Dear Editor: Since the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, all I have been hearing on television is that it is probably the work of Osama bin Laden. Why? The number of people around the world that are angry over U.S. foreign policy is extremely large. Iraqis are angry over the continual bombings, the sanctions which have killed over a million people and the depleted uranium used in bombing that has caused leukemia and other cancers. Yugoslavs are angry over the bombing and dismemberment of their country. Palestinians are angry over U.S. support for Israel. Latin Americans are angry over decades of U.S. supported coups, death squads, torture, disappeared people and ruthless dictators. Africans are angry over U.S. support for apartheid and the proxy wars by Renamo and UNITA in Mozambique and Angola that have caused the deaths of millions of people. Indonesians are angry over the bloody dictatorship of Suharto. I could go on and on.
Now, President George W. Bush will undoubtedly massively bomb another country, probably Afghanistan, causing the loss of more innocent lives and possibly commit U.S. ground forces in a search for Osama bin Laden. Incidentally, the CIA was responsible for bringing the Taliban to power by financing the fight against the Russians. This policy will only exacerbate the situation and bring more terrorist attacks.
I am appalled at the suffering and loss of life in New York and Washington, D.C. It is a terrible tragedy and could lead to the loss of civil liberties and will result in a headlong rush to Star Wars and militarization to the detriment of Social Security, education, the infrastructure, the environment, etc.
The difficult task for American people is to change U.S. foreign policy from one based on imperial might designed to foster the interests and profits of multinational corporations to one based on peace, justice and the interests of the common people everywhere. Then terrorism will cease.
Sincerely,Gary Sudborough
