US "Foreign Policy"

[bulok]

Recently I seem to notice that there are many people who believe that the US "invited" the 9/11 attacks because of their 'Foreign Policy'.

Having lived in England most of my life and not being interested in politics until recently, I was not familiar with US Foreign Policy pre-9/11.

As far as I know, and correct me if I am wrong here but we had not been actively doing anything in foreign soil with the exception of the occasional bombing of pharmaceutical factories in Iraq *cough*

I suspect what these people mean by Foreign Policy is US' relationship with Israel. Why can't they just say it.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Thats pretty much the impression I've gotten while vacationing here in Europe. Last week a friend and I got into a philosophical discussion with a Scotsman that now lives in Frankfurt. It started out civil enough, but by the end of the night, Roy was saying that he wants to see America destroyed. I asked him if he meant militarily, economically or socially. He just shrugged.

I agreed with him that the US has done terrible things, but that doesnt justify the murder of over 3,000 Americans on 9-11. Again, he shrugged. He then tried to list all the times that America has killed people. I asked him if murder is justifiable and he refused to answer.

My point is that yes, many people blame America's foriegn policy for our current troubles. I dont know why they dont just come out and say "Its because you support and created Israel." Roy seemed to just be saying "What goes around, comes around." Of course, he was also drunk by the end of the night, so I dont know how much of what he was saying was the truth.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Personally I think what brought about 9/11, or at least gave terrorists the confidence for it, was Somalia and Beirut.

In both places, we took a hit.

And what did we do? We withdrew and we cut our losses. **** that.

After we lost 241 Marines, sailors, and soldiers, in Beirut we should have hunted down those responsible and made an example of them.

We lost something like, 25, 20 soldiers in Mogadishu ten years later, and cut and ran.

We should've finished the job, and made those responsible pay, instead we showed our enemies that we would withdraw if the losses were too great.

In a way, we invited an attack in our own country. I'm glad we're doing something about it this time.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[sinewave]

i think it's more than just our relationship with israel. i'm sure our relationship with saudi arabia and past bombing campaigns in several other middle-eastern countries that have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians has helped to foster a lot of resentment and anger towards us. having innnocent family members and/or friends die in a botched bombing attempt is enough motivation for someone to take up arms and attempt revenge against a country with a questionable agenda. if, say, the pakistani government bombed and killed my family, even if it was an accident, i'd want some form of retribution. it's only logical. add to that the fact that once you've lost everything you're probably more succeptible to brainwashing by an extremist group that would claim to want to help you and take you in. sure, i can understand the mind of a "terrorist", i suppose. i don't agree with responding to the deaths of innocents by killing more, but i can understand the mindset.

 

[blind_fury]

American should've paid alot more attention to Al-Queda when this happened.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_U.S._embassy_bombings

It was obvious that Bin Laden was a threat in 1998 after two seperate US embassy bombings that killed hundreds of people. Of course war hawks were too busy trying to impeach Clinton at the time for lying about sex to support a war on terror that would've prevented 9-11.

 

[Lackey]

Recently I seem to notice that there are many people who believe that the US "invited" the 9/11 attacks because of their 'Foreign Policy'.

Having lived in England most of my life and not being interested in politics until recently, I was not familiar with US Foreign Policy pre-9/11.

As far as I know, and correct me if I am wrong here but we had not been actively doing anything in foreign soil with the exception of the occasional bombing of pharmaceutical factories in Iraq *cough*

I suspect what these people mean by Foreign Policy is US' relationship with Israel. Why can't they just say it.

I'd say you need to read up on your history. U.S. has had pleny of involvement in the Middle East going all the way back to the First World War.


Off the top of my head...
1953 Coup in Iran
Reagan administration's involvement in Lebanon conflict
Iran-Contra
Military bases in Saudi Arabia - Islamic holy land
Providing WMD's to Saddam Hussein during war with Iran
Providing funds and weapons to Osama bin Laden during war with USSR
Encouraging Saddam's invasion of Kuwait

 

[hippie_hunter]

American should've paid alot more attention to Al-Queda when this happened.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_U.S._embassy_bombings

It was obvious that Bin Laden was a threat in 1998 after two seperate US embassy bombings that killed hundreds of people. Of course war hawks were too busy trying to impeach Clinton at the time for lying about sex to support a war on terror that would've prevented 9-11.

This is one of those rare occasions where we completely agree.

 

[Kritish]

In a way, this is all our fault.

• We helped the rebels in Afghanistan beat the Soviets.
• The United Kingdom helped Israel come into existence, thus pissing off every single Palestinian.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

I'd say you need to read up on your history. U.S. has had pleny of involvement in the Middle East going all the way back to the First World War.
Off the top of my head...
1953 Coup in Iran
Reagan administration's involvement in Lebanon conflict
Iran-Contra
Military bases in Saudi Arabia - Islamic holy land
Providing WMD's to Saddam Hussein during war with Iran
Providing funds and weapons to Osama bin Laden during war with USSR
Encouraging Saddam's invasion of Kuwait

The last one is new to me, as George Bush Sr. used the invasion of Kuwait and the laughable lie of the giant Iraqi gun to start Desert Storm, that resulted in the death of lots of civilians. The estimates range from 20000 to 200000 persons killed. And that may be a reason for someone to have a certain grudge against USA. But none of the terrorist of 9/11 were from Iraq, remember that.
Oh, and I would like to remind you that on 9/11 of 1973, rightfully elected President of Chile Salvador Allende died during a coup d'etat that was financed and organized with the help of CIA (there are now public CIA documents that prove that). That day more than 3000 people were killed.

 

[Lackey]

The last one is new to me, as George Bush Sr. used the invasion of Kuwait and the laughable lie of the giant Iraqi gun to start Desert Storm, that resulted in the death of lots of civilians. The estimates range from 20000 to 200000 persons killed. And that may be a reason for someone to have a certain grudge against USA. But none of the terrorist of 9/11 were from Iraq, remember that.

Saddam was told that President Bush Sr. wanted a better and deeper relationship with Iraq and would not intervene if he invaded Kuwait. This was communicated to Saddam through U.S. ambassador April Glaspie.

It doesn't matter if none of the terrorist were Iraqi. Just look at Bin Laden's message on why the U.S. was attacked, the government's activities in Iraq is cited. Islamic fundamentalists don't give much importance to the borders and governments that have been set up in the Middle East by meddling outsiders.

 

[Kritish]

"Boy, I tell you, politics does make for strange bedfellows. Saddam Hussein says in this quote, 'We have nothing against America. We just want to see George Bush beheaded and his head kicked down the street like a soccer ball.' And I was thinking, that's so weird, 'cos... that's what I wanted to see. Wow, me and Hussein, we're like this (crosses fingers). Who woulda thunk it?"

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