Concord Times (Freetown)
Oumar Farouk Sesay
11 October 2001
opinion
Freetown — The September 11th tragedy at the World Trade Center which saw the demise of thousands of innocent souls sent a shock wave through out the world and raised questions as harrowing as the sight of Flight Eleven piecing through the walls of the Twin Towers. As the world watch this ex- rated horror show unfolding in television monitors the question as to why and how battled for center stage like the mangled remains of bodies and demised dreams left behind at the twin towers.
The answers range from the mundane to the metaphysical. But for common folks the world over the enduring interrogative is how can this happens to America the world's only super power? How can an obscure terrorist cell hit at the heart of global capitalism in the heart of America without plausible warning signals from the intelligence community? How safe is the world if America is so vulnerable? How can the ideals of democracy for which many lives have been lost in the battlefields of the world survive if a few demented fanatics can pound the custodians of that ideal?
The dilemma is compounded by why the attack on civilian targets by terrorist group? What anger? What rage? What hate propels a group of middle class people who certainly have something to live for to collectively transform themselves through years of training into a nuclear bomb?
Through out the political history of self- determination terrorism has been used to register political dissent or to draw the world's attention to political issues relegated in the margins of world politics. This explains the axiom " One man's terrorism is another man's Nationalism". The struggle of South Africans against apartheid, the Palestinian question and many other struggles almost gave terrorism legitimacy by default. The bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in September 11th went beyond the accepted norm in political discord.
The magnitude of the tragedy towers over whatever cause the terrorists wanted to accentuate. The attack is an off limit act that trespasses on the common bonds of humanity, hence the Global cry for revenge and justice.
In few hours after the bombing, the agony of the world is congealed into diplomatic language reminiscence of the Pearl harbor bombing and the cold war era. In one of his address Bush referred to the prime suspect of the attack as " wanted dead or alive". In another occasion, he made reference to operation "Infinite justice" or "Crusade". The religious overtones in his speeches followed by attack on Arab-Americans and Muslims in the US almost shifted the conflict to the religious front. The Bush administration is still struggling to bring the conflict back to the human front where it belongs.
Arguably there are fanatics in all religions who use their faith negatively to achieve their twisted objectives. The world will not forget in a hurry David Kuresh of Waco in Texas. It will be naïve to reduce Christianity with all its values to Kuresh's interpretation. Equally it will be naïve to indict the Muslim faith on the testimony of a group of terrorist whose brand of Islam is as erroneous as their act of inhumanity against humanity.
The historical parallel to this tragedy is Pearl Harbor and America retaliated by decimating Hiroshima.
Will America seek revenge or justice? Pearl harbor is a calculated decision by the state of Japan to attack America. World trade Center tragedy is a product of men hiding behind the cloak of religion and protected by a rogue sect. To make a Hiroshima out of Afghanistan may be far fetched. Besides the global alliance required to legitimize the attack may not sanctioned the use of weapons of Mass destruction, the nomadic and mercurial nature of the enemy takes the element of a definite target out of the military equation.
As world leaders contemplate how to process, package and export justice to the Talibans and their guest of doom Osama bin Laden, the question must be asked how do we stop a repeat of sort a tragedy?
The solution could be found in a radical review of America's foreign policy in the Middle East. In the cold war era, people distressed by America's policy of "containment of communism" sought diplomatic solace by forging alliances with the Soviets in I spit on your grave attitude. In a new world order dominated by America, pent up anger against America's policy finds expression in not too legitimate means. Playing politics with the Palestinian question with a view to appeasing the Jewish Lobby is exerting a great toll on America and the world. Foreign policies must be carved on the solid rock of national security.
The complacency of the intelligence community after the end of the cold war left much to be desired. They must be made to understand that there are still enemies lurked out there willing to die for America to perish. It is inconceivable to know that Ahmed Atta and his cohorts lived and planned this apocalyptic tragedy in the home of the CIA and FBI.
America was dubbed as the global police but event in September 11TH indicates that she cannot even police her backyard. Someone somewhere has to pay for this intelligence blunder. Perhaps now is not the time to point fingers but definitely fingers must be pointed from within if we are to know what went wrong.
Sierra Leoneans who witnessed the RUF terrorist activities over the last decade understand the pain, the trauma, and the state of helplessness felt by Americans on that fateful day. As they mourn their dead and presumed dead they must reflect on what went wrong. I believe this is not a jihad or crusade, this is a crime against humanity shrouded in religious cloak. The final solution to this menace should go beyond bombing Afghanistan, it should be found in a holistic review of the home grown freedom and justice and the brand exported to the world in the name of democracy.
For those who rejoice over the plight of America, they must be made to understand that there is an intimate connection between the crumbs of freedoms we enjoy with the American freedom. The democracy we have is by some logic sustained by American democracy, if they die we might die too. It is in our own enlightening self -interest to see America survive as leader of the free world. The questionable nature of their leadership must be dealt with in another forum, but for God sake, not by bombing civilians in twin towers.
For the casualties are like "us". The thousands who perished in the bombing are the masses, mass educated by the mass media and buried in a mass grave beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center. They belong to the same constituency like the innocent victims killed in the Ruffian killing fields and the many that are going to die in the ridges and gorges of Afghanistan.
The retaliatory attacks on Afghanistan have begun, the impact on the world economy will soon be felt mostly in donor driven countries. The pain suffered by America will go round the world in the name of globalization. America's pain is a global pain in this Global village.
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