Flying like Muslim????

Randall Denley of the Ottawa Citizen blames terrorism on western meddling!

If recent history is a guide, we will do the stupidest possible thing. When it comes to the Muslim world, we have suffered a failure of intelligence, but not of the military kind. The record of the U.S. and its allies since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has been remarkably consistent. Unable to locate the people actually behind the attacks, the Americans invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's fair to say that this misplaced demonstration of military might didn't make friends among Muslims.

Now, the Americans are making another sweeping move, singling out people from most Muslim countries for extra scrutiny at airports. That won't do much to improve air security, but it does send a message to Muslims that they are all considered potential terrorists.

Regrettably, the Canadian government has followed the American lead rather than develop any analysis of its own. We're absorbing our share of the hopeless war in Afghanistan and we reacted with remarkable swiftness to the Americans' idea that flying while Muslim ought to be cause for great suspicion.

Instead of clinging to the idea that technology can protect us from terror, we should ask ourselves why Muslim groups are so intent on attacking the West. The attacks won't stop until something is done about the fundamental irritant.

Western people are typically incapable of imagining any storyline that doesn't feature them as the good guys, but even a brief review of the history of our role in the Muslim world would offer some understanding of why we are so unpopular today.

Most of the Middle Eastern countries that harbour terrorists today were parts of former European colonial empires. The countries were run entirely for the benefit of Europeans and attempts to reassert local control were put down with force.

Where do you even start with this sort of drivel???

First, the Americans DID find the people responsible for 9/11. It was Al-Qaeda based in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The United Nations, not just the Americans, went into Afghanistan, disrupted Al-Qaeda, eventually arresting most of its leaders, and forced the Taliban to flee. Somehow in Denley's mind, this is an attack on Islam.

Second, Denley leaves out the many wars the west has fought FOR the muslims. The Americans saved Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. The west backed Muslims in Kosovo and Bosnia. The Americans forced the Soviets from Afghanistan. Nato, under auspices of the UN, forced out the Taliban. And yes, even if you were against the Americans going into Iraq, it was a good thing to get rid of Saddam Hussein.

Lastly, Denley, doesn't realize that Al-Qaeda and its ilk don't just hate us for what we do, they hate us for who we are. Denley says "The attacks won't stop until something is done about the fundamental irritant," but he doesn't say what exactly we should do. Well, he sort of does....here's his final quote:

"Terrorist attacks will finally end when Western countries realize that they need to mind their own business and let Muslims run their countries the way they want, even if some of their laws, customs and regimes seem deplorable to us.

But, isn't that exactly the problem. We coddle Saudi Arabia. We've let them run their country like they want since it was started. We've let them export their murderous Wahhabi religion without an issue. The west hardly says boo about how muslim countries are run - from genocide in Darfur to Syrian extortion in Lebanon. Shame on Randall Denley.