Unlike previous wars delineated by political and geographic
boundaries, the "war on terror" is very complex and, as such, difficult for a
large segment of our population to understand. We are accustomed to war
consisting of two sides lining up, shooting at each other and blowing up each
other's stuff. The problem here is that, our enemy doesn't really
present any easy targets for blowing up and exists within countries without
necessarily representing the official position of host countries, making it
difficult to justify attacks on these countries. They claim to represent
Islam
Our enemy is very patient, viewing this as a war of generations
and willing to wait years between well planned attacks against soft targets
instead of foolishly trying to go head to head on a daily basis with a super
power.
As a result, it is easy for Americans and Europeans, used to the
concept of resolving wars in days, weeks, months or maybe a few years, to lose
focus and for support to wane as we grow comfortable in our belief that we are
again safe. But we need to keep focused and understand that our
enemy is counting on our complacence, that this war was being waged before we
even realized it, and that it will continue beyond our lifetime.
Here's a news clip that helps to show that
this war was being waged before our enemy really got our attention on 9/11.
What scares me is that we are already starting to "heal" from the wound of 9/11
and many among us are preaching that this is not a war. That mistake could
prove fatal to our way of life and to our lives in general.
bin Laden: The U.S. knows that I have attacked it, by the
grace of God, for more than ten years now. The U.S. alleges that I am fully
responsible for the killing of its soldiers in Somalia. God knows that we
have been pleased at the killing of American soldiers. This was achieved by
the grace of God and the efforts of the mujahedin from among the Somali
brothers and other Arab mujahedin who had been in Afghanistan before that.
America has been trying ever since to tighten its economic blockade against
us and to arrest me. It has failed. This blockade does not hurt us much. We
expect to be rewarded by God.
We should fully understand our religion. Fighting is a part
of our religion and our Shari'a. Those who love God and his Prophet and this
religion cannot deny that. Whoever denies even a minor tenet of our religion
commits the gravest sin in Islam. Those who sympathize with the
infidels--such as the PLO in Palestine, or the so-called Palestinian
Authority--have been trying for tens of years to get back some of their
rights. They laid down arms and abandoned what is called "violence" and
tried peaceful bargaining. What did the Jews give them? They did not give
them even 1% of their rights.
TIME: The U.S. says you are trying to acquire chemical
and nuclear weapons. How would you use these?
bin Laden: Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty.
If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to
do so. And if I seek to acquire these weapons, I am carrying out a duty. It
would be a sin for Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would
prevent the infidels from inflicting harm on Muslims.
bin Laden: Hostility toward America is a religious duty,
and we hope to be rewarded for it by God. To call us Enemy Number One or Two
does not hurt us. Osama bin Laden is confident that the Islamic nation will
carry out its duty. I am confident that Muslims will be able to end the
legend of the so-called superpower that is America.
Let's not forget the attacks that we virtually ignored, at times
responding in a fashion that made us look weak, either lobbing bombs from long
distance or retreating.
1983 Eighty-three people are killed
at the US Embassy in Beirut.
1983 241 US Marines are killed in a
truck bombing in Beirut by the Islamic Jihad
1984 The US embassy in the Beirut
is bombed- 15 are killed
1988 Pan Am flight 103 is blown up
over Lockerbie Scotland. All 259 passengers and crew are killed.
1993 Two Blackhawks downed in
Somalia, 18 soldiers killed, some dragged through the streets
1993 A bomb explodes in the
basement of the World Trade Center in New York- Six die 1,000 are injured
1998 The US embassies in Mairobi
Kenya and Dar es Salamm Tanzania are bombed.
2000 USS Cole is attacked, killing
17 sailors, injuring 39
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