miksirhc

The terrorists attack the United States because of our intervention in their foreign affairs. In Osama Bin Laden's Fatawa, or his declaration of war against America, he cited 3 main reasons for his lifelong quest:
1. US Occupation of Muslim Holy Land
2. The innocents killed in the Gulf War and sanctions on Iraq.
3. American support of Israel.
From this, it stands to reason that terrorists attack us not because we are free and prosperous, but because were are interfering with their affairs. This position is supported by many sources including the 9/11 Commission report, also by Michael Schauer, head of the CIA department in charge of hunting Bin Laden.
It is time to withdraw completely from the middle east and to become friends and trade with other nations freely. This will end the creation of new terrorists: with the US not being present in the Middle East, Bin Laden and other recruiters will have no impetus to use the wonderful religion if Islam to turn people against us. Our War in Iraq has made the situation so much worse, but there is still time to fix this.
Remember what Jefferson said: "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none."

Diogenes

Only if you buy their silly excuses. Do you really think that crowd is honest about their motives?

MarcusMagnus

They attack us because they hate freedom.

Simon W. Moon

Do you really think that if we weren't monkeying around w/ the ME folks from the ME would be all that upset w/ us?

There're many countries that are arguably as free as we are and many that are decidedly more irreligious. However, the folks who installed multiple regimes in the ME and who overthrew multiple regimes in teh ME are the target.

It should also be noted that the interference / participation in ME affairs is what is used as a recruiting pitch. So whatever youchoose to believe about the motives of the various "masterminds" the meme resonates with the rank and file.

(I may be reading to much into your comment here, but) You seem to be caught up more with the idea of whether or not we "deserve it" rather than what they're thinking.

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miksirhc

The argument that they attack us because we are 'Free' is proposterous. What would we do if another country came in and started putting bases in mexico and canada? We would fight back. So do they.

Switzerland and Austria are just as 'free' as us, even freer in some respects. Yet they are not the target of terrorist attacks because they stay involved with their own affairs.

They may not be honest about their motives, but they are very small, fringe movement. However, our actions have given them the EXCUSE to and the IMPETUS for people to join their ranks. Terrorism does not exist in a vacuum. Creating a vacuum is the only way to end it. Leave the Middle East Now.

Simon W. Moon

Now that's some truthiness.

oldreliable67

Excellent response. But it does suggest the further question of, why do we "monkey around" with the ME? I'm reminded of Lord Palmerston's (in)famous quip that, "“Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.”

Presumably, our interests in the ME include first and foremost, access to strategic resources (oil and gas) and at one time, countering Soviet expansionism (as we competed with them for "clients" in the ME), and perhaps others.

So, in the interest of furthering the debate/discussion, over the longer run, do you think our "interests" in the ME have been well-served by our monkeying around, or has it thus far been counterproductive?

mikhail

Some people just dont get some people arent using logic.The fact that people actually think solving the isreal palastine problem will solve everything just shows they dont get it.

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The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.

Simon W. Moon

The ME has been the hot spot for so long because (as every Risk Player knows) it sits inbetween three continents. Anytime someone needed to expand (xpt for our far eastern and our as of yet unmet New world brethren) they had to go through there.

I'm certainly not in the mood to second guess a theme that recurs throughout history. I'm not up to looking into the Byzantine(!) annals of the many empires and world powers who have seen fit to stick their finger in that pie.

Whether these ventures have served our relatively young interests or not is most likely a mixed bag that's debatable ad infinitum depending on the givens of the conversation. I have no doubt that some have been good choices and others poor with a mix from the full spectrum in between.

However, in the more narrow focus of this conversation, I bring this up to point out that the perspective of folks residing in that part of the world wrt our participation in ME affairs is bound to emphasize the impacts of our involvement more than ours does.





More recently the importance of petro-products has maintained the strategic importance of the region even though the logistical importance of the area has been diminished by the advances in transportation.

IMVHO, the US should make it a priority to divest our strategic interests from the area. I think we should look to be an energy exporter in this coming century. Of course, this means finding new means of acquiring energy. Daunting task for sure; however, we invented Yankee know-how.

Other than the strategic resource in the area, we don't really have that much interest in the area. True some of our allies do due to their proximity, but for the US the petro is the big interest. If that we're no longer true, we could reallocate a great deal of resources.

bhkad

Why did they attack Algeria recently or in the 1990's?

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But, when all is said and done, Senator McCain has not spent decades aiding and abetting people who hate America. http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell060508.php3