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TERRORISM AND WAR by Howard Zinn
New book available from Loompanics
Zinn certainly doesn't always get it right, but one point he has nailed is the United States' flawed foreign policy:

Prior to the 1990s, terrorists such as bin Laden and al Qaeda were not necessarily enemies of the US. We were essentially on the same side. In those days, America stood for democracy and liberty, just as it does today. The US and the American way of life, our values, our ideals on freedom -- these things haven't changed. What has changed is our foreign policy. In the 90s, we moved troops to Saudia Arabia and went to war with Iraq. After that, we made enemies with the terrorists. It's a lie to say that the terrorists are attacking us because of our way of life, democratic principles, American values, liberty, or freedom. It's a big fat lie.

"I think there is a simple test of what concerns bin Laden, whether it is our democracy and internal freedom or whether it's our foreign policy. And that simple test is: What side was Osama bin Laden on before 1990? That is, before the United States stationed troops in Saudi Arabia, made war against Iraq, and began its sanctions against Iraq. We were just as democratic and libertarian internally before 1990 as we are today. But Osama bin Laden was not offended by that. He was on our side -- and we were on his side -- in the fight to take control of the government in Afghanistan. The turning point for Osama bin Laden is very clear. It has nothing to do with democracy and liberty. It has to do with U.S. foreign policy. And that turning point came in 1990 and 1991."

"...stop being an intervening military power and to stop dominating the economies of other countries."

posted by Hal 7:26 AM