suffered the most from our invasion of Iraq?
Israel gained the most, as a bitter and powerful enemy was deposed without any effort or sacrifice by Israelis. Moreover, Syria is now surrounded by countries allied with the United States or occupied by US armed forces.
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran also do not have to worry about Iraq any time soon.
The Shiites of Iraq gained their religious freedom and the Kurds gained a measure of ethnic independence, and together they rule Iraq.
Many Iraqis suffered the effects of the war, especially from bombs dropped or detonated by coalition forces and insurgents. Their suffering has been offset somewhat by the liberation of their country from the Baath dictatorship.
Americans like Casey Sheehan, who lost their lives, limbs, and health for a cause in which they never had a real stake, have suffered the most. They joined the US Army or National Guard to defend their country, not to fight for the interests of the Israelis, Kuwaitis, Kurds, or other Iraqis.
At the time the invasion was planned, it appeared that Iraq would develop nuclear weapons, but now we know that this conclusion was based upon the most drastic interpretation of fragmentary and vague information.
President Bush cannot convince the families of some killed soldiers that their sacrifice has been worthwhile, so he is not willing to try.
Q. If "Israel gets out of Palestine" as Mrs. Sheehan suggests, will that end Arab terrorism?
A leader of Hamas said, after the evacuation of Gaza, that his group would continue their battle (terrorism) until "every inch of Palestine is liberated." This means not only the end of the State of Israel, but the removal (or murder) of every Jew between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River. I am not saying that this is what Mrs. Sheehan meant by Israel getting out of Palestine, but this is what Arab terrorists mean by that phrase.
People who send bombers into buses and nightclubs are not prone to compromise or negotations over borders. They want nothing short of total victory. Those who believe that reliquishing the West Bank (as well as Gaza) will end the terror do not understand the attitudes of the terrrorists.
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(1) In an address to Congress after September 11, President Bush speculated that this was a major reason for the attacks, instead of quoting from Bin Laden's fatwa, which had been available in English for about five years at that time.
He did not want to tell the American people that the exercise of American power (both military and economic) in the Middle East effectively combats the efforts of the Islamic extremists, and that is the real reason they want to attack us.
Mrs. Cindy Sheehan, August 2005
Mrs. Sheehan has been demanding a meeting with President Bush to ask him why her son Casey was killed in Iraq. She has publicly speculated that "neocons" in the Administration planned the US invasion of Iraq to help Israel. Her remarks have been quoted by Al Jazeera and white supremacist websites, such as that of ex-Klan leader David Duke.
It is not enough to condemn these comments as anti-Semitic; we should deal seriously with her claims. What is the truth about American involvement with Iraq? Do we face Arab terrorism because of US friendship for Israel?
Q. Why have Arab terrorists attacked the United States?
A fatwa (religious edict) issued by Osama bin Laden in 1996 condemned the "Zionist-Crusader" alliance for "spilling the blood of Muslims in Palestine and Iraq" as well as about ten other places. The stationing of American forces in Saudi Arabia is also condemned. The claim that terrorists " hate our freedom " is not supported by the fatwa. (1)
Q. Did Saddam Hussein support Arab terrorism?
At least one of the hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise-ship was using an Iraqi diplomatic passport. Saddam rewarded the families of suicide bombers in Israel with $25,000 each.
Although Saddam's regime was clearly aligned with Arab terrorists, there is no evidence that he backed attacks on the United States, including those on September 11, 2001. Since Al Qaida did not need Saddam's help, there is no reason they would have told Saddam or anyone else about them in advance.
Q. Did Saddam try to produce nuclear weapons?
In addition to developing poison gases, Iraq under Saddam Hussein embarked on a nuclear development program in the 1970's, but Israel bombed the Osirak reactor in 1981. Iraq apparently tried to obtain uranium and other nuclear technology after that, but there is no evidence that the reactor was ever rebuilt. After the 1991 Gulf War, international sanctions were effective in preventing a resumption of the nuclear program. Despite over two years of searching, no nuclear equipment has been found in Iraq.
Q. If Saddam did not have an atomic weapons program, why did he expel UN inspectors ?
Saddam Hussein apparently relished the role of defying the US and the UN, and giving the impression that Iraq was more powerful than it really was.
Q. When and why did President Bush decide to invade Iraq?
According to former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Bush was determined to topple Saddam Hussein from the time he became President. This claim is supported by the British "10 Downing Street Memo." Bush believed that Iraq was secretly acquiring and making Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), including atomic weapons, and undermining US efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. However, until the September 11 attacks, the American people would not have supported military action against Saddam. Once the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was deposed, plans to invade Iraq were given top priority.
After it became clear that there were no WMD in Iraq, the rationale for the war shifted to establishing democracy there. Now that elections have been held and a new constitiution has been drafted, Bush maintains that US forces must "stay the course in Iraq" until the insurgency has been beaten and a democratic government is secure. That could be a really long time.
Q. Would Congress have authorized the war if the original purpose had been to convert Iraq into an Arab democracy?
Probably not. Most Americans would prefer that democracy prevail in other countries, but are not willing to risk the lives of American soldiers to achieve that goal. We were told that deposing Saddam was necessary to defend America, that the Iraqi people would welcome our forces, and that Iraqi oil revenue would pay for the war. Although some Iraqis have welcomed the coalition forces, none of these claims were entirely true.
Q. Who has gained the most and who has suffered the most from our invasion of Iraq?
Israel gained the most, as a bitter and powerful enemy was deposed without any effort or sacrifice by Israelis. Moreover, Syria is now surrounded by countries allied with the United States or occupied by US armed forces.
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran also do not have to worry about Iraq any time soon.
The Shiites of Iraq gained their religious freedom and the Kurds gained a measure of ethnic independence, and together they rule Iraq.
Many Iraqis suffered the effects of the war, especially from bombs dropped or detonated by coalition forces and insurgents. Their suffering has been offset somewhat by the liberation of their country from the Baath dictatorship.
Americans like Casey Sheehan, who lost their lives, limbs, and health for a cause in which they never had a real stake, have suffered the most. They joined the US Army or National Guard to defend their country, not to fight for the interests of the Israelis, Kuwaitis, Kurds, or other Iraqis.
At the time the invasion was planned, it appeared that Iraq would develop nuclear weapons, but now we know that this conclusion was based upon the most drastic interpretation of fragmentary and vague information.
President Bush cannot convince the families of some killed soldiers that their sacrifice has been worthwhile, so he is not willing to try.
Q. If "Israel gets out of Palestine" as Mrs. Sheehan suggests, will that end Arab terrorism?
A leader of Hamas said, after the evacuation of Gaza, that his group would continue their battle (terrorism) until "every inch of Palestine is liberated." This means not only the end of the State of Israel, but the removal (or murder) of every Jew between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River. I am not saying that this is what Mrs. Sheehan meant by Israel getting out of Palestine, but this is what Arab terrorists mean by that phrase.
People who send bombers into buses and nightclubs are not prone to compromise or negotations over borders. They want nothing short of total victory. Those who believe that reliquishing the West Bank (as well as Gaza) will end the terror do not understand the attitudes of the terrrorists.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) In an address to Congress after September 11, President Bush speculated that this was a major reason for the attacks, instead of quoting from Bin Laden's fatwa, which had been available in English for about five years at that time.
He did not want to tell the American people that the exercise of American power (both military and economic) in the Middle East effectively combats the efforts of the Islamic extremists, and that is the real reason they want to attack us.
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 9:42 AM
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