11 - 17 October 2001
Issue No.555
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 11 - 17 October 2001 Issue No.555 |
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Clear and compelling
As the days go by, assorted official spokespersons take turns declaring emphatically that they have seen the evidence linking the attack on the World Trade Center to Osama Bin Laden, and that it is clear and compelling. As time passes, too, one becomes less and less inclined to believe them.
NATO's George Robertson neither looks nor sounds very convincing, and Tony Blair's hysterical statements as he rushes to the aid of big brother George are frankly laughable. He has taken it upon himself to up the ante, describing the evidence as "overwhelming" and, in his zeal, calling for the removal of the Taliban government. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is doing his very best to pretend that he is so satisfied with the FBI reports that "there is no need for more evidence," but only manages to make it obvious that he himself perceives his statements as not very credible. When the truth is blinding, it is normally out there for everyone to see. It does not remain the esoteric province of the initiated. So far the public, hanging on every printed word and every pronouncement by television pundits, has been treated to tidbits of information that do not amount to much. After every "revelation," one has the unpleasant impression that the world is going to war on the strength of some intricate guesswork performed by the FBI, trying belatedly to win points and get back into the game after their shameful debacle.
Meanwhile, the disaster has given ordinary people around the globe the occasion to witness some major political faux pas, which are bound to fester and which have already fuelled to frenzied levels the anger and fear of otherwise peace-loving citizens. One would think it was time to moderate the rhetoric until the perpetrators' identity is established beyond the shade of a doubt and the world at large -- not just the boys on the team -- sees irrefutable proof, as opposed to the piecemeal allegations we are getting now.
The point is that at present the evidence is neither clear nor compelling. It is certainly far from overwhelming. At best, it is circumstantial -- unless, of course, "our friends," struck by the immanent truth of the divinations they have witnessed, perform a leap of faith that causes them to follow the leader blindly. Only in this case will they be prepared to rise up and visit a new kind of devastation on a people whose "obvious" guilt has yet to be proven.
America's flag-waving and patriotic revival has not prevented the public from entertaining private doubts, at any rate. One perceives some discomfort in the strident appeals for vengeance. Is foul play suspected? Are we being told the whole truth, or are the media manipulating us? It has happened before. Could we be witnessing a Towergate in the making? Could there be an undisclosed reason, a secret agenda above and beyond the avowed aim of catching Osama Bin Laden, feeding the dogged rage to destroy the Taliban?
While few in the world would shed tears if the Taliban were rooted out of their stronghold, one wonders nevertheless if at the same time it would not be extremely convenient for the Western powers to have a friendlier government established in Afghanistan -- or what will be left of it, courtesy of the deadly retaliatory attacks -- whose members will be only too happy to share the riches of the country's soil with their benefactors. By the same token, wouldn't an all-out war against the rogue countries of the Middle East cut those who oppose the cosy arrangements of the new world order down to size once and for all?
It is truly mind-boggling that one man and his organisation, no matter how powerful, have prompted not only the mighty United States but also all of NATO's members to mobilise their entire arsenal in a bid to stop him in his tracks. Was Italy ever militarily attacked for exporting the Mafia? Can anyone imagine a world war being waged to capture the Godfather?
Be that as it may, we hear daily proclamations of total confidence in George W Bush's decisions and unwavering trust in his intelligence apparatus. On the other hand, we are told that the American people are rushing by the thousands to buy rifles and shotguns to do their government's job and "protect themselves." Whatever from? The Bin Laden gang has not been known to peddle its brand of terrorism door to door. Are Americans buying weapons to exact vengeance from anyone looking remotely like the new devil, an Arab? Does the United States need more violence? Is warfare in the suburbs to become the new form of terrorism? What will happen if the administration recklessly ignores the danger of its entire gun-toting population taking on the role of vigilantes? One shudders to contemplate the consequences.
Two short segments recently aired on CNN showed peddlers of arms and gas masks doing a brisk business. The anchor observed that, here at least, there was no sign of recession. The following day, the same segments were shown again, with an added warning, delivered almost apologetically by the pretty commentator: gas masks, she announced, are not foolproof in protecting against chemical warfare, and can actually be lethal if not used properly. No such warning was proffered to the pistol purchasers, although America has had plenty of experience in the abuse of firearms. Will America witness a recrudescence of pizza parlour murders, random killings and replays of the tragedy of Columbine? With all the talk of war and vindication, will their children end up paying for the collective misguided terror of their elders?
Americans are resigning themselves to the curtailment of some of their civil liberties in the hope that this sacrifice will help rid the world of the bogeyman; but they are not about to give up their right to carry guns for self-protection. They actually seem to believe that they will be called upon to use them. But one question remains: who will the victims of this frantic self-preservation be?
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