(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Couldn't he be content to say that when 6000 Americans are killed in an attack, the United States must respond as a state? Instead, a disgusting sauce of freedom, god and democracy is served that makes the rest of the world look at us here in the West as half-hearted hypocrites.
And when the bombs are sucked with milk sacks, it is not only hypocritical. In addition, there will be ridicule of all international relief efforts.
Immediately after the speech came the reactions of Norwegian politicians and Norwegian media. With one honorable exception, all the politicians said that they gave full support to the United States. While Norwegian media could tell that Bush had made a big speech.
When the United States and NATO blow the trumpet, we disengage the brain. Then the spinal cord takes over. Also with some Norwegian press people. Especially among the oldest and responsible.
And in Moscow, Putin sits and smiles.
In recent years, terrorists have ravaged Moscow and other Russian cities. According to Russian authorities, the terrorists are Chechens. Apartment blocks have been hit, and hundreds of innocent people have been killed. While Russia has waged a brutal war in Chechnya against those who wanted to establish a Chechen state. In other words; terror in Moscow and bloody war in Chechnya. Like the rest of the world, I have only to a limited extent been aroused by the terror in Moscow. I have seen it as a reaction to Russia's brutal conduct in Chechnya, in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.
But now everything is forgotten. Now it is the struggle for the free world that applies. Those fighting for an independent Chechnya have become terrorists like the Taliban soldiers who fought on our side in the Balkans.
With us in the fight for democracy and freedom, we have Saudi Arabia – a despotism so brutal and oppressive that the Taliban regime's Afghanistan in comparison appears to be a stronghold of humanism. But it must be admitted that if Saudi Arabia is not a prominent human rights steward, then the country at least manages a crucial part of the world's oil resources.
Terrorism is not that simple. Why can't we just as well admit it?
It is and will be the case that they are "mine" and "your" terrorists. During the war here in Norway, the terrorists were called saboteurs. They were my heroes. The greatest of them all was Gunnar Sønsteby. Under international law, he and Milorg were in the same situation as Hamas in the Middle East. I do not like Hamas' way of leading the fight. But I support the Palestinian struggle for an independent state. And I was an unreserved supporter of the Sandinista struggle against the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. But the United States called the Sandinistas terrorists.
So we are all against terrorist acts. But were we all against the CIA's assassination of Chile's elected President Allende on September 11, 28 years ago? Wasn't there something about that Reagan – you remember him? – called Contras "freedom fighters" when they ravaged the elected regime in Nicaragua? Was Oliver North an American hero or was he a terrorist? Would we have supported the Sandinistas if they had started bombing Washington?
The attacks on the WTC in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington were brutal and inhuman. All decent people think so. But large parts of the world see no fundamental difference between this attack and the terror and brutality that the United States and NATO have perpetrated over the years. And when it comes to democracy and freedom, the poor part of the world knows so well that the will of the people only counts when it is in line with the strategic and economic interests of the United States and NATO. Otherwise it will be converted. For example, most Arabs – but very few Americans or Europeans – are aware that the Algerian regime is wearing NATO-backed bayonets. The majority of the people elected a so-called fundamentalist government a few years ago. But it was stopped by a Western-backed military coup.
The poor world knows all this and more – including the Muslim part of the poor world. It is not necessarily the case that there is a lack of understanding and knowledge even if there is a lack of houses and food.
But we can't just sit watching Osama bin Laden and his huge network raging with us. No, we can't. But today's bomb attacks only make matters worse. After all, we know what happens when ordinary terror is met with military terror. Israel has always lived by the Old Testament principle of retaliating eye for eye and tooth for tooth. In addition, they have also gladly taken in a little extra. But Hamas is not afraid. They will only increase terror until the Palestinians have fulfilled their righteous demands.
The same goes for Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden will be taken safely and the Taliban regime will fall. But it will help little. For the fight against poverty and injustice will continue. Also with terror as a means.
But we can't just sit and watch! We must do something! Yes, we must. We can start by dropping the bombs and settle for the sacks.
