The power of speech.

September 11th will without a doubt go down in history as a horrible tragedy but unfortunately the Bush administration’s handling of the situation will not fare much better. It may well be remembered as the day, a United States president divided the world into two opposing camps, leaving no neutral ground. In his September 20, 2001 speech before a joint session of Congress and live to the people of the world, President Bush said, “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” (Address).
September 11th was immediately compared to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The lost of life was thought to be close to 6,000 but has since been revised to around 3,000. The lost of life and destruction caused on September 11th, dwarfs that of the innocent loss of lives and destruction to property, when compared with the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki in 1945.
On September 16th, President Bush said “this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take awhile” (Ford). The use of the word ‘crusade’ was at the very least a poor choice; it is a stark reminder of the attacks led by Christians against the Muslim centuries ago. In another diplomatic blunder the Pentagon announced a couple days later the code name for this war on terror, “Operation Infinite Justice” (Pentagon). On September 21st, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfield said they are considering renaming the operation because of the objections of the Islamic world, who believe only Allah can deliver infinite justice. 
On January 30th, President Bush in his First State of the Union address, labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea, “axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world” (Full). Once again his words thundered around the world, further dividing the world.  “A big mistake,” was the reaction from former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (Bush’s). “The Great Satan,” was the response of Iran’s leader Khamenei when reacting to Bush’s words (Iran). A week after Bush made the comments; Secretary of State Colin Powell was addressing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During the meeting Senator Chuck Hagel had this to say, “Actions and words have consequences that are very dangerous at a time in the history of man when there’s little margin of error left” (Analysis). 
On March 11, President Bush addressing victims of the disaster, foreign diplomats and congressmen on the White House lawn said, “There can be no neutrality” (No). This once again suggests that the world, fall in line behind Bush’s definition of what is right and just. In a multicultural and multiracial world; where a multiplicity of religions, forms of government and economic policies, as well as, social conditions abound; President Bush’s approach and demands, leave little room for the diversity that exists. If America was not the super power it is, would it dare demand that the rest of the world follows its lead? The words of the President do not address the conditions that have created the seeds for terrorism but instead only seek to stomp out any voices of dissent and unless he advocates total annihilation of groups of people, he is creating fertile ground for even more terrorist attacks. The alliances being made are a result of countries being coerced to go along with the United States; refusal can result in great cost: economically and politically. In the end we must remember, “war does not decide who is right; it only decides whose left” (source unknown).
Consequences at home.

When the Federal Building in Oklahoma City was blown up, accusations of an Islamic connection immediately surfaced. Much by accident, Timothy McVeigh (a decorated United States veteran) was picked up by police on a minor violation and he was later found guilty for the bombing. Before the dust settled Muslims in the United States, once again became suspects and targets of the government and ‘so-called’ patriotic citizens. They no longer could feel safe inside their homes or amongst there neighbors. 
In the early days after the attack around 1,200 people of Middle Eastern descent where rounded up and detained at various facilities around the country. Amnesty International stated they were denied “the right to humane treatment, to be informed of reasons for detention, to have prompt access to a lawyer, to be able to challenge the lawfulness of the detention and to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise” (Amnesty). 
It also reported, “400 individuals were unaccounted for, based on prior government figures of more than 1,180 arrested or detained” (Article). In November, over 5,146 men, between 18 and 33 years of age, again mainly of Middle Eastern descent were sought out for “voluntary” interviews conducted by the Justice Department using various agencies within the criminal justice system (Valuable). Recently it was announced another 3,000 would be questioned. 
Organizations, businesses and charities with ties or suspected ties to terrorist organizations have been raided, records taken, accounts frozen, individuals arrested and doors locked.  “The Muslim community is deeply concerned about what appears to be a fishing expedition by federal authorities using McCarthy-like tactics in a search for evidence of wrongdoing that does not exist,” said Jason Erb, governmental affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Muslims). 
The Wrath of the United States Strikes out at Afghanistan

October 7th, less than a month after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the wrath of the United States struck out at Afghanistan. Back in the 80’s, the United States had funded the building of Tora Bora and had trained bin Laden (along with others) to fight against the Soviets; the United States eventually pulled out leaving the country and the people to fend for themselves. This time the overwhelming superiority of United States forces, with its high tech gadgetry was intent on further decimating Afghanistan, even though it had already been ravaged for over two decades of war.  
Six months later the United States is still bogged down searching caves, settling tribal disputes, fighting pockets of resistance and trying to keep the Karzai government propped up. It has failed to capture or kill bin Laden or Mullah Omar and apparently the majority of the leadership of the Al-Qaeda organization, which by now has fled to other countries and is presumably trying to reorganize. The Taliban is no longer in power but Sharia Law still exists.
The continuing operation has been expensive to both the Afghani people and the United States. It is believe that around 5,000 innocent children, women and men have died in Afghanistan as a result of our attack. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said, “I can’t accept that one causes ‘collateral damage’ in villages and doesn’t even ask about the number and names of the dead” (UN). There is no way of counting the actual toll, with no independent sources on the ground. Millions more were wounded, have been left homeless or fled to refugee camps, also a result of our bombing. The number of Al-Qaeda that has been killed will probably never be known, for one there is nothing to identify them as such. The Taliban also have probably suffered heavy losses as they came to defense of their country, which was under attack by a foreign invader. As far as cost to the United States it has been primarily financial, a price tag of two billion dollars a month. The war has also had a human toll for the United States; around 50 soldiers have loss their lives, in part due to friendly fire. 
The whole region has been destabilized, as India and Israel have felt embolden to declare their own war on terrorism. The United States has shown its total disregard for International Law and the articles of United Nations, once again. American political philosopher Noam Chomsky said, the United States failed to get the United Nations Security Council to authorize force as spelled out in Article 51. He went on to say, “the hypocrite is the person who refuses to apply to himself the standards he applies to others” (Chomsky). Congress has once again shown its lacks any backbone when it comes to dealing with the issue of war; instead it has nodded its support to the President. Only one lone Congresswoman, Barbara Lee, spoke out from the very beginning saying, “let us not become the evil we deplore.” Although as the war drags on and begins to widen, other voices of dissent are being heard, Senator Democratic leader Tom Daschle said there is “expansion without at least a clear direction” (Daschle). 
An underlying factor for the involvement of the United States in the Middle East/ Gulf area deals with the growing dependence of the United States on oil. Two-thirds of oil reserves are in the Gulf region. In 1970, the United States dependence was at 12% of consumption but in the year 2000 it had increased to 60.9%. That dependence is responsible for “a widespread belief that the US... [is] exerting an unacceptable control over the Gulf States because of its determination to maintain security of oil supplies” (War). It is also well known that there is a large oil reserve in the Caspian Sea area and the United States involvement in Afghanistan and the building of bases in neighboring countries has to be viewed with some suspicion. 
The Detainees

Operations being conducted in Afghanistan created a large number, of what the United States has called detainees. The United States has refused to call them  ‘prisoners-of-war’; a maneuver designed to deny them rights under the Geneva Convention, which has sparked international concerns (Terror).  The prisoners started arriving to Camp X-Ray on Guantanamo Bay, by plane in January, they were shackled, blindfolded and in some cases had earmuffs on. The cells are nothing more than cages, similar to a dog kennel, a roof is the only protection from the elements and insects. They linger in legal limbo as the United States tries to sort out the prisoners. Military tribunals were called for at the beginning but have not developed and the detainees future seems uncertain.
On February 27th, over 100 inmates at Camp X-Ray started a hundred strike after guards removed a turban of an inmate while praying (Guantanamo). A few inmates havehad to be force-fed, and as of the 14th of March only 3 were missing some of their meals (U.S.). The protests have given the inmates the right to wear a turban during prayer time. 
An even larger group of prisoners, 3000, is still being held within Afghanistan, forgotten by the international community and slowly dying. The men languish in overcrowded conditions, food is being rationed and they are drinking water from a stream. Many are sick and treatment is inadequate. (Shibarghan)
The War Spreads

The war has already spread well beyond the borders of Afghanistan. Advisors, Special Forces and troops are already on the ground in the Philippines, Yemen, Georgia, Columbia, and Sudan. The rhetoric has been turned up on other countries around the world and plans are being made to go into Somalia, Indonesia, Iran and North Korea. 
Iraq more than any other country is considered to be the next major expansion of the war on terrorism, even thought no connection to the Al-Qaeda has been made. It should be noted that almost all the key players in the present Bush administration have ties to the previous Bush administration which conducted the Gulf War but fell short of removing Saddam Hussein back then. Reaction of allies and other countries has been, 

“”It is a nightmare situation for us,” said one Arab diplomat in Washington. “We feel the Americans will take very drastic action and we have to be prepared for such a reality. But the public opinion in the street will not see this as a benign attempt to restore order, but as American imperialism.” France, Germany and others in the European Union have been queuing up to make clear to Mr Bush that they will not support him in military action against Iraq” (Borger)

Since the Gulf War the United States with Britain’s help has been pushing UN sanctions and patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq. “The executive director of the UN’s Iraq programme, Benon Sevan, said there had recently been an unprecedented surge in the number of blocked contracts amounting to more than $5bn” (Barrow). The vast majority of the blocked contracts are a result of the United States pressure.  The US will claim they are ‘dual use’ items, like an ambulance or blood bags, which could also be used for military purposes. As a result of these actions, ordinary Iraqi’s have borne the brunt of the suffering caused. What was an emerging country before the Gulf war has been reduced to a third world country, its infrastructure in ruins. The death toll associated with UN sanctions today is well over one million. “In 1996, when queried on CBS’s ‘60 Minutes’ as to whether the death of a half million children was worth the price, Albright’s response was, ‘That’s a tough question, but yes we think the price is worth it’”(Protestors).
The plans to attack Iraq seem to have been sidelined at least for now it appears, as things heat up in Israel. The situation in Israel has flared long-standing tensions in the region and threatens to spill across the borders into Lebanon and Syria. Daily attacks are occurring in the Shebaa Farms area, which is disputed area between Israel and Lebanon.  Protest against Israel and the United States are being held in several Arab countries, sometimes turning violent. 
What happens in Israel is important to the stability of the world more so than Afghanistan. Israel is a small country that was created back in 1948 as a homeland for the Jews. The creation of the Israeli state caused the displacement of the Palestinian people and problems ever since. Israel is surrounded on 3 sides by Arab countries and has its back to the Mediterranean Sea. With a massive amount of United States support it has built an impressive military and is suspected to have nuclear weapons. For decades peace plans have been made, only to fall apart before implementation. 	
The situation in Israel has been building every since Sharon came to power. He refers to Arafat as a terrorist, yet he has charges pending against himself for a 1982 massacre in Beirut, which is thought to have killed around 800 people. “Mr. Sharon’s lawyers argue that he is immune from prosecution because he is a sitting head of government” ( Lebanon). Lebanon is presently hearing lawsuits, back in October of 2001 Belgium had wanted to try him but have postponed those trials for now.
The Palestinians want their own Palestinian State and wants Israel to pull out of its territory. The Palestinians do have a police force and a small security force but it has no air force or navy. Up until recently it was a conflict fought primarily with rocks against rockets. Out of desperation, the militant groups have been using suicide bombings in its fight. 
Each incident brings retaliation from the other side. In Israel’s case they fire rockets from helicopter gunships or F-16s, and lob shells off of ships. A suicide bomber from a Palestinian area would go into a crowded public area, restaurant or a bus and blow themself up. The situation has escalated to what seems a point of no return right now. Both sides sticking to their positions and the death toll and destruction has seen a sharp increase. On April 15th, the United Nations Human Rights Commission condemned Israel for its “gross violations of humanitarian law”. It accused Israel of “gross violations” of humanitarian law and affirmed the “legitimate right of Palestinian people to resist” (Kirby). 
Syrian President al-Assad said it would be “better to eradicate the causes [of suicide bombings] rather than waste time condemning them” ( Powell).
What Lies Ahead?

If nothing else a lot of uncertainty lies ahead. The world is definitely at a crossroads, like no other time in history. The weaponry available is incredible but what is even scarier is the willingness to use it. India and Pakistan have continued to maintain their buildup of a million-man army along their borders. Each side waits for the other to back down but a miscalculation on either side could see them use their nuclear weapons against each other, something both sides have said they would do if provoked.
President Bush has shown his willingness and determination to go after any country that opposes the United States. In March it was revealed that the United States has drawn up a new hit list of potential targets it would use nuclear weapons against. The list has probably always existed in some form but the rhetoric around the use of them has raised fears around the world. “”This is very, very dangerous talk,” said John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World. “Dr Strangelove is clearly still alive in the Pentagon”” (US ‘has). It threatens to start a new arms race.
What happens in Israel depends on how long the current Sharon push into occupied territories last and at what point other Arab nations will become involved. Israel also is believed to have nuclear weapons and would not hesitate to use them if it felt threatened on more than one front, especially with Sharon in power. 
There is hope, maybe not in the current governments, which have, all refused to not negotiate settlements but the hope lies in the people themselves. There is a growing voice speaking out against the current climate of war and injustice. In some countries the movement is much larger than here in the United States. People the world over are calling for reason, negotiation and an examination of the root causes of terrorism and conflict and then addressing them. The peace, antiwar and social justice movements believe it is the only choice we as humans can make that will create an earth where all people will live in relative peace and social harmony. The other choice is a bleak one at best.

Jeff McKenzie

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