Toby Gati, a former Clinton administration aide, was among those who met with the Russian president after the Beslan massacre. Gwen Ifill interviewed her on The NewsHour:
"GWEN IFILL: But not mistakes, to be clear, about the handling of the situation at the school in particular, and the way that Russian forces acted or didn't act?
TOBY GATI: No, he went out of his way to praise Russian forces and say they put their lives on the line to save the children. And you can see in the photographs that was actually true at times. He's very convinced that his policy on Chechnya is the right one, a Chechenization handing over security eventually that you can't negotiate with these people.
I think it's interesting, if he could listen to this broadcast he would be profoundly upset to hear people talking about rebels and hostage-takers.
GWEN IFILL: What's wrong with that?
TOBY GATI: The word they use is 'terrorist.' They don't regard these as people who have any cause other than -- it's not Chechen independence. He said, 'We tried to do that. I did everything I could.' And the years between the first and second Chechen war were chaotic. And he would not acknowledge that he should continue with negotiations with terrorists."
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Big Trouble for John Kerry
Says the BBC:
"A year ago, John Kerry was dreaming of a presidential debate in which George Bush wilted under Mr Kerry's encyclopaedic knowledge of the world. But the Yale frat boys have given him a severe awakening. Like Al Gore, John Kerry appears to have badly underestimated George Bush's raw talent for the campaign fight. John Kerry was lulled into making Vietnam the centrepiece of his character, only to find himself running for cover under withering sniper fire from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Then along came the Republican Party, and with all the grace of an abattoir, sliced and diced his character at their Convention and spat him out 10 points behind in the polls."
"A year ago, John Kerry was dreaming of a presidential debate in which George Bush wilted under Mr Kerry's encyclopaedic knowledge of the world. But the Yale frat boys have given him a severe awakening. Like Al Gore, John Kerry appears to have badly underestimated George Bush's raw talent for the campaign fight. John Kerry was lulled into making Vietnam the centrepiece of his character, only to find himself running for cover under withering sniper fire from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Then along came the Republican Party, and with all the grace of an abattoir, sliced and diced his character at their Convention and spat him out 10 points behind in the polls."
Leon Aron on Russia's Plans
In March testimony to the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives:
"In developing Russia’s strategic posture toward the United States, President Putin is likely to mediate between the national consensus and the “restorationists” agenda. In end, the resultant policies are likely to be closer to the former rather than the latter. The anti-American impulse is likely to be constrained both by the over-arching mutual strategic agenda and by the cost of neo-globalism and massive re-armament that such an impulse would dictate. While increasing Russian assertiveness on the territory of the former Soviet Union, Russia is not likely to undermine the U.S. strategic interests—provided such interests are clearly demarcated and communicated to Russia in no uncertain terms."
"In developing Russia’s strategic posture toward the United States, President Putin is likely to mediate between the national consensus and the “restorationists” agenda. In end, the resultant policies are likely to be closer to the former rather than the latter. The anti-American impulse is likely to be constrained both by the over-arching mutual strategic agenda and by the cost of neo-globalism and massive re-armament that such an impulse would dictate. While increasing Russian assertiveness on the territory of the former Soviet Union, Russia is not likely to undermine the U.S. strategic interests—provided such interests are clearly demarcated and communicated to Russia in no uncertain terms."
Russia Endorses Pre-emption
According to Mosnews, Russia will now act to pre-empt terrorists, in what sounds like a parallel to the "Bush doctrine."
America's Chechen Lobby
From The Guardian:
"Although the White House issued a condemnation of the Beslan hostage-takers, its official view remains that the Chechen conflict must be solved politically. According to ACPC member Charles Fairbanks of Johns Hopkins University, US pressure will now increase on Moscow to achieve a political, rather than military, solution - in other words to negotiate with terrorists, a policy the US resolutely rejects elsewhere. Allegations are even being made in Russia that the west itself is somehow behind the Chechen rebellion, and that the purpose of such support is to weaken Russia, and to drive her out of the Caucasus. The fact that the Chechens are believed to use as a base the Pankisi gorge in neighbouring Georgia - a country which aspires to join Nato, has an extremely pro-American government, and where the US already has a significant military presence - only encourages such speculation. Putin himself even seemed to lend credence to the idea in his interview with foreign journalists on Monday. Proof of any such western involvement would be difficult to obtain, but is it any wonder Russians are asking themselves such questions when the same people in Washington who demand the deployment of overwhelming military force against the US's so-called terrorist enemies also insist that Russia capitulate to hers?"
"Although the White House issued a condemnation of the Beslan hostage-takers, its official view remains that the Chechen conflict must be solved politically. According to ACPC member Charles Fairbanks of Johns Hopkins University, US pressure will now increase on Moscow to achieve a political, rather than military, solution - in other words to negotiate with terrorists, a policy the US resolutely rejects elsewhere. Allegations are even being made in Russia that the west itself is somehow behind the Chechen rebellion, and that the purpose of such support is to weaken Russia, and to drive her out of the Caucasus. The fact that the Chechens are believed to use as a base the Pankisi gorge in neighbouring Georgia - a country which aspires to join Nato, has an extremely pro-American government, and where the US already has a significant military presence - only encourages such speculation. Putin himself even seemed to lend credence to the idea in his interview with foreign journalists on Monday. Proof of any such western involvement would be difficult to obtain, but is it any wonder Russians are asking themselves such questions when the same people in Washington who demand the deployment of overwhelming military force against the US's so-called terrorist enemies also insist that Russia capitulate to hers?"
The Disappearing International Student
USA Today reports fewer international students are coming to study in America:
"U.S. graduate schools this year saw a 28% decline in applications from international students and an 18% drop in admissions, a finding that some experts say threatens higher education's ability to maintain its reputation for offering high-quality programs. The sharp declines, based on responses from 126 institutions, were reported in a study released Tuesday by the Council of Graduate Schools, a Washington-based nonprofit. About 88% of those schools reported a decline in international applications; 12% saw an increase. Several factors contribute to the drops, council president Debra Stewart says. Those include changes to the visa application process after 9/11, a perception that the USA has grown less welcoming of foreigners and increased competition from universities abroad. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking in May, acknowledged that 'procedural frustrations' could prevent more foreign students from enrolling in U.S. programs. 'We have to do a better job of attracting them here.'"
I can attest to the "procedural frustrations." Unless they are in a government program, it is almost impossible for students from Uzbekistan, for example, to get a student visa for study in the United States, even if they have the money to pay tuition, and have been accepted by an American school. Curiously, the odds are much better for getting an immigration visa through the green card lottery...
"U.S. graduate schools this year saw a 28% decline in applications from international students and an 18% drop in admissions, a finding that some experts say threatens higher education's ability to maintain its reputation for offering high-quality programs. The sharp declines, based on responses from 126 institutions, were reported in a study released Tuesday by the Council of Graduate Schools, a Washington-based nonprofit. About 88% of those schools reported a decline in international applications; 12% saw an increase. Several factors contribute to the drops, council president Debra Stewart says. Those include changes to the visa application process after 9/11, a perception that the USA has grown less welcoming of foreigners and increased competition from universities abroad. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking in May, acknowledged that 'procedural frustrations' could prevent more foreign students from enrolling in U.S. programs. 'We have to do a better job of attracting them here.'"
I can attest to the "procedural frustrations." Unless they are in a government program, it is almost impossible for students from Uzbekistan, for example, to get a student visa for study in the United States, even if they have the money to pay tuition, and have been accepted by an American school. Curiously, the odds are much better for getting an immigration visa through the green card lottery...
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Mark Steyn on Why Bush Will Win
In The Telegraph:
"The Kerry campaign is a bore that's degenerating into a laughing stock. 'Bush-despising' is no doubt very comforting to McCrum's beleaguered literati but in the end it's little more than snobbery - fine for cocktail condescension but utterly inadequate for an election campaign. You can't beat something with nothing, and Kerry is about as spectacular a nothing as you could devise - a thin-skinned whiny vanity candidate who persists in deluding himself that Bush's advantage is all down to 'smears' and 'lies' and 'mean' 'attacks'. It's not. Bush's something is very simple: his view of the war on terror resonates with a majority of the American people; when he talks about 9/11 and the aftermath, they recognise themselves in his words; they trust his strategy on this issue. For an inarticulate man, he communicates a lot more effectively than Senator Nuancy Boy.
"Wallace Shawn, by contrast, is a writer, a man who makes his living by words and yet devalues his own currency. Is the Bush-Cheney tyranny truly a 'scary' time for him? Is he really 'scared'? Of course not. He's having a convivial drink with a fawning Brit interviewer; what could be more agreeable? 'Scary' is - to pluck at random - being held hostage in a school gym and the kid next to you is parched and asks for water and the terrorist stabs him in the belly in front of your eyes. 'Scary' cannot encompass both that situation and Wallace Shawn's vague distaste for Bush without losing all meaning."
"The Kerry campaign is a bore that's degenerating into a laughing stock. 'Bush-despising' is no doubt very comforting to McCrum's beleaguered literati but in the end it's little more than snobbery - fine for cocktail condescension but utterly inadequate for an election campaign. You can't beat something with nothing, and Kerry is about as spectacular a nothing as you could devise - a thin-skinned whiny vanity candidate who persists in deluding himself that Bush's advantage is all down to 'smears' and 'lies' and 'mean' 'attacks'. It's not. Bush's something is very simple: his view of the war on terror resonates with a majority of the American people; when he talks about 9/11 and the aftermath, they recognise themselves in his words; they trust his strategy on this issue. For an inarticulate man, he communicates a lot more effectively than Senator Nuancy Boy.
"Wallace Shawn, by contrast, is a writer, a man who makes his living by words and yet devalues his own currency. Is the Bush-Cheney tyranny truly a 'scary' time for him? Is he really 'scared'? Of course not. He's having a convivial drink with a fawning Brit interviewer; what could be more agreeable? 'Scary' is - to pluck at random - being held hostage in a school gym and the kid next to you is parched and asks for water and the terrorist stabs him in the belly in front of your eyes. 'Scary' cannot encompass both that situation and Wallace Shawn's vague distaste for Bush without losing all meaning."
Your Tax Dollars At Work
Laura Rozen tipped us off to this story in The Washington Times on how the CIA Counter Terrorism Center has been giving millions of dollars to Democrats:
"The CIA's Counterterrorist Center has spent more than $15 million in the past three years funding studies, reports and conferences produced by former Democratic administration officials and other critics of the Bush administration. The latest effort was a $300,000 grant by the CIA to the Atlantic Council for a study co-authored by Richard A. Clarke, the former counterterrorism official who wrote a best seller accusing the Bush administration of failing in the war on terrorism by invading Iraq."
"The CIA's Counterterrorist Center has spent more than $15 million in the past three years funding studies, reports and conferences produced by former Democratic administration officials and other critics of the Bush administration. The latest effort was a $300,000 grant by the CIA to the Atlantic Council for a study co-authored by Richard A. Clarke, the former counterterrorism official who wrote a best seller accusing the Bush administration of failing in the war on terrorism by invading Iraq."
A Hero of Beslan
In this article, Allison Kaplan Sommer tells the story of a heroic Beslan schoolteacher who tried to protect his students at the cost of his life--Yanis (Ivan) Kanidis, age 74. [link from Roger L. Simon]
Putin Talks to The Guardian's Moscow Correspondent
Jonathan Steele's account of his meeting with the Russian President:
"'No one has a moral right to tell us to talk to childkillers,' he added. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but Margaret Thatcher, whom I've met more than once said: 'A man who comes out into the street to kill other people must himself be killed',' he told the Guardian. At times grim-faced, but always calm, Mr Putin's comments came in the midst of an extraordinary three-and-a-half-hour meeting with a group of foreign journalists and academics with long experience of Russia, invited for a special conference."
"'No one has a moral right to tell us to talk to childkillers,' he added. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but Margaret Thatcher, whom I've met more than once said: 'A man who comes out into the street to kill other people must himself be killed',' he told the Guardian. At times grim-faced, but always calm, Mr Putin's comments came in the midst of an extraordinary three-and-a-half-hour meeting with a group of foreign journalists and academics with long experience of Russia, invited for a special conference."
How We Cover Russian News
In a very interesting explanation of the difficulties of being a reporter or editor in Russia--the editor of Izvestia just resigned, apparently under pressure from the Kremlin for his aggressive Beslan massacre reporting--the Moscow Times has published a long article called The Changing Nature of Covering the News:
"In the 1990s, calls to ministries and other government bodies, if answered at all, usually resulted in a 'no comment' at best. Now, they all have web sites, some of which contain reams of useful information. The Economic Development and Trade Ministry quickly posts all of Minister German Gref's speeches and presentations, including those at Cabinet meetings. The Finance Ministry site contains all the annual federal budgets. Many ministries also have extensive telephone directories on their sites. The use of the Internet is new under Putin. A government resolution signed in February 2003 by Kasyanov, who was still prime minister then, requires all ministries and other government bodies to publish information not regarded as a state secret on their web sites. Government decisions can now be printed from the web. Before, reporters would have to send a request and wait for days in the hope that somebody would respond. Many ministries, particularly those that handle economic and social issues, have become much more open. They have press officers with some idea about the news and the people who make it."
"In the 1990s, calls to ministries and other government bodies, if answered at all, usually resulted in a 'no comment' at best. Now, they all have web sites, some of which contain reams of useful information. The Economic Development and Trade Ministry quickly posts all of Minister German Gref's speeches and presentations, including those at Cabinet meetings. The Finance Ministry site contains all the annual federal budgets. Many ministries also have extensive telephone directories on their sites. The use of the Internet is new under Putin. A government resolution signed in February 2003 by Kasyanov, who was still prime minister then, requires all ministries and other government bodies to publish information not regarded as a state secret on their web sites. Government decisions can now be printed from the web. Before, reporters would have to send a request and wait for days in the hope that somebody would respond. Many ministries, particularly those that handle economic and social issues, have become much more open. They have press officers with some idea about the news and the people who make it."
What Russia Can Learn From Israel
Says The Moscow Times:
"Another lesson we can learn from Israel is that democracy can triumph in conflicts with authoritarian regimes -- even without cracking down on criticism of the government and the security services..."
"Another lesson we can learn from Israel is that democracy can triumph in conflicts with authoritarian regimes -- even without cracking down on criticism of the government and the security services..."
Background to the Beslan Tragedy
From Winds of Change [linkfrom Instapundit]:
"First of all, claims that this has to do with the Russian military presence in Chechnya completely misunderstand the situation. The problem with Chechnya, more or less, is that the Russians tried to surrender after their failure to bring the rebellious republic back into the fold in the first Chechen war and it didn't work. The country was taken over by a mixture of international terrorist organizations, Wahhabi theocrats, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations that subsided more or less on generous funding from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. This funding helped the Wahhabis to finalize control over the institutional infrastructure of the de facto independent state and led for calls for the imposition of sha'riah even though most Chechens (and Caucasus Muslims in general) are Sufis. The al-Qaeda presence in Chechnya was headed up by bin Laden's protege Amir ibn al-Khattab, a Saudi national who had previously assisted Islamic fighters in the Tajik Civil War and the Armenia-Azerbaijan War over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1999, Khattab and his 'Islamic International Brigade' used Chechnya as a base from which to invade the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan (summarized here by GlobalSecurity) as part of a long-term al-Qaeda strategy to export the Chechen political culture to the rest of the Caucasus. That failed invasion of Dagestan marks the proper beginning of the current fighting in Chechnya."
"First of all, claims that this has to do with the Russian military presence in Chechnya completely misunderstand the situation. The problem with Chechnya, more or less, is that the Russians tried to surrender after their failure to bring the rebellious republic back into the fold in the first Chechen war and it didn't work. The country was taken over by a mixture of international terrorist organizations, Wahhabi theocrats, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations that subsided more or less on generous funding from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. This funding helped the Wahhabis to finalize control over the institutional infrastructure of the de facto independent state and led for calls for the imposition of sha'riah even though most Chechens (and Caucasus Muslims in general) are Sufis. The al-Qaeda presence in Chechnya was headed up by bin Laden's protege Amir ibn al-Khattab, a Saudi national who had previously assisted Islamic fighters in the Tajik Civil War and the Armenia-Azerbaijan War over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1999, Khattab and his 'Islamic International Brigade' used Chechnya as a base from which to invade the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan (summarized here by GlobalSecurity) as part of a long-term al-Qaeda strategy to export the Chechen political culture to the rest of the Caucasus. That failed invasion of Dagestan marks the proper beginning of the current fighting in Chechnya."
Russia Tilts Towards Israel
After the Beslan massacre, Russia has signed an agreement to fight terrorism in cooperation with Israel, according to The Washington Times:
"JERUSALEM — Russia is turning for help against terrorism to a country with long experience, signing a memorandum with Israel yesterday pledging the two countries will work more closely in fighting the scourge. The increased sophistication of the terrorists in Chechnya and growing signs of an Arab role in last week's school attack in Beslan, Russia — where 120 victims were buried yesterday — appear to have overcome Moscow's concerns about offending its Arab allies by cooperating with Israel."
"JERUSALEM — Russia is turning for help against terrorism to a country with long experience, signing a memorandum with Israel yesterday pledging the two countries will work more closely in fighting the scourge. The increased sophistication of the terrorists in Chechnya and growing signs of an Arab role in last week's school attack in Beslan, Russia — where 120 victims were buried yesterday — appear to have overcome Moscow's concerns about offending its Arab allies by cooperating with Israel."
Putin Criticizes American Support for Chechen Terrorists
In a Moscow talk, Vladimir Putin lashed out at US support for Chechen terrorism:
"Speaking to western policy experts and journalists just days after hundreds of children died in the Beslan school siege, the Russian president said mid-level officials in the U.S. government were supporting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, CNN reported. "You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk to people who are child-killers?" Reuters quoted Putin as saying. The president said that each time Russia complained to the Bush administration about meetings held between U.S. officials and Chechen separatist representatives, the U.S. response has been "we'lll get back to you" or "we reserve the right to talk with anyone we want," CNN quoted him as saying. Putin blamed what he called a 'Cold War mentality' on the part of some U.S. officials, but likened their demands that Russia negotiate with the Chechen separatists to the U.S. talking to al Qaeda."
Putin is right, on this point at least. There are a lot of Chechen supporters in America, not just in the mid-level offices of the State Department. I saw Richard Holbrooke and Zbignew Brzezinski attacking Russia on behalf of the Chechens at a Library of Congress symposium a few months ago. The only one who appeared to have any sympathy for Russia's dilemmas was James Billington. And anti-Russian views domintate the major media, as well. For example, the New York Times editorial on the day after the school massacre in Beslan blamed Russia, not the terrorists, for the killings. Despite Peter Baker's superb reporting from Beslan, editorials and op-eds in the Washington Post have tended to be anti-Russian. As has NPR, which made the Chechen terrorists sound like they were in a guerrilla insurgency against a military target. I still haven't seen a major newspaper investigation that clearly connects the Chechen terrorism to 9/11--despite a great deal of evidence that both fronts are part of a worldwide jihad against the West (see the link below about Mohammed Atta being on his way to Chechnya before he decided to attack the World Trade Center). It is pretty clear that the terrorists see Russia, the US, the UK, and Israel in much the same way that the Nazis saw the Allies during World War II (of course, these countries are allies from World War II). Most experts in Washington think-tanks also hew to an anti-Russian line. In fact, evenhanded analysis of the Chechen conflict from people like Leon Aron at the American Enterprise Institute (scroll down for the link),is a rarity as far as I am aware. Aron, a biographer of Yeltsin, appears to be alone even in Republican policy circles right now. Of course, blogs like Winds of Change and Little Green Footballs have connected the dots between the Chechen terrorists and those who attacked the US.
"Speaking to western policy experts and journalists just days after hundreds of children died in the Beslan school siege, the Russian president said mid-level officials in the U.S. government were supporting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, CNN reported. "You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk to people who are child-killers?" Reuters quoted Putin as saying. The president said that each time Russia complained to the Bush administration about meetings held between U.S. officials and Chechen separatist representatives, the U.S. response has been "we'lll get back to you" or "we reserve the right to talk with anyone we want," CNN quoted him as saying. Putin blamed what he called a 'Cold War mentality' on the part of some U.S. officials, but likened their demands that Russia negotiate with the Chechen separatists to the U.S. talking to al Qaeda."
Putin is right, on this point at least. There are a lot of Chechen supporters in America, not just in the mid-level offices of the State Department. I saw Richard Holbrooke and Zbignew Brzezinski attacking Russia on behalf of the Chechens at a Library of Congress symposium a few months ago. The only one who appeared to have any sympathy for Russia's dilemmas was James Billington. And anti-Russian views domintate the major media, as well. For example, the New York Times editorial on the day after the school massacre in Beslan blamed Russia, not the terrorists, for the killings. Despite Peter Baker's superb reporting from Beslan, editorials and op-eds in the Washington Post have tended to be anti-Russian. As has NPR, which made the Chechen terrorists sound like they were in a guerrilla insurgency against a military target. I still haven't seen a major newspaper investigation that clearly connects the Chechen terrorism to 9/11--despite a great deal of evidence that both fronts are part of a worldwide jihad against the West (see the link below about Mohammed Atta being on his way to Chechnya before he decided to attack the World Trade Center). It is pretty clear that the terrorists see Russia, the US, the UK, and Israel in much the same way that the Nazis saw the Allies during World War II (of course, these countries are allies from World War II). Most experts in Washington think-tanks also hew to an anti-Russian line. In fact, evenhanded analysis of the Chechen conflict from people like Leon Aron at the American Enterprise Institute (scroll down for the link),is a rarity as far as I am aware. Aron, a biographer of Yeltsin, appears to be alone even in Republican policy circles right now. Of course, blogs like Winds of Change and Little Green Footballs have connected the dots between the Chechen terrorists and those who attacked the US.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Burt Herman on the Beslan Massacre
I met Burt Herman when I was in Tashkent two years ago. Now he is in Beslan, covering the recent school massacre for the Associated Press:
"BESLAN, Russia - Funeral processions filled the rainy streets of this southern Russian city Monday, carrying coffins large and small, as townspeople buried scores of victims of a carefully planned school siege that prosecutors linked to a Chechen rebel leader.Desperate families searched for those still missing from the siege at School No. 1, while others buried 120 victims during the first of two days of national mourning across Russia, which has seen more than 400 people killed in violence linked to terrorism in the past two weeks. Reports emerged that the attackers apparently planned the school seizure months ago, sneaking weapons into the building in advance. There also were signs that some of the militants did not know they were to take children hostage and may have been killed by their comrades when they objected."
"BESLAN, Russia - Funeral processions filled the rainy streets of this southern Russian city Monday, carrying coffins large and small, as townspeople buried scores of victims of a carefully planned school siege that prosecutors linked to a Chechen rebel leader.Desperate families searched for those still missing from the siege at School No. 1, while others buried 120 victims during the first of two days of national mourning across Russia, which has seen more than 400 people killed in violence linked to terrorism in the past two weeks. Reports emerged that the attackers apparently planned the school seizure months ago, sneaking weapons into the building in advance. There also were signs that some of the militants did not know they were to take children hostage and may have been killed by their comrades when they objected."
BBC's "State of the Union"
Here's the program the BBC is running to replace Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America." It's called State Of The Union.
Jan Morris on the New South
A fascinating account of the British author's recent return visit to Charleston, South Carolina in OpinionJournal - Extra.
An Uzbek Arts Blog
One of my students from Uzbekistan has created this new blog dedicated to the arts, in English, Russian, and French:ART, Entertainement, Interesting Facts and Ideas.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Abdel Rahman al-Rashed on Terrorism
In an article in the Telegraph, reprinted from Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, entitled 'Innocent religion is now a message of hate' Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, general manager of the Al-Arabiya channel, writes about terrorism and Islam [link from DanielPipes.com]:
"Bin Laden is a Muslim. The majority of those who manned the suicide bombings against buses, vehicles, schools, houses and buildings, all over the world, were Muslim. What a pathetic record. What an abominable 'achievement'. Does all this tell us anything about ourselves, our societies and our culture? These images, when put together, or taken separately, are shameful and degrading. But let us start with putting an end to a history of denial. Let us acknowledge their reality, instead of denying them and seeking to justify them with sound and fury signifying nothing. For it would be easy to cure ourselves if we realise the seriousness of our sickness. Self-cure starts with self-realisation and confession. We should then run after our terrorist sons, in the full knowledge that they are the sour grapes of a deformed culture."
"Bin Laden is a Muslim. The majority of those who manned the suicide bombings against buses, vehicles, schools, houses and buildings, all over the world, were Muslim. What a pathetic record. What an abominable 'achievement'. Does all this tell us anything about ourselves, our societies and our culture? These images, when put together, or taken separately, are shameful and degrading. But let us start with putting an end to a history of denial. Let us acknowledge their reality, instead of denying them and seeking to justify them with sound and fury signifying nothing. For it would be easy to cure ourselves if we realise the seriousness of our sickness. Self-cure starts with self-realisation and confession. We should then run after our terrorist sons, in the full knowledge that they are the sour grapes of a deformed culture."
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