[debalexis]

This has been posted at another forum that I don't get to as often as this one but felt compelled to cut and copy it for all of you to read.
This has got me really thinking and feel that there may be a whole lot of truth behind this. I am in no way trying to promote any misleading information or to lesson the pain that this horror has been on each and everyone of us in one way or another. I do believe that we are to be held accountable for our actions according to the law of the land.
Deb

Thoughts from an American-Arab
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I've read several posts asking and wondering "why". So, I felt very compelled to write this post, to hopefully shed some light on the facts that MAY have led to this horrendous tragedy. Please bear with me, as this is a VERY LONG post. I respectfully post this for all to read, and understand that we all have the right to our opinions. Perhaps this bit of info will she some light.

I came to the conclusion that the American people, who are horrified by the attack and are looking for retribution, have no clue about the "root" of the problem. I felt compelled to also tell you the other side of the story. Some of which is available to each and any one of us, but some only available to the people who live in the mid-East. The Americans are angry, rightfully so, but are not knowledgeable about why. I hope you find the time and courage to educate the people around you of the facts I am about to tell you. These are facts indeed, yet the media and our government will not highlight this enough to get our attention. If the people would only watch the news, really watch the news and link back to history, they would see so clearly where the problem lies. Maybe they have their attn now? Maybe that was partially "why"?

I will try to start as far back as I can, and hopefully you will read this with an open mind, and by all means, feel free to research all that I am saying. It's there, in history, in print...no secret at all.

Over 15 years ago, when Russia was trying to invade Afghanistan, the USA trained many Arab soldiers to go to Afghanistan and fight. We trained them and we armed them. Now, it looked as if we were being compassionate, when in reality we were watching out for the largest interest in the world....OIL! If Russia made it through Afghanistan, and then through other Arab countries, they would be in control of the oil, which directly controls the economy of the world. So, at that time, the Arabs were our "friends".

Now I move to Desert Storm. We set Saddam Hussein up, quite beautifully in fact. In a television interview between him and a woman (I can't remember her title), he stated that Kuwait was Iraq's 13th goverent (like a State). Which in fact it was not, but it was his way of saying he could have it if he wanted it. She responded, "yes, it is". Silently saying that we would do nothing, as we recognize that this is yours. THIS IS ON TAPE! Additionally, Russia's gov't had just crumbled, and the USA and Russia were becoming allies (they had no choice basically because we were bailing them out of ruin-yet this was still not made public.). However, at the same time, Russia is telling Suddam that the USA will do nothing if he doesn't leave Kuwait (after the invasion, we gave him a deadline of Jan 16th I believe, not certain about the date), and if the USA does do something, then Russia will be at his side. He believed this like an idiot, because history proved USA and Russia were not allies. There was no way in hell the USA was going to let Suddam get closer to the control of the oil, so we kicked his butt. And in the process, we gave everyone in the world reason to believe that USA presence, through military bases, was needed all over the middle east for "peace purposes". We accomplished what we set out to from the beginning, and that was to "watch over" the oil.

Meanwhile, we have supported Israel for years through free weapons, money, privileges in the USA (tax free bonds which, by the way, no other country in the world has that privilege here, etc). In turn, they buy our political support. They took over Palestine and have been killing these people for many, many years. In retaliation, the Palestinians send suicide bombers. So the Israeli gov't kills more (with missiles, machine guns, etc.) and then another suicide bomber goes out and takes out 10 - 30 people. Mind you, these suicide bombers are directed by various militant groups, not the gov't. Either way, the Palestinians refuse to give up because they have nothing to lose. These people are being killed by the hundreds, women, children, and men. These people are suffering on a daily basis by the hands of the Israeli gov't. Even we watched on TV, the man crouching behind a metal barrel of sorts, with his young son in his arms. This man was a civilian. He was unarmed. AND, he was begging the Israeli soldiers not to shoot, that he had his son with him. The soldiers decided to shoot his son, right there, while the man held him in his arms. He watched his son die, and so did the rest of the world.

We Americans saw this. What did we do? NOTHING. What did our gov't do? NOTHING. Instead, we continued to support Israel. There is a law, that states that US arms shall NOT be used to oppress, but only defend. And it is so painfully obvious that our weapons are not being used for such purposes. And what do we do? NOTHING.

Americans were horrified by the Palestinians who were dancing in the streets, and celebrating this terror that reined upon us on Tuesday. Do you know why??? Not because they are happy that people are dead. No. But that the very people who are inadvertently helping their "King of Terror" is now having a taste of what that have been enduring for so many years. And not only have they endured death, but severe poverty. This by the hands of an American gov't these people once thought were their friends.

When the Israeli gov't finds out who the suicide bomber is, they go kill the father, sometimes brothers, and take the mother and sisters and throw her in the streets. They destroy the woman's home, a woman with 4 or more babies sometimes. They uproot their trees (olives, figs, etc), that these people need to make a living. They are punishing the entire family because of one desperate soul. And still, we do nothing. I don't believe in this country we condemn the entire family because one member commits a crime? Is Tim McVey's family still alive? Yep.

What happen Tuesday was no doubt a tragedy. A monstrosity committed against innocent men, women, and children. And we are looking to retaliate. I fear this: If we retaliate, will this cure the problem of terrorism in our country? No, not if we look at the happenings in Israel. They continue to come back. And they will. They are willing to die for their country. For their families. For their God. Lets us not do anything rash, but use our minds to get to the root of the problem. And make damn sure that what were do is going to stop terrorism, not ignite it.

For the record, these terrorists are NOT Palestinians. They are of many Arab descents. Lebanese, Syrian, Saudi, Afghanistan, Sudanese, etc. This is a large group of lone men who want to do something about the problem in the middle east, and the injustices that are occurring everyday to the Palestinian people. Think about it, what a huge problem it is when men from other countries will join you to fight for your life. And these men are not trying to "get" Americans per se, they just want the USA to stop helping Israel kill their Arab neighbors. I understand their cause, although I don't agree with how they carry it out.

When will the USA stand up to Israel and say "NO MORE!". When will we stop giving and giving and giving to this country? Why is it that we do not come to the Palestinians rescue, when they have never harmed us? WHY? Because there is no economic advantage to do so. And if there was, you better believe that the gov't would find reason to get the American people behind them, and they'd jump right in.

So, as much as it's heart warming to see our fellow Americans drop all walls and allow compassion to shine through, it's heartbreaking to know that if this happened elsewhere, to a country we don't give a darn about, we wouldn't blink an eye. So how deep is this compassion anyway? OR is it just a question of taking the time to watch the news and read the paper. Perhaps this will wake us all up to the many thousands that are dying by our weapons that we continue to give, along with our political support. Let us force our gov't to be compassionate...for those who are defenseless in this world. And then, maybe then, we might see terrorism come to a halt.

I am personally devestated by what has happened to us, and pray that this will never, ever happen again. I also pray that this will no longer be tolerated anywhere in the world.