These Terrible Terrorism Acts Occur Because Of

The Bin Laden I Met Each Time Was In A Simple Saudi White Robe, With A Simple, Cheap Kafiya And Very Cheap Plastic Sandals. But A Videotape Released Before September 11, Which I Saw On Lebanese Television, Had Him In A Gold Embroidered Robe. When I Saw This, I Thought, Whoa, Has This Guy Changed? I Wouldn't Have Imagined Him Ever Appearing In Such Golden Robes When I Met Him.

Even My Landlord, Who Is A Moderate Lebanese Guy, Says, "but Bin Laden Says What We Think." These People Believe That Bin Laden Is Being Targeted Not Because Of The World Trade Center And Washington; They Are Not Convinced By The Evidence That Has Been Produced. They Believe He's Being Targeted Because He Tells The Truth.

The Violence Stems From Injustice, Because People Feel They Have Been Treated Unfairly In The Middle East, Whether That Means Military Occupation, Starvation Under U.n. Sanctions, Whether It Means That They Have A Dictatorship Imposed On Them, Propped Up By The West. This Is Why People Turn To Violence, Because They Have No Other Avenue Left.

Unfortunately, Osama Bin Laden Puts His Finger On The Other Longstanding Injustices In The Arab World: The Conying So. And, Tinued Occupation Of Palestinian Land By The Israelis; The Enormous, Constant Arab Anger With The Tens Of Thousands Of Iraqi Children Who Are Dying Under Sanctions; The Feelings Of Humiliation Of Millions Of Arabs Living Under Petty Dictators, Almost All Of Whom Are Propped Up By The West.

Bin Laden Was Very Keen To Point Out To Me That His Forces Had Fought The Americans In Somalia. He Also Wanted To Talk About How Many Mullahs In Pakistan Were Putting Up Posters Saying, "we Follow Bin Laden." He Even Produced A Sort Of Kodak Set Of Snapshots Of Graffiti Supporting Him.