^ (n a v i g a t e) ^
10:39 p.m., 2001-09-13
the terrorist attacks were major atrocities. in scale they may not reach the level of many others, for example, clinton's bombing of the sudan with no credible pretext, destroying half its pharmaceutical supplies and killing unknown numbers of people (no one knows, because the u.s. blocked an inquiry at the UN and no one cares to pursue it). not to speak of much worse cases, which i had previously shortlisted and easily come to mind. but that this was a horrendous crime is not in doubt. the primary victims, as usual, were working people: janitors, secretaries, firemen, etc. it is likely to prove to be a crushing blow to palestinians and other poor and oppressed people. it is also likely to lead to harsh security controls, with many possible ramifications for undermining civil liberties and internal freedom.
the events reveal, dramatically, the foolishness of the project of "missile defense." as has been obvious all along, and pointed out repeatedly by strategic analysts, if anyone wants to cause immense damage in the US, including weapons of mass destruction, they are highly unlikely to launch a missile attack, thus guaranteeing their immediate destruction. there are innumerable easier ways that are basically unstoppable. but today's events will, very likely, be exploited to increase the pressure to develop these systems and put them into place. "Defense" is a thin cover for plans for militarization of space, and with good PR, even the flimsiest arguments will carry some weight among a frightened public.
in short, the crime is a gift to the hard jingoist right, those who hope to use force to control their domains. that is even putting aside the likely US actions, and what they will trigger -- possibly more attacks like this one, or worse. the prospects ahead are even more ominous than they appeared to be before the latest atrocities.
as to how to react, we have a choice. We can express justified horror; we can seek to understand what may have led to the crimes, which means making an effort to enter the minds of the likely perpetrators. if we choose the latter course, we can do no better, i think, than to listen to the words of robert fisk, whose direct knowledge and insight into affairs of the region is unmatched after many years of distinguished reporting. describing "the wickedness and awesome cruelty of a crushed and humiliated people," he writes that "this is not the war of democracy versus terror that the world will be asked to believe in the coming days. it is also about American missiles smashing into palestinian homes and US helicopters firing missiles into a lebanese ambulance in 1996 and american shells crashing into a village called Qana and about a lebanese militia � paid and uniformed by america's israeli ally � hacking and raping and murdering their way through refugee camps." and much more. again, we have a choice: we may try to understand, or refuse to do so, contributing to the likelihood that much worse lies ahead.
so as to better understand what i might be seeming unclear about, here's a short list of recent American war criminals -- essentially the American leaders of the last decades (courtesy of alternet): William Clinton, former President, for 78 days and nights of bombing the civilians of Yugoslavia (carried out by U.S. Gen. Wesley Clark under NATO auspices); continuation of sanctions and rocket attacks upon the people of Iraq; and illegal bombings of Somalia, Bosnia, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
Gen. Colin Powell, Secretary of State, for his leading role in the attacks on Panama, Iraq, and covering up My Lai.
George Bush, former President, for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and thousands of Panamanian civilians (along with kidnapping the country's leader, a former CIA prot�g�).
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, former Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, for his role in attacking Iraqi civilians.
Ronald Reagan, former President, for illegal attacks on El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Grenada, and Libya.
Elliot Abrams, former Assistant Secretary of State (and back in the new Bush Administration), for overseeing much of the death and fascism in Central America. Also Casper Weinberger, Secretary of Defense; Lt. Col. Oliver North; and many others.
Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State: Chile, Vietnam, East Timor, Angola, Iraq, and Cambodia.
Gerald Ford, former President, for giving approval to Indonesia for the genocide of East Timor.
