Terrorists Don’t Hate Freedom, They Want It

by James Glaser
December 1, 2004

The Defense Science Board is a Federal Committee established to provide independent advice to the Secretary of Defense. This 32 member board is selected for preeminence in the fields of science, technology, and its application to military operations. Nobody ever said this board was fast and nobody ever said they were timely, but they came out with a report last week that sheds some intelligent light on why we are in a War on Terrorism

The Christen Science Monitor had a head line on Monday which read, "They hate our policies, not our freedom." For over three years now George Bush and his administration have been telling the country that we got attacked on 9/11 because as Bush says, "They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and they disagree with each other." Now I know that quote doesn't make much sense, especially the part about them disagreeing with each other, but remember I am quoting George Bush.

Well it seems that for over three years this Defense Science Board has been thinking and studying what George thought the terrorist attack on us was all about and they came up with this, ""Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies."

"The overwhelming majority (of Muslims) voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights and the long standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and the Gulf States. Thus, when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy."

This Science Board has been able to figure out what most of the world has known for years and that is the Terrorists don't like us supporting Israel and that those same terrorists want freedom in their countries. They can no longer sit back and watch the United States back the Governments who oppress them.

Look at out "friend" in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf, who is also the chief of the Army, came to power in a coup in 1999. First he disbanded Parliament and then he tore up the nation's constitution. He is President because he appointed himself President and he is still the chief of the Army, because he needs the Army to stay in power. That is the kind of "Freedom" the rest of the world sees America backing. George Bush has publicly praised Musharraf many times.

Look at Saudi Arabia. The richest country in the world with all of their oil, but if you don't belong to the Royal family, you have almost nothing. Those Princes from the House of Saud are George Bush's personal friends and the world knows that too. Egypt, we pay that government billions of dollars every year because they signed the Camp David Peace accord with Israel. Israel got peace with Egypt and America pays billions of tax dollars to the two of them for ever. Those in power in Egypt are not about to spread the wealth around and open the country to democracy. They have a good thing going and they have that "American paycheck" to play with. Jordan is run by the son of the last King and the same it true with Syria, only his dad was just a dictator.

The whole world knows what is going on. Muslims are not dumb people and they know the United States has been keeping them from having true freedom for decades. Osama bin Laden told us before the terrorist attack to get our troops out of Muslim Holy ground and get peace going between Israel and Palestine.

Muslims know that the United States is not out to bring democracy anyplace. They know that we want countries who will "play ball' with us and if they do, they can do what ever they want to there people.

The American people have to realize that most of the world knows what we are doing. They know that we keep millions and millions of people from freedom by backing dictators and despots. Remember we backed and financed Saddam Hussein for many years, we backed the Shah of Iran and taught his secret police how to torture and that country has the proof of that from papers captured with our embassy. Iranian students took a year and put together all of our shredded documents.

We still back the House of Saud in Saudi Arabia, Musharraf in Pakistan, the governments in Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States. We turn a blind eye to all the illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank and we provide Israel with billions in military aid.

Terrorists don't hate freedom, they want it. They want it for themselves and they want it for the Palestinian people.


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