[b]How do we (the U.S.) rally support with evidence such as this?[/b]

22 Nov. 2002

"The seething anti-Western anger in the Islamic world in general and in West Asia and S.E. Asia in particular shows no signs of abating.

On the other hand, it has become even more intense as one saw during the recent elections in Pakistan on October 10, 2002, where a coalition of pro-Taliban and pro-Al Qaeda Islamic fundamentalist organisations scored impressive victories in the sensitive tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. When bin Laden formed the IIF in 1998, it viewed the USA and Israel as the principal enemies of Islam.

Since then, it has started viewing the UK and Australia  too as enemies of Islam. While the anger against the USA  is mainly due to its post-1991 role in the West Asian region, including the stationing of US troops in Saudi territory, its role under Operation Enduring Freedom and its threatened military strike against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, the anger against the UK is Iraq-related and against Australia related to the role of Richard Butler, the Australian national, as the head of the UN inspection team in Iraq in the late 1990s and Australia's role in East Timor and its increasingly high-profile stance in S.E Asia in the war against terrorism."




TERRORISM: Enduring Threats & Uncertainties  
by B. Raman

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-Mail: [email protected] )

Hmmm....Call me cruel, but given the events of the past few years, and especially 9-11, but I don't necessarily view this as a bad thing.

This is a pet peave of mine.  I'm glad I'm not the only one out here that sees this.  If this was US radicals that killed close to 3,000 Muslims, we as a nation would be hunting the dogs down or maybe not now. (sarcasim)

I personally would love to see these people pick up the fight to purge themselves of these
extremists. I remember back in the 80's, if
you meet a muslim family, their hospitality
and frendliness was something to be admired.
As regular people, the muslims can be a very gracious people.
But now, it is overshadowed by the massive movement
of the extremists and thats all we hear about.
I think it is the everyday muslims responsiblity
to help fight the extremist every way they can.

This will not happen because they are moderates, fence sitters, middle of the roaders, afraid to make a commitment, the type that says I'm ok Your ok, and won't choose sides.