Why they hate us? It's not a secret

[laststeamtrain]

Why they hate us? It's not a secret
Ron Smith

January 15, 2010


You'll remember that shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, President George W. Bush said the motivation of the hijackers was that they hated freedom. Hating freedom seemed then and now to be a pretty weak reason to give up one's own life to inflict death and destruction on others. People who had been paying attention knew what the real reasons for the Islamist radicals' actions were - Osama bin Laden himself had laid them out in detail. They included America's support of Israel in its subordination of the Palestinians and its attacks on Lebanon; the propping up of pro-American kleptocracies in Muslim lands; and the presence of U.S. forces on the "sacred soil" of Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War.

In an audiotape released on Sept. 13, a voice attributed to bin Laden said President Obama is no different than his predecessor and warned that anti-American attacks will not cease unless the United States ends its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to The New York Times of Sept. 15, the message, which appeared on an Arabic-language Web site, was reported and translated by two groups in the U.S. that monitor jihadist Web sites. The message offered reasons for al-Qaeda's attacks on New York and the Pentagon, and offered advice on how the conflict between it and the United States could come to a close:

"The time has come for you," said the purported voice of Mr. bin Laden, "to liberate yourself from fear and the ideological terrorism of neoconservatives and the Israeli lobby; the reason for our dispute with you is your support for your ally, Israel, occupying our land in Palestine."

There you have it, from the horse's mouth. Yet even now, with the president asking Congress to fork over another $33 billion to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on top of the record $708 billion requested for the Defense Department next year, we get more misleading propaganda about what motivates al-Qaeda and its allies...

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.smith15jan15,0,5092492.column

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Yah, maybe, but we will win them over

if we just kill enough of them.

[Gregorian]

2. The problem is, once a conservative makes up their mind...

Even if it's jumping to a conclusion. Even if it's wrong. Even if it isn't even common sense.

Maddness.

[Toasterlad]

3. Weird. I'm Listening to David Cross Even As I Read This.

"If the terrorists hated freedom, then the Netherlands would be fucking dust. As would Denmark, and Sweden, and Switzerland, and New Zealand, and Canada, and every other country that's truly freer than we are."

"I don't think Osama bin Laden sent those planes to attack us because he hated our freedom. I think he did it because of our support for Israel, and our ties with the Saudi family and all our bases in Saudi Arabia. You know why I think that? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE FUCKING SAID! Are we a nation of six-year olds? Answer: yes."

[90-percent]

4. Thank you

Your quotes are excellent! Logic and snark.

-90% Jimmy

[howaboutme]

7. "Shut up Helen"

Isn't that what Janet Napolitano and her cohort said to Helen Thomas at last weeks press conference as she asked "why do they attack us?"?

Answer (tic*): "Helen we don't ask that question around here. George Bush told us it was because of our freedoms and our McDonalds, and President Obama and I are sticking to it."





*tongue stuck in cheek.

[invictus]

5. K&R

[fascisthunter]

6. That's Why they say, "You can't speak(listen) to terrorists."

uhuh... everything is black and white and so simplistic that the actions taken so far have been destructive, irresponsible, and dishonest. A big DUH!

[classysassy]

8. Its fear not hate

when will the american people wake up,stop killing ,stop being killed so that the merchants of war can continue to profit,they the warmongers are the real enemy.