Response to “The US Bears no Responsibility”

I recently read an Op-Ed piece entitled “The US Bears no Responsibility” in which Michael Graboski vehemently criticizes a book about September 11th. I personally have not read the book he comments on, however I do take issue with a few comments made in this piece. He has a right to his own agenda, but the dismissive phrase “the US Bears no Responsibility” for the attacks of 9/11 is an arrogant statement that represents an attitude that can do nothing but lead to even more hatred of this country.

Graboski angrily dismisses the suggestion that the United States support of tyrannical regimes lead to the attacks on our country; he goes on to praise the US for the war against Iraq and Afghanistan. Whether or not the US support of tyrannical regimes specifically lead to the attacks at the WTC and Pentagon is a matter of debate. However anyone who denies the United States’ long history of supporting tyrants and murderers is at worst extremely feeble minded and at best completely blind. Did the CIA not aid the mass murdering General Pinochet?, did the US play no part in brining Joseph Mobutu to power in Zaire? Are these not just a few examples? The FBI and CIA have also continuously supported such right-wing terrorist groups as Omega 7, Alpha 66, and Brothers to the Rescue. These groups have admitted to assassinations and the bombing of a Cuban plane in 1976 (to just name a few instances (1)). Jesse Helms and Joe Lieberman have sponsored a bill to give 100 million dollars to these groups! And conservative Americans don’t support terrorism? I guess 100 million is not considered “support.” Or would you argue Lieberman is not a conservative? (didn’t think so). The US continues the support of tyrants with the support of leaders like Rashid Dostum of Afghanistan’s United Front, a man who has been described as a “backwater Sadaam Hussein” (2). There are well documented human rights violations by members of the United Front including villages being burned, women being raped, and children under the age of 15 being “recruited” to the UF army (3). The United States has a history of supporting terrorists and to suggest that this has had a role in the 9/11 attacks is not an outrageous statement.

In his tirade, Mr. Graboski refers to Fidel Castro as a “terrorist thug who has murdered thousands of people.” I’m curious to know what makes Castro a thug and when has he murdered thousands of people. If he means that a thug lead a country to deliver free health care to all of its citizens; helped create free education through all graduate programs; helped increase his country’s literacy rate to one higher than the US; and been the proponent of a program that has sent over 2,000 physicians to Africa provide humanitarian medical aid in over 17 countries. A leader who has brought all of these things to his country is a terrorist? Well, if Graboski is representing conservatives, then it appears that they not only don’t care about delivering health care, increasing literacy, providing free education, and giving humanitarian aid- but they consider these tyrannical acts! What about Castro’s “murder” of “thousands of people?” Is he referring to the Cuban Revolution? If so then does he consider Ulysses S. Grant a mass murderer as well for fighting against the Confederacy?

The most foolish statement I read in this piece is the one suggesting the Soviets were behind the September 11th attacks. Think about that for just a minute. The Soviets. Those who invaded Afghanistan in 1979; those who lost one of the most brutal and humiliating defeats in wartime history at the hands of the mujahideen. The Soviets funded Al-Qaida? The Soviet bloc broke up in the early 90s. They aren’t funding anyone. And, even if they could, the last people they would lend aid to are those allied with the Taleban.

Graboski also praises his conservative brethren for taking the Taleban out of power. This suggests that the conservatives are the ones who care about the people of Afghanistan. The Bush administration has certainly ended the Taleban’s reign in Afghanistan, but what lead them to this? How many conservatives came out and criticized the human rights abuses and brutal oppression of women in Afghanistan before September 11th, 2001? I recall a few people who would not be considered conservative that did just that. Madeline Albright may not exactly be a leftist, but she’s certainly not conservative. She denounced the Taleban in 1998 (4), Kofi Anan did so in 2000 (5), the National Organization of Women did so in 1998 (6). Which conservative leaders did this prior to 9/11?

Graboski notes that the book’s author criticizes both Bush administrations for promoting terrorism. He states that the authors do not criticize Clinton. As I have not read the book, I don’t know if this is true. However, if they criticized the acts of Bush I and II while ignoring Clinton’s cowardly bombing of the Al-shifa Pharmaceutical plant in Sudan and his bombings of Iraqi civilians, then I join him in denouncing the book’s author as a disgrace.

There have been few events that have stirred up the emotions of so many Americans such as those at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However there is not one liberal minded person in this country who considers the 19 hijackers “Freedom Fighters” and it is simply a lie to try to paint those from the left as sympathetic to any terrorists. To do so is to hurt the credibility of conservatives across the country. To be honest I wonder if Mr. Graboski is actually a leftist posing as an idiotic conservative just to make them look bad. If so- bravo, you’ve done an excellent job. David Annas CAS ’96, SPH ’01, MED ’06

References:

(1) http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43b/145.html

(2) RAWA:(quoted in) http://rawasongs.fancymarketing.net/na-dan.htm (3) RAWA: http://rawasongs.fancymarketing.net/na.htm#1

(4) http://www.geocities.com/mina_19087/MadAlbright.htm

(5) http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/feb01/00_21_002.html

(6) NOW AUGUST 20, 1998, http://www.now.org/press/08-98/08-20-98.html

IAC:http://www.iacenter.org/cuban5_nycprotest.htm

gdannas@bu.edu