Russian version
Osama's 9/11 anniversary
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Victor Davis Hanson
Jewish World Review Sept.
14, 2006 / 21 Elul, 5766
In speeches leading up to the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, President
Bush focused on the dangers of Islamic fascism and the efforts, both at
home and abroad, to combat them. In response, his election-year rivals
fired back that we are no safer than we were five years ago. According
to them, we are mired in Afghanistan and Iraq, and have sacrificed our
civil liberties while exaggerating the global terrorist threat.
But al-Qaida is not so conflicted. While American politicians tore
into each other, Al Jazeera calmly released a video of Osama bin Laden
from before 9/11. Given the timing of the tape's release, you could call
it bin Laden's alternative commemoration of the mass murder of 3,000 Americans.
The film reveals bin Laden strutting through his Afghanistan terrorist
camp — and blessing those who were preparing the 9/11 suicide attacks.
Other top men in al-Qaida appear, and at least two of the hijackers boast
of their planned jihad in Manhattan.
There is a lot to relearn from the footage that we have apparently
forgotten in these last five years.
Let's start with what actually prompted 9/11. Today, according to a
Scripps Howard poll, more than a third of Americans suspect the attacks
were an inside job (with federal officials either helping the hijackers
or at least knowing about them in advance). Meanwhile, a majority of our
Canadian neighbors believe U.S. policies were a primary cause of the attack.
But what does the newly released tape tell us? Was 9/11 a result of
American support for Israel? Or the presence of our troops in Saudi Arabia,
or the U.N. embargo of Iraq — the grievances that bin Laden himself in
1998 cited as grounds for murdering Americans?
Not according to two of the captioned "Martyrs of the Manhattan Raid,"
who spoke freely in this newly released tape. Saudi nationals Hamza al-Ghamdi
(who helped crash Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center)
and Wail al-Shehri (who joined Mohammed Atta on Flight 11 to topple the
North Tower) mostly voiced anger over Western violence against Muslims
in Chechnya and Bosnia (as well as citing furor about Kashmir and the Philippines).
Never mind that the U.S., almost alone among Western countries, criticized
Russian tactics in Grozny, and bombed a European Christian country for
several weeks to save Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Instead of having any precise claim against America, these killers
showed that their hurt arose from their own sense of envy and collective
failure — as the now all too familiar references to "being humiliated"
and lost honor in the tape attest.
There is no doubt who al-Ghamdi and al-Shehri were — or what they were
planning to do. Yet polls since 9/11 consistently reveal that most Muslims
in the Middle East do not believe that al-Qaida, much less any Arab Muslims
at all, carried out the attacks. Instead, Israel or the CIA is blamed.
So the tape is also a chilling reminder that in this war evidence means
nothing — superstition, bias and delusion everything.
It's also important to note that bin Laden acknowledges the murder
plot and prays for the hijackers ("ask G-d . . . to aim their shots well").
Yet some delude themselves that bin Laden, albeit misguided and dangerous,
is still a resistance fighter driven by notions of Islamic purity. In the
past, bin Laden has even denied his involvement in planning 9/11. Here,
though, he clearly takes credit for it. The Arab Street should be reminded
that its icon is not only a killer and a thug but a pathological liar as
well.
And let's not forget what has become of these odious jihadists since
this creepy pre-9/11 video was made, since their various fates might offer
some barometer of our success or failure in this present period of domestic
recriminations.
The Afghanistan camp in the tape has been obliterated by the U.S. military.
Bin Laden is alive, but hiding — most likely protected by the friendly
Islamist tribes inside a nuclear Pakistan.
The two murderous 9/11 hijackers are in hell. Another terrorist in
the tape, Mohammed Atef, one of bin Laden's top lieutenants, was killed
by an American air strike in Afghanistan. And Ramzi Binalshibh, who probably
helped plan the 9/11 killings but failed to gain entry into the U.S., is
currently in a cell in Guantanamo Bay.
In short, most of our enemies who appear in this latest film are either
dead, scattered or in captivity — and by the very policies of military
retaliation and incarceration so criticized around the world.
Ultimately, the tape of this now-extinct terrorist camp reminds us
not to impute our own notions about motives to these jihadists. Instead,
why not just watch and listen to what they themselves really do and say?
The truth may shock us.
© 2006, TMS
Russian version
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a