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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TH who wrote (60961)	12/10/2002 6:43:15 PM
From: Noel de Leon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

"I agree that the ultimate solution will only be possible with true freedom, democracy, and education (and a generation or two dying out), but I am not sure I understand the following statements. " I think that there is an awareness(sub-conscious or conscious) among many in the Arab world that the root cause of the decline in Arab fortunes lies with the total lack of freedom and democratic institutions(Turkey is an exception and only partially at that). This is lack, in the minds of many in the Arabic world, supported by the US(directly and indirectly)." "Are you saying, the Arabs know it is their own fault, but they don't want to accept responsibility for the situation? And the "many" you refer to, would this be the educated people?" No to both questions. I think that the Arabs recognize that attempts to change the corrupt regimes in the Arab world have met with no support by the one source of their desire to be free, the US. My original statement was something like, "Would 9/11 have happened if U.S. support for Israel was no different than for any other country in region/world". I am only speculating that the extreme actions we see from OBL and his crew are possible because of a strong and universal association between the U.S. and Israel, and the pure hate the Arab population has for Israel. I do not underestimate the power of hate, regardless of validity." I believe that 9/11 would have happened even if Israel had not existed because 9/11 is the result of a dedicated rich criminal mafia-like organization trying to achieve power much in the same way as the mafia did, by killing and maiming its opposition. Bush is falling into a trap by not removing Al-Qaeda and by going after Saddam in a war which will damage the US economy. "Let me ask you this. Do you agree that the vast majority of the Arab population hates Israel?" No, they hate what is happening to the Palestinians. Hope I've covered the points in your post. NdL

To: TH who wrote (60961)	12/10/2002 8:00:07 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 281500

" I think that there is an awareness(sub-conscious or conscious) among many in the Arab world that the root cause of the decline in Arab fortunes lies with the total lack of freedom and democratic institutions(Turkey is an exception and only partially at that). This is lack, in the minds of many in the Arabic world, supported by the US(directly and indirectly)." I think Noel is referring to the tendency in the Arab world to blame the US for their governments wherever the US is friendly with their government (such as Egypt), and to be much more friendly to the US where the US is inimical to their governments (such as Iraq).