Why they hate us---A Middle East Primer

In 1993 the World Trade Center was attacked the first time and the plotters came very close to bringing the Trade Center towers down. Few citizens realize that the plotters and planners of that event publicly said two important things. First they told the people of American and the world, why they attacked the WTC, and they also told the American people that they would be back for a second attempt. Both statements were largely ignored by mainstream media and the US public was kept uninformed. In 2001 the plotters returned to bring down the towers, and once again they told the US public why, but once again this was ignored by mainstream media.

Since 9/11 there have been at least 5 five taped messages from Osama Bin Laden and in each of the taped messages he explained why the towers were targeted, and yet his warnings and reasoning were not coved by media. Repeatedly Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists have sent messages to various news sources which contain an explanation for their hatred, but the media has failed to inform the US public of the reasons for the deep hatred people have for the US.

The common thread found in all recorded messages is the unbalanced, immoral, deadly, policy towards the Palestinian people. Repeatedly the American people have been told why the attackers are willing to sacrifice their own lives to inflict death in America, and repeatedly the US public has not been informed of their intent.

A review of US policy towards Palestine/ Israel is in order to better understand why the US is under attack. The US public was shocked in October of 1983 when a Marine barracks in Lebanon was destroyed with the loss of 241 American lives. Predictably their was an emotional response directed at the Lebanese people by the US public, without understanding, or being told by media of the events leading up to the bombing of the Marine barracks. The US public was told that the Marines were in Beirut on a peace-keeping mission, which only added to the public's anger at those who killed US soldiers. The public however, was not aware of a Civil War in Lebanon between Muslims and Christians for political power. The US had backed, both politically and economically, a right wing unpopular government in Lebanon, and prevented the Lebanese people from instituting a popular government. When the Civil War occurred, the US allowed Israel to enter the fray, invade Lebanon, and slaughter possibly 20,000 civilians. With Israeli and US backing, a right wing puppet government was established to carry out the wishes of the US and Israel, but assassinations of the installed leaders by those who resented outside interference, resulted in more violence. The US entered a civil war in Lebanon by siding with the Christian right wing faction, and used the firepower of the battleship New Jersey to lob 2000 pound shells (size of small cars) into the hills of Lebanon, killing civilians. It was because of our involvement in a Civil War, and the killing of Lebanese civilians by US forces, that led to the retaliatory bombing of the marine barracks.

Additional anti American anger resulted because the Lebanese people knew that the US supplied, and supported Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, and saw this alliance as destructive to democratic movements in Lebanon. Middle Eastern people began to view Israel and the US as a team working to subvert the will of the people, and to bring anarchy and chaos to the Middle East.

Recently Israel invaded Lebanon once again, and brutally launched an illegal aggressive war on innocent civilians. The entire infrastructure of Lebanon was destroyed and thousands of innocents were killed. The invasion occurred because 2 Israeli soldiers were kidnapped, an incident used by Israel to justify its barbaric assault on an entire nation. Mainstream media neglected to point out that Israel has “kidnapped” and imprisoned thousands of Lebanese without any accusations, trial, or legal representations.
As the assault continued, the Prime Minister of Lebanon went on TV and publicly wept for his people and his nation, and begged the world to demand a cease fire. Not only did the US give Israel the wink and nod to begin the assault, but continued to wink and nod as US made weapons, given to Israel, were used for the slaughter. It was the US who prevented the UN from demanding a cease fire, and it was the US who provided the one million cluster bombs used on civilians by Israel. The media can successfully fool the US public by hiding the facts, but cannot fool the mothers and fathers whose children were slaughtered by the invasion. This marked the second brutal invasion of Lebanon by Israel.

Meanwhile in Palestine the daily killing of Palestinians continued, while the world’s attention was focused on the war in nearby Lebanon. According to UN statistics, since the real turmoil in Palestine began, there have been 4228 Palestinians killed versus 1024 Israelis. Despite living under a brutal illegal occupation, Palestinians managed to hold a very democratic election monitored by international observers, with Hamas getting control of the government. Immediately the US and Israel balked and announced no funds would go to Palestinians until they renounced Hamas and drove them from power. Both Israel and the US are trying to bring about a coup, with the intent of overthrowing a democratically elected government, and restoring the unpopular US/Israeli puppet. The coup is to be achieved through starvation and deprivation of the masses, which would generate conditions intolerable for the Palestinians. As long as the Palestinian people cling to their democratically elected Hamas they will continue to be starved by the US and Israel.

Because of inhuman conditions, including starvation, Palestinian infighting resulted which almost led to civil war. Many observers predicted Civil War due to the intolerable conditions, and many predicted this was the goal of US /Israeli policy all along. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed and a meeting of Palestinian factions was held in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of forming a unity government by compromising on many important issues. Both the US and Israel have insisted all along that peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinians could only occur through a unified government, but once, to the dismay of some, a unified government emerged, the US and Israel threw up another roadblock and obstacle to any peace negotiations. Israel and the US demanded the unity government meet 3 conditions as a prelude to any peace talks. The demands were: 1) the unity government “recognize" Israel’s right to exist, 2) Palestinians must honor past treaties, and 3) Palestinians must renounce violence. Israel and the US maintain there can be no progress until those demands are satisfied. Mainstream American media never discussed the issue of Palestinian recognition of Israel’s right to exist, so an illustration is needed to understand the plight of the Palestinians. Suppose your neighbor took 75% of your property through force, and then demanded you recognize his right to exist on your property. Would you? Could you??? It would amount to a concession that his taking of your land is legal. In Israel’s case, the world community has repeatedly declared Israel’s seizure of Palestinian land to be illegal. The international community had declared the seizure of land to be a violation of both the Geneva Convention and the United Nations Charter, and has publicly condemned Israel for its violation of international law. It is allowed to openly violate international law because it has the backing and protection of the United States, and if Palestinians “recognize” Israel, in effect they are recognizing an illegal seizure of land. Israel has been condemned more times by the UN than any nation in history, and the US has used it’s veto power in the UN an additional 39 times to protect Israel from even more condemning resolutions.

Readers should also note that none of the 3 conditions demanded of the Palestinians have been met by Israel. Israel has refused to recognize the right of Palestinians to have a state, Israel has walked away from numerous previously agreed upon treaties, and Israel certainly has not renounced its policy of violence. One might think that any fair minded media outlet might include this in a balanced treatment of the situation.

Although mainstream media in this country avoids any serious discussion of the Palestinian problem, thus keeping the US public totally uniformed, the Arab world is acutely aware of both the horrible situation of the Palestinians and the nature of the problem. As long as the US continues to support a totally one sided, repressive, and incredibly cruel policy towards Palestinians, the country must be prepared for more retaliation and revenge. As none of this could go one without the blind US support of Israel, the world holds the US responsible for the ongoing tragedy of the Palestinian people. Media and politicians appear to be willing to continue to sacrifice American lives to maintain a disastrous policy for the US public. Perhaps it is time for politicians to do what is best for the American public.