Released October 13, 2001
The Wisdom Fund, P. O. Box 2723, Arlington, VA 22202
Website: http://www.twf.org -- Press Contact: Enver Masud

America at the Crossroads
Might v. Right, Confrontation v. Dialogue

[Outline of speech given by Mr. Enver Masud, on September 13, 2001, at the 27th Annual Sir Syed Day commemoration by the Aligarh Alumni Association, USA]

	In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
	Compassionate. Before we begin, please join me in a
	moment of silence for the victims of September 11,
	their families, and loved ones.

OVERVIEW
PRESIDENT BUSH: "WHY DO THEY HATE US"
ANSWER FOUND IN US POLICY/ACTIONS
WHAT IS TERRORISM: THERE'S NO AGREEMENT
CONCLUSION: AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS

INTRODUCTION and CAVEATS
	- The attack on the world Trade Center and Pentagon came as a terrible,
tragic shock to Americans. Our $300B in annual expenditures for defense could
not protect us from a $500,000 operation run by a few dozen persons. The
direction that the US takes in the years to come will determine, to a large
extent, if this century will be marked largely by war, or peace. America is at a
crossroads: the crossroads of might v. right, of confrontation v. diaglogue.
Until now President Bush has shown remarkable restraint. Whether or not this
will continue is still being debated.
- I am categorically opposed to terrorism of all kinds and by everyone.
- I am opposed to war except a just war as defined by Christianity and/or Islam.
- In my talk I distinguish between Americans and America.
- There's a lot that's good about America - that's why we came to the US.
- Then there's some that's bad - we need to talk about it, and help fix it.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "WHY DO THEY HATE US"
President Bush Speech to Congress, Sep 20
	"Americans are asking, why do they hate us?ĘThey hate what we see right here
in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are
self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom
of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. They
want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.ĘThey want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They
want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa. These
terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life."

ANSWER FOUND IN US POLICY/ACTIONS
	American columnist, Joseph Sobran: "Who has reason to hate this country?
Only a few hundred million people - Arabs, Muslims, Serbs, and numerous others
whose countries have been hit by U.S. bombers."
- Israel: A lot has been said, and there's little point in repeating it here
- Saudi Arabia: US bases, per capita income down 50%
- Iraq: 5000 to 6000 die each month due to sanctions
	While estimates vary, many independent authorities assert that at least
500,000 Iraqi children under five have died since 1990, in part as a result of
the sanctions and the effects of the Gulf War. An August 1999 Unicef report
found that the under-five mortality rate in Iraq has more than doubled since the
imposition of sanctions. (2) Former UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq Dennis
Halliday has remarked that the death toll is "probably closer now to 600,000 and
that's over the period of 1990-1998. If you include adults, it's well over 1
million Iraqi people." (Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and
War, ed. Anthony Arnove)
- Bosnia
	Henry Kissinger: "The most irresponsible mistake of the current Bosnian
tragedy is the international recognition of a Bosnian state governed by
Muslims." (Washington Post, May 16, 1993)
- Kosovo
	Despite advice that bombing would create more refugees we bombed. Could not
have NATO look powerless on 50th anniversary, particularly amidst calls for its
elimination. (Enver 9/28/99)
- Chechnya:  
	In 1944 Stalin deported the Chechens and Ingush to Central Asia and dissolved
the Chechen-Ingush republic. About 25 percent of the deported Chechens and
Ingush died in exile or enroute. They have also been the victims of widespread
job and educational discrimination. In their 1994-96 war for independence, says
Aleksander I. Lebed, the former Russian security chief, "about 80,000 people had
been killed in the fighting and that some 240,000 had been wounded." President
Clinton supported Russia's 1994-96 war in Chechnya. He personally pushed a new,
$10.2 billion loan for Yeltsin through the International Monetary Fund saying
that he backed Russia's need to "maintain its territorial integrity."
- East Timor
	President Clinton had no such qualms regarding Indonesia's integrity when he
threatened to delay a $42 billion IMF loan package to get Indonesia to agree to
UN intervention in E. Timor.
- Kashmir
- Philippines
	Philippine government regularly manipulates population statistics to minimize
the Muslim count, therefore, benefits to Muslims. More than half of Lake
Lanaohas been drained away to power coastal factories, while Muslim cities like
Marawi suffer diminished resources. National Steel Company, the Philippines'
largest steel mill, is often trumpeted as a grand development scheme to
industrialize northern Mindanao. Located in the Muslim countryside, west of
Iligan City, it is a major employer in the area. But most of the 4000 employees
are Christian. Only 5 or 10 are Muslim. - Except for E. Timor (US partly
responsible), Muslims the Main Victim (Double Standards) In recent years,
Muslims have been the greatest sufferers from state terrorism (John Pilger), and
already another 100,000 refugees in Afghanistan. It is reported (but not
confirmed) that 80% of the wrold's refugees are Muslim. (Fred Hill, 4/17/96)

WHAT IS TERRORISM: THERE'S NO AGREEMENT
- Definition: Webster's New World Dictionary - Second College Edition 
Realpolitik -- practical politics; a euphemism for POWER POLITICS 
	power politics -- international political relations in which each nation
attempts to increase its own power or interests by using military or economic
COERCION
	terrorism -- 1. the act of terrorizing; use of force or threats to
demoralize, intimidate, and subjugate, esp. such use as a political weapon or
policy 2. the demoralization and intimidation produced in this way
Therefore, Realpolitik = power politics = terrorism
- School of America's, Fort Benning, Ga, trained death squads
	"Put simply, the School of the Americas has trained some of the most brutal
assassins, some of the cruelest dictators, and some of the worst abusers of
human rights the western hemisphere has ever seen," Moakley (Rep. Joe Moakley,
D-Mass.)said in a statement. "If we don't stand for human rights down in
Georgia, how can we possibly expect to promote them anywhere else in the world?"
(Washington Post, 7/31/99)
	- The United States and Britain were the major suppliers of chemical and
biological weapons to Iraq in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War - the US
supported both sides with weapons sales.
- No fly zones over N and  S Iraq
No legal basis - US protecting Kurds, Turkey bombing them
- Gen Shelton, Head US Special Forces
	"The special forces are used] to put down rebellions or to start one." (60
Minutes, April 30, 1995) On October 1, 1997, Gen. Henry H. Shelton became
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- 3000 in Panama to get Noriega (10x Iraq killed in Kuwait)
- General Smedley Butler, Congressional Medal of Honor
	(Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933 by General Smedley Butler, USMC.
General Butler was one of the few Americans to be twice awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor.)
	"I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests
in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank
boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central
American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering
is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown
Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to
the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped
to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested."

CONCLUSION: AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS
- I believe this answers President Bush's question, "why do they hate us?"
	- The question for Americans is which path should America take: "might v.
right;  confrontation v. dialogue?"
Hawks in the government pushing for wider war
Goal of current battle may be the pipeline from the Caspian
- Or will we engage in dialogue with the "other" rather than confronting them.
Many church and peace groups working on dialogue
	- While the debate continues, it seems that mainstream media will continue
to divert attention from the real issues Muslim countries will have to offer
policies that promise economic progress and political liberty. Only that can
trump the extremists' program of hate. (Washington Post editorial, 10/9/01)
	- Our job is to do what Sir Syed may have done; educate Americans about
Islam, and what is really going on in the world.

Reference: The War on Islam