I would guess that most of us can recall exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard about the horrific attacks on the Twin Towers and the subsequent attack on the Pentagon. There aren’t many moments in your life, no matter how long you live, that you will recall as vividly as the moment you learned about it. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was also like that for me. I don’t think anyone really feels that they have heard a satisfactory explanation of why Lee Harvey Oswald killed him. That was over forty years ago, and there are still many people who don’t believe the results of the official U.S. government investigation.
The U.S. government’s 9/11 Commission Report has also failed to gain unanimous support. The report is primarily an analysis of how we failed to prevent the attacks and how we failed to be aware that they might even occur. However, the greatest failure of the report is that no attempt is made to understand what motivated the attacks. We are left to believe that the motive of Al Qaeda is some sort of radical Islamic hatred of the Christian and Jewish west. However, just a simple observation of the attacks themselves show quite clearly that the attacks were not at all an attempt to begin a religious war or even to wage a terrorist campaign against people who were not of the Islamic faith. Look at their targets:
The World Trade Center could be described as the financial capital of the multinational businesses of the United States. The twin towers were not only functional centers of finance, they were iconic symbols of America’s mighty economic impact throughout the world. The second target, the Pentagon, is another icon as well as the functional center of the vast military might of the United States. Long after the attacks occured, and after much investigation, it has been learned that the U.S. Capitol building was the intended target of United flight 93. The aircraft that crashed in Shanksville, PA after heroic intervention by its passengers. The U.S. Capitol building is also an icon and the functional center of our government. The 9/11 attacks were an attack on a U.S. financial – military – government triad. While it would have been easy, there were no attacks on any Christian churchs, Jewish synagogues, Mormon, Buddhist, or Hindu temples or any other religious organizations or icons. The attackers may well have all been Islamic, but the attacks were not about Islam.
If we are to understand what 9/11 was all about we need to consider one very important point: every single attacker was on a suicide mission. Why is that important? Consider Japan at the close of World War II. Defeat was seen to be inevitable. Many Japanese feared severe retribution from American forces. Their backs were against the wall and they expected no mercy. Thus was born the Kamikaze pilots, the “Divine Wind”. The Kamikaze pilots flew their bomb-laden aircraft directly into American warships in a last ditch attempt to stop the advance of the U.S. Navy and a subsequent invasion. There is little doubt that the courage of these Japanese pilots was sustained, in part, by their trust in God. However, no one has ever suggested that the Kamikaze attacks were some sort of group of religious fanatics.
Toward the end of World War II the Nazis in Germany also planned to develop a suicide bomber squadron called the Leonidas Squadron. The pilots would fly Messerschmitt Me328 aircraft, equipped with a single 2,000 bomb, into selected Allied targets. There were problems with development of the aircraft, however, and the squadron never saw action.
The common thread among the Nazis, the Japanese Kamikaze, and the Al Qaeda attackers is that they were all desperate attacks. Suicide attacks are always an indicator that the attacker feels severely oppressed and near defeat, but out of a sense of patriotism, rage, and injustice decides to make one final attempt to destroy a hated enemy even if it means his own death. It’s not about converting someone to his religion, nor is it because he is unhappy that people on the other side of the world don’t worship the same God he does. The 9/11 attacks were desperate moves by men who felt their backs were to the wall. But why did they feel that way? And why us? What did we do?
We didn’t do anything. Neither you nor I, nor any of the people who died in the attacks were a threat to Al Qaeda. The people who were killed are what our military would call “collateral damage”. Sort of like the innocent civilians who were killed in the “Shock and Awe” campaign in Iraq. The real targets were the iconic, and also functional, buildings of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Capitol. But why? Why strike at the heart of our multinational business system, our military, and our government? It’s because these Al Qaeda terrorists, and their leaders, view these three icons as one sort of an unholy Trinity, and it was this Trinity that was threatening their very existence. Al Qaeda was, and is, made up of desperate men, but they are not crazed religious fanatics.
OK, so how can these people feel so threatened? What could we be doing to them that would make them feel that they are on the brink of destruction? The answer is the same answer that can be given as the cause of all wars: they perceive us as stealing their wealth. It is our wealth that allows us to live. Our homes, our jobs, our land, our money, our industries – all these things, and more, could be considered our collective wealth. For the people of this part of the world, their principle source of all their wealth lies in a single word: “oil”.
The U.S. has a long and checkered history of being in the oil business in the Middle East. When Iran nationalized their oil operations in 1951, the U.S. began efforts, led by the CIA, to depose their leader. This succeeded in 1953 when the Shah of Iran was reinstated and Iran began to sell cheap oil to American oil companies again. The Shah was deposed in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and they haven’t been very friendly to us ever since. Similarly, Saddam Hussein nationalized the Iraqi oil industry in 1972 and tossed the American oil companies out of Iraq. The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and captured Saddam. He was executed on Dec 30, 2006. The Iraqi Oil Ministry is now negotiating oil deals with Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, Total, and Chevron so that U.S. companies can pump oil from Iraq again.
It is interesting to note that almost all of the 9/11 Al Qaeda terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. So is Osama bin Laden. None of the terrorists were from Iraq. Yet, when the U.S. invaded Iraq, Al Qaeda was quick to enter Iraq and join the fight against the U.S. In the past Osama bin Ladin has stated that some Al Qaeda attacks were due to the U.S. support of Israel and its perceived unfair treatment of Palestinians. It is pretty clear that Al Qaeda sees itself as a sort of defender of last resort of the entire Middle East, defending it from domination, and the subsequent loss of its wealth, by the U.S. Unholy Trinity of our multinational businesses, military, and government. The thing is, this is not exactly an irrational fear.
In 1997 the Project for the New American Century was founded. It’s stated proposition was that, “American leadership is good for both America and for the world.” It has been a strong advocate for American leadership, or domination, of the world. It has been very influential in the Bush administration. In 1998, members of the organization, including Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz warned President Clinton that Saddam was a threat and should be removed because of his weapons of mass destruction. In a report written in 2000 the group warned that “Over the long term, Iran may well prove as large a threat to U.S. interests in the Gulf as Iraq has.” Paul Wolfowitz became President Bush’s Deputy Secretary of Defense in 2001 and, immediately after the 9/11 attacks, pressed for the invasion of Iraq, an idea also strongly pushed by John McCain at the same time. Donald Rumsfeld was President Bush’s Secretary of Defense at the time.
The fact that these three people immediately advocated an attack on Iraq as a response to 9/11 indicates that their view of the conflict is not too different from that of Osama bin Laden. This is a conflict between America and its policy of financial, military and political dominance throughout the Middle East and a small group of guerrilla fighters who view this as nothing less than the theft of the entire region’s wealth.Basically they feel they are getting a really, really bad deal.
There is no doubt that these guerrillas are fanatical fighters. There is no doubt they feel their backs are to the wall. There is no doubt they will employ suicide tactics again if they feel it will help achieve their objective. And there is also no doubt that this war is not about religion. It is not about Islam or Christianity. Nor is it about American freedom. It’s not about any of the great emotional issues that the leaders of all countries always try to stoke in order to get their young men to go out and die for their country.
The cause of the 9/11 attack is not radical Islam; it is the same as the cause for every war that has ever taken place. It’s about wealth. It’s about money. It’s about some people believing they are being exploited so badly that they and their way of life can’t survive, and the people on the other side not even aware of this and, come to think of it, not even caring whether they survive or not anyway.
The tragedy is that it is the innocent who always suffer the most.
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With due respect to your thoughtful post, I would have to draw attention to this quote:
“There is little doubt that the courage of these Japanese pilots was sustained, in part, by their trust in God. ”
as an example of the tendency to project our own way of life to other cultures we really know nothing about. It lends ourselves to easily forming wildly misconceived perceptions that do have their consequences.
As a matter of fact, there is an overwhelming quantity of doubt that the courage of those Japanese pilots was sustained by their trust in God, given that they probably did not believe in God. Japan’s native religion isn’t even monotheistic.
But never mind that. I think that these are different situations – Al Qaeda, distinct from Japan and Germany in World War II. Starting with that Al Qaeda is not a country.
I think the answer is much less appealing than they are desperate or jealous. It’s an answer both simpler yet more difficult, perhaps, to understand: they really hate us. Really, really hate us. Hate is a powerful motivator. And in many ways, we have created our own enemies.
Looking more carefully through your post though, I don’t totally disagree with you. But I would argue that their reasons for attack were not sign of desperation, if indeed that was what you were trying to say.
Clinton blew the opprtunity to whack osama bin laden and this terrorist got away. Clinton hesitated be’cos his peinis was too busy satifying his intern. Crap from democrats. Now obama wants to talk to the iranian mad man; what to congratulate the mad man on killing American soldiers at Iraq with iranian insurgents? Is this what the Americans wants in a leader, to have a tea session with someone who was responsible for American soldiers lifes? When it comes in dealing with an enemy the democrats are full of shit. Look at Reagan, he ordered f-111s to whack the Libyan leader; an enemy who were responsible in downing a commercial airplane with many innocent lifes.
People don’t be fooled, if there’s another 911( God forbid ) obama would probably be sympathetic to the enemy’s cause and probably say,” don’t do that again ok…”
America is the object of hatred by those people and groups who perceived it to be behind all their nation’s misfortune. Your nation for all its generosity is also engaged in other nation’s ‘internal affairs’ which can not be denied and is openly admitted.
Its bias support for Israel is one reason why this radical Islamist has been crying for blood, but US would not withdraw their support for the only Democracy in the Mideast. As long as the US government continue to stand with Israel and widen its ‘interventionist’ policy its enemmies would continue to fight it.
Its sad that those people perished that way, they were civilians and none of them deserved to die that day. Al Qaeda and all the radical Islamist should be engaged, there is no other way to deal with them but to go to where they are – unfortunately, they hide behind countries that secretely supports their cause, now, if this is the situation – America would have no other course but to go to this countries, this radicals would never run out of excuse to kill.
Its a vicious cycle.
Americans tend to have this single-minded view that it’s “Them against the World”. They disassociate themselves from the humanity of the people who live outside their borders. Everyday is just another day in paradise if you’re an American.
Many of my friends from the States – both from there originally and those who have settle there from other countries – have informed me of this blatant ignorance of other peoples on the part of Americans, generally speaking. And one only has to listen to vox pops interviews by the American media to realise that this is sadly a fact.
Or you could walk around Cape Town with me during tourist season and listen to some of the ridiculous questions I’m asked by Americans.
And that is why generally Americans see nothing wrong with invading other countries or Guantanamo Bay or treating non-Americans as statistics. The press refers to “casualties” when speaking of Iraqi deaths, but names ever American soldier who has passed away in the line of duty.
In this war, no-one’s right. Not Al-Qaeda for choosing to call this a holy struggle and hiding behind the religion of Islam. Not the Americans who invade countries on the premise of “bringing democracy” but only want to secure oil-trading rights.
And neither side will stop killing until the enemy is obliterated entirely.
One would think after at least 2000+ years of “civilization”, we would have figured out other ways around this.
Conspiracy. Conspiracy. Open your mind.
I think the only thing you fail to mention is that many of the followers of these groups are in it because they feel religiously compelled. I understand the leaders have other motivations but you tell your followers what they want to hear.
That’s why Osama bin Laden issued a jihad against the United States. It brings over conservative religious followers who believe this is a mission from God.
Lena’s point in the last post is an interesting one.
“[...]you tell your followers what they want to hear.”
It’s probably the only thing Osama and Dubya have in common. Both subscribe to the philosophy that in order to stay in power, you need to give your constituency something to fear or something to hate.
Caesar did it using the Gauls, the Goths and even the Saxons. Hitler did it using the Jews. The National Party in South Africa did it with Apartheid.
Seems to work pretty well.
I find this an interesting arguement.
I have to agree with the writer when he says the attacks are not entirely religious, they did not intent to wage a `jihad`.
The attacks on the U.S.A (not America) had a few roots. One of them is the USA`s support of Israel. I`m an agnostic and have nothing against the jewish people, but how would you feel if you were suddenly left without your land, and had to see it being given to some other people, who have not been entirely there for more than 2000 years?
Another interesting point is in regards to the creation of Iraq after the dissolution of the Persian empire after WW1. The british and americans basically `created` the country out of their own personal and arrogant colonial interests. It was them who gave power to the minorities (sunni). It was them who did not want to see democracies in the middle east post WW1 war because as they say “it`s not in our best interests”. Hipocrecy and ignorance go hand in hand when you talk about this.
On top of this you have the western imperialism and their shameless addiction to oil, which only stirs things up.
Do not be fooled by politicians when they say that their countries are being attacked by terrorists who “hate us” just because that`s what they do. They, unfortunatelly, have very good reasons to have resent against the USA and the UK.
May there not be more innocent deaths regardless of nationality.
one more thing: despite all our social, political and technological advances, we humans are not as civilized as we think we are, and our instincts play an important role in our decisions. So bear in mind that every action has a reaction
Thanks for the wonderful posts here. Let me give this quote from the original post a try.
“Suicide attacks are always an indicator that the attacker feels severely oppressed and near defeat, but out of a sense of patriotism, rage, and injustice decides to make one final attempt to destroy a hated enemy even if it means his own death.”
As I understand it, some of these people (suicide bombers) are throwing themselves into this conflict with the same enthusiasm that many allies threw themselves into in ww1. Off to Europe to beat back the Hun. They believed that they could perform this task and be home by Christmas.
The middle east I can imagine is a very boring place to live. North America was probably just as boring 100 years ago. This war may have given their lives some meaning, something to live for.
So I conclude that suicide attacks are not so much an indicator of a defeated army, but that of a young generation of youths who (still innocent) have not had the chance to know anything better than the excitement of conflict.
ps. I admit I know very little, but I am happy that you let me share what little I have. I hope it helps.
the united states government is the ones who committed the 9-11 incident the usa and the world are in more danger from these devils that call them selves lucifearians and the reason they have not attacked the usa again is because it just was not time for bush and his friends to do so but i believe that joe biden told the story when he said what he said about barack obama on the campaign trail all of our govermental officials are involved in this mess so we must impeach them all
henry kissinger has said that military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy
we must get rid of the illuminati and the international bankers now to save the usa and the world money system
For oil, of course.
For the military industrial complex.
For the hell of it.
Because they ‘could’.
Because we needed a wake up call that ‘we’ are NOT alone on this planet.
Pick your own adventure-conspiracy theory and stick to it like a fly to fly paper.
Maybe, just maybe to give ‘us’ a taste of our own ‘medicine’..huh–go figure—think Chevron in Ecaudor….or those planes carrying elected South American leaders blowing up in the seventies or
maybe they just wanted us to give up all our freedoms …yeah..that works best….Orwell anyone?
ps. Perkins Confessions of an Economic Hitman—check him out.