Dan Beaulieu
9/11 is an evasive subject for many, fortified under a coveted veil of loyalty. Akin to the contumacious devotion a mother has to her child. As she turns her head away from any undesirable realities that may ensue; we simply believe in our beloved’s innocence. Regardless of your stance on 9/11, we owe it to the men, women and children who died that day to investigate the available facts, to disconnect the mother-child temperament, if only for a moment, to perhaps enlighten ourselves to a superior wavelength, or maybe to simply solidify our prior convictions. It’s been 10 years and I think we’re strong enough now to take the blinders off.
Osama Bin Laden was a terrible person for the hell he bestowed upon us, no doubt. It wasn’t just the single act of violence that took place on 9/11. It's the decade of lost freedoms, fear, perpetual war, nation-building and militarism persued by our government and private interests that are fighting (aka profiting from) "the war on terror".
This has provided Osama with success on two counts: One, that he wanted to destroy our economy. Two, That he wanted us on his land so that he could "target us better". Unfortunately, we fell right into the trap that Osama laid for us. It was a maniacal and calculated plan to collapse us. But what was the reason?
As a nation living with the “mother-child” mentality we seemed to be fine with the answer that George W. Bush gave to congress on September 20th of 2001, "They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other". (1) No fact, no real substance behind it, just the knowledge that it would pull hard on our heartstrings and rally our support to go to war.
I think today we are strong enough to listen to another view as to why the attacks took place. A more probable view backed up with fact, substance and conviction. That is, the view of Osama Bin Laden himself in 2002:
"While seeking Allah's help, we form our reply based on two questions directed at the Americans:
(Q1) Why are we fighting and opposing you?
(Q2) What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?
(Q2) What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?
As for the first question: Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple:
(1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us.
(i) Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation. The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its*price, and pay for it heavily. “
…
“(b) You attacked us in Somalia; you supported the Russian atrocities against us in Chechnya, the Indian oppression against us in Kashmir, and the Jewish aggression against us in Lebanon.”
…
“(d) You steal our wealth and oil at paltry prices because of you international influence and military threats. This theft is indeed the biggest theft ever witnessed by mankind in the history of the world.
(e) Your forces occupy our countries; you spread your military bases throughout them; you corrupt our lands, and you besiege our sanctities, to protect the security of the Jews and to ensure the continuity of your pillage of our treasures.”
It goes on… (2)
Is it really so hard to believe that due to our foreign policy of intervention, choosing allies, occupation and war that we would one day experience some form of blow-back? It wasn't just the past 10 or 20 years, Palestine has been under foreign occupation for more than 80 years, and we assisted that occupation every step of the way. Did we really get attacked on September 11th simply due to the fact that we are free? I think we all know the answer, but can we break away from the “mother-child” mentality long enough to admit it?
(1) In an attempt to keep this writing short I won’t go into the possible reasons as to why George Bush Jr. would lead us from the truth but I will provide you with a link to a great writing I found informative written by a respected Theologian Dr. David Ray Griffin (Link)
(2) Osama Bin Laden goes on to explain in detail exactly what we did to make them attack us on 9/11. Read more here: (Osama's Letter)
Great read.
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