Return-Path: <sentto-279987-2823-1002686818-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.1.0) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Tue, 09 Oct 2001 21:09:09 -0700 (PDT) Received: (qmail 19914 invoked by uid 510); 10 Oct 2001 04:06:52 -0000 Received: from n4.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.54) by 204.181.12.215 with SMTP; 10 Oct 2001 04:06:52 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-2823-1002686818-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com Received: from [10.1.4.55] by n4.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 10 Oct 2001 04:06:55 -0000 X-Sender: fc@big.all.net X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_4_1); 10 Oct 2001 04:06:58 -0000 Received: (qmail 90492 invoked from network); 10 Oct 2001 04:06:57 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.26) by l9.egroups.com with QMQP; 10 Oct 2001 04:06:57 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO big.all.net) (65.0.156.78) by mta1 with SMTP; 10 Oct 2001 04:06:57 -0000 Received: (from fc@localhost) by big.all.net (8.9.3/8.7.3) id VAA31079 for iwar@onelist.com; Tue, 9 Oct 2001 21:06:57 -0700 Message-Id: <200110100406.VAA31079@big.all.net> To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List) Organization: I'm not allowed to say X-Mailer: don't even ask X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL1] From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net> Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 21:06:56 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Subject: [iwar] [fc:Arab.Street.Contradicts.the.Silence.Of.Its.Leaders] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Arab Street Contradicts the Silence Of Its Leaders By Karl Vick and Howard Schneider www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28564-2001Oct8.html CAIRO, Oct. 8 -- In the open-air shops where residents of this crowded capital gather after dark to draw deeply on water pipes and sip sweet tea, many people speak with almost a single voice about the U.S.-British airstrikes on Afghanistan. They talk of saddened disapproval at the military operations, quiet admiration for Osama bin Laden as a protector of Islam and, most of all, profound identification with the Palestinians they see under attack constantly on their television screens. "I watched Osama bin Laden's speech," said Omar Bahy, 23, referring to the videotape that aired Sunday on the al-Jazeera satellite TV news channel. "I have no comment except, well, Islam doesn't tell you to go out and kill people, of course. But Palestinians are living in constant terror every day." In Cairo and other parts of the world served by Arabic-language satellite channels, the stunning events in America a month ago have not overshadowed the images of Palestinian corpses accumulated over the last year and more from the West Bank. "Because this attack was made one time in New York and one time in Washington," said Mazem Mohamed, a computer engineer here in Cairo. "But in Palestine, it's going on every day." In Saudi Arabia, Charles Ayyoub, a Lebanese Christian, wrote in the Ad-Diyar newspaper: "It is a shame that bin Laden had to go to a remote cave in Afghanistan to declare the right of the Arabs in Palestine. . . . Every man of honor on Earth should repeat that the United States and the whole world will not be comfortable as long as there are [Palestinians] living in tin huts in shantytowns." In many countries in the region, however, governments have been as reticent as their people have been outspoken. Particularly in those countries regarded as U.S. allies, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, little has been said officially about the events that have so captivated the populace. As the attacks on Afghanistan entered a second night, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak still had not issued an official statement about a bombing campaign directed in part at terrorists and organizations with roots in Egypt. In a speech tonight at the American University in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher hardly remarked on the situation in Central Asia except to say Egypt believed the United States "could make a good case" against bin Laden and that it hoped military action was precisely targeted. Saudi Arabia has also kept silent, and the other oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf region have largely followed the same course. Bahrain, for example, said it "reiterates its support to the international community's move to fight terrorist elements based on its firm stand against all forms of terrorism" -- but did not outline its position on the U.S. strikes or its country's role as host of the U.S. 5th Fleet. Although Arab states are playing significant behind-the-scenes roles in sharing intelligence and quietly supporting Western military efforts, the lack of reaction so far by moderate Arab leaders has left Washington without any vocal Arab "cover" for an action portrayed by bin Laden as a war against Islam. "It'd be nice if some leaders came out and said that the idea the U.S. is targeting Islam is absurd," said a regional diplomat. As a result, while the world's remaining superpower trains its guns on Afghanistan and its Arab allies remain mute, people in the streets of Arab cities are finding a new underdog with which to identify. In this morning's edition, the Arabic-language daily Al-Wafd in Cairo proclaimed, "The Afghan people are the fuel for the war between the U.S. and bin Laden." "It's an unjust war, an unequal war," said Mohammed Madbouly, 43, at a late-night fruit stand near downtown Cairo. The refrain was echoed across the city -- even on cell phones that received this message several times today: "Muslims pray tomorrow and ask Allah to help your brothers in Afghanistan. Please forward this message to all Muslims you know. God is great." When asked about bin Laden himself, Cairo residents bobbed between defiance and admiration, sometimes at the apparent expense of logic. "I admire bin Laden because this is a man defending himself against something he didn't do," said Mohamed Ahmed, a young driver, who moments later asked: "Why aren't they looking for the people inside the United States who helped bin Laden carry out this operation?" Said a young woman sharing a fruit juice with two girlfriends and an off-duty police officer, none of whom would give their names: "Well, okay, he praised the acts that took place in New York. So did half the population here. Does that mean we all did it? "Of course we're upset that so many died in New York," she quickly added. "But at the same time, we're in awe of what happened." Said Bassem Mokhtar, 23: "I've heard bin Laden and I try to keep up with him. What he's saying we've been seeing on TV for years now: The killing of the Palestinians, we know this is all true." <emSchneider reported from Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.</em ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Pinpoint the right security solution for your company- Learn how to add 128- bit encryption and to authenticate your web site with VeriSign's FREE guide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/yQix2C/33_CAA/yigFAA/kgFolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ------------------ http://all.net/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : 2001-12-31 20:59:54 PST