25 - 31 October 2001
Issue No.557
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 25 - 31 October 2001 Issue No.557 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Part of the problem
Of course we grieved for the thousands of innocent civilians whose lives were destroyed on 11 September. But the so-called war on terrorism is just as despicable a crime. A million innocent Afghans will die if the bombardment does not stop. While the group that carried out the 11 September attack showed utter disregard for any law or standard of decency, now we find a major world power doing the same. America has every means to make a sensible decision and, while folly is understandable in the case of extremists whose punishment nobody opposes, it is hardly acceptable coming from the superpower par excellence.
America must study the problem carefully to discern the nature of and reasons for terrorism. What we witnessed in New York and Washington is a symptom of the illness referred to as terrorism; and, as is current in medical wisdom, it is impossible to eradicate the symptoms before curing the illness. The cure consists in dealing effectively with the causes of terrorism, a task that requires not only wisdom but courage. Bombing innocent civilians and spreading desolation, in contrast, is simply an exercise of military power; and America has this in abundance, allowing it to contribute to the factors causing terrorism rather than attacking its roots. Its actions now even give terrorism additional justification.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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