On such a gloomy Tuesday, any human every where can’t escape deeply unhurt; it was a heinous terrorist attack by all accounts against fathers, mothers, working employees in their offices. The scenes of Sept. 11 horror hurt every human as an endless cycle of frightening nightmare. The attacks indeed targeted every civilization. The majority every where stood by the US in this tragic catastrophe. Millions of commiseration and heart felt condolence words poured into the States. The world at large stood amazingly taken by surprise to watch the destructive insanity of some of the minority hatred. Here in this part of the world, the majority, who try hard to put aside some of the Israeli perpetrated crimes, were caught in a real dilemma as to believe what happened and how or what. As for my country, I still feel the sad feelings mingled with wrath against every act of terrorism. It was a reminiscent of what we suffered from and faced by the 80’s of the passing century; I was a secondary school student, like my colleagues in Youth Union not to mention the unblinked eye of our heros, we spent many sleepless nights on guard roaming every corner, on vigil loading our guns to hunt a terrorist before being hunted by the cancerous evil, which targeted every Syrian, especially among the elite of intellectuals, physicians, journalists, and even dust sweepers, children, students! Such acts are never to be justified under no pretext; the killing of a human is forbidden by every religion. However, what adds more to the feelings of sorrow and pain were the more of irrationality and sweeping generalizations by some to link the attacks to Islam or to Arabs. It hurts deep when a person is discriminated against for his/her religion or race. Not every Christian is responsible for the Crusades nor for the holocaust, not every Jew is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus nor for the killing of Arabs, similarly, not every Moslem is a terrorist. It is not either ‘ with us or against us’, it is indeed a heart-felt sincere stand in defense of the US friendly people, a stand with the United Nations legality and Charter. We are united with you in combating terrorism; but we beg to differ when it comes to injustice to be arbitrarily imposed on us. Thus, some might hate and disagree with the US seemingly biased foreign policy, but never the US citizens of whom, millions are Arabs and Moslems, and of whom the majority did contribute to the world modernization and progress.

President Bashar Assad on Sept. 12 sent a hear-felt cable to his US counterpart, George W. Bush; President Assad condemned the terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and vital posts in the USA. Mr. Assad, on behalf of the Syrians and of his own offered condolences to President Bush and to the American people and to the victims families and urged for international cooperation as to uproot all form of terrorism and as to guarantee man's right to live in security and peace every where in the world. President Assad held meetings with several foreign and Arab dignitaries including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen where all the leaders, like every leader and human in the world, condemned and deplored the terrorist attacks against World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon building and a field in Pennsylvania. A joint communiqué at the end of talks between President Assad and his Yemeni counterpart condemned the attacks and called for international efforts to "fight terrorism in all its forms" asserting that "Positions leading to a conflict between religions and civilisations should be avoided,". The joint communiqué said: "Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is rejected by all religions and human values. It should be confronted under the auspices of international legitimacy."

On Oct. 31, 2001, in a joint press conference with the visiting British premier, Tony Blair, President Assad reiterated Syria's condemnation of the Sept. 11 attacks against the US saying '' The Syrian condemnation doesn't come from what happened on Sept. 11th, but as a result for other factors including the Syrian deep-rooted and old principles throughout ages, social, religious" recalling what Syria suffered of terrorism in the mid of the 70's and what follows asserting the need for " tackling the causes which motivate and proliferate terrorism recalling the late president, Hafez Assad, 1985 dispatching of Syria officials worldwide as to call for the convocation of an international conference to define and combat terrorism. Mr. Assad said: "To tackle the issue of terrorism is to start with defining this vocabulary'' is to '' define its form and nature" and then is to '' analyze its causes"', '' We have to deal with the reasons and not with results" of terrorism. President Assad blasted the ongoing Israeli practices state terrorism saying '' We, in Syria, can't separate terrorism, witnessed on a daily basis in Israel against Palestinians from terrorism the world" pointing out that the tackling of "terrorism in Israel helps in the realization of peace in the this region as well as in the whole world''. " We stand by the international coalition as to combat terrorism; we, however, didn't say that we stand by any international coalition as to wage a war. We ever stand against wars, which always have adverse and negative consequences upon our people. We, in Syria, believe that war doesn't combat terrorism'' urging for combating terrorism through ''political'', ''cultural'' means, "security cooperation, information, security and political cooperation network". In this conference, in which I take pride in being present, the President defended the legitimate right for resistance against occupation and called for lines to be drawn between resistance and the freedom fighters right to resist occupation and liberate the occupied territories citing an exciting example of the French freedom fighter, General De Gulle.

Unfortunately, instead of capitalizing on the growing international sympathy and support to the States, the United States rushed blindly using the logic of power instead of the power of logic to target and try to silence every moderate and secular voice around the globe under different pretexts. Its waged ruthless war against Afghanistan was doomed to what looks like a failure with hundreds of innocent civilians perished, some of them in wedding celebrations! Had the US, as Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Farouk Sharaa’ pointed out at a recent enlarged press conference, resorted to a rational calculated political tackling of the issue, it would have gained momentum as to build an international coalition in the interest of the entire globe. More than this, the US acted sometimes, considering the present competition between its administration hawks and doves, as a stimulator, tight lipped witness to the escalations and exploitations by Israel of others’ plagues and trying times. It stood against an international probe into Jenin Massacre, declared its ready vetoes, sword-rattled and labeled accusations with new coinages of ‘ evil’ axes and the like. Surprisingly, apart from Assad-Djerejian agreed Rice meeting talks, some of the US officials who flocked into the country seeking our help as to save the lives of more Americans, paid the favour back with smearing campaigns of lies, slander and fabrications. Some of them were, however, given the appropriate answer. Dr. Bouthaina Shabaa’n, an outspoken straightforward spokeswoman, who participated in almost every post-Madrid talks by the late president, Hafez Assad, President Bashar, and Minister Sharaa’, with foreign dignitaries, contributed to the International Herald Tribune, on July 18, 2002. " We wonder why he (Senator Bob Graham ) announced otherwise on NBC. We wonder why he chose to twist the basic facts of the region, mislead American and world public opinion and widen the problem of misunderstanding. The tactical gains for Israel- which seems to be the focus of American foreign policy- are not served by alienating the Arab World and Syria,’’ Mr. Graham held a ‘ positive’ and ‘ constructive’ talks with President Assad before the US Senator gave false and groundless information on resistance movements. We indeed like respect and stand by the American people against every evil, it has to be, however, away from hegemony and submission, but what makes the ‘ gap persists’ is the ‘ regrettable" " flagrant lack of understanding of the history of the Middle East and the culture of its people’ which, according to Dr. Shaa’ban, ‘ can hinder effective and constructive actions aimed at achieving peace in the region’’. A similar example was given by Syria’s Minister of Information, Adnan Omran. Minister Omran contributed on Sept 21, 2001 an article to ' Asharq Al-Awsat' Daily in London, '' A Reply for Kissinger's Article; pointing out that " terrorism isn't to be combated by looking down upon others'', declaring that some parties " tried to change the US wrath to illegitimate actions." Minister Omran blasted Kissinger's description of the region as that of 'hatred' reminding him that this very region was the place for the three heavenly messages, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The minister noted that Kissinger's Sept. 16th Article published by the newspaper is an embodiment of the Israeli stance and of blind bias to Israel away from the facts of reality. According to Minister Omran "Arab countries are very keen more than any body on combating terrorism, where it to be that of individuals, groups or of state terrorism practiced by Israel." '' Arabs paid the price of the Israeli terrorism in Sabra and Shatila by Sharon, in Qana by Peres and in many different places in Lebanon and in the villages and cities of Palestine,'' the Minister outlined. Recalling what once the Israeli Premier, Netanyahu, in 1998 said when he threatened to set Washington DC ablaze, Mr. Omran underlined that terrorism combating is but an international responsibility away from double standards policy. "It is an urgent need and necessity as to have an international conference on terrorism convened as to stamp terrorism out and as to draw distinctions between terrorism and people's rights to resist occupation'' the minister concluded.

Considering the prevailing chaos, disorder, and fact twisting blurring every vision. It is the language of peace, coexistence and harmony to prevail. The accusations from the sponsors and perpetrators of state terrorism about any link with the so-called ‘Al-Qaa’da’ never cheat the most fool in the small globe of today. Can any sane allow himself/ herself to be bitten once more, he/she is definitely twice shy. Such an Israeli foolish ploy indicates insanity, hence no one would welcome to be vaccinated with AIDS Syndrome! The need is dire for continued civilizational talks as to bridge gaps. For the sake and the rest of every innocent killed every where, Arabs unanimous Peace Initiative should be grasped and accordingly enacted on the ground where every part is to fulfil its pledges and commitments. The region has suffered a lot of the unbearable. What remains of the earth resources is almost on the decrease in every aspect of sustainable development not to mention the threats of a new strike or an Israeli nuclear attack! A new chapter of less misunderstanding and more dialogue is to bring us closer hand in hand as to eradicate terrorism, poverty, and backwardness. An extended olive branch should never be trodden on! Accountability Bills are never the right prescription for the nation which saved the many of dear lives and sacrificed a lot in respect for and in commitment to its obligations and principled stances! The most curable pain killer of all bills remains for ever the implementation of related international legitimacy resolutions

by

Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

Abdo88@ureach.com

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