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Iraqi Civilian Deaths ... caused by Bush's unprovoked war

 

Arabs Shrug Off Bin Laden Call for Holy War on U.S.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's latest plea for a Muslim war on "infidel" America seemed to fall on deaf ears on Wednesday, with many conflict-weary Arabs hailing the fugitive militant as a hero but few heeding his battle cry.

Most Arab governments remained silent on the Qaeda leader's call for Muslims to defend Iraq against a U.S.-led war in an audio tape aired by Qatar's al-Jazeera television network.

In Iraq, the state controlled media did not run bin Laden's statement and many Iraqis had not heard his statement.

One Arab official dismissed the recording as "silly talk," saying that the once-popular militant blamed by Washington for the most devastating attacks on U.S. soil since World War II seemed to have lost his sway over ordinary Arabs.

"He is trying to portray himself as the genius of his time. I doubt his call will find much echo in the Arab street. He doesn't have the same hold over the Arab street as he did post-Sept. 11," the official explained.

"Arab governments are not taking his threats seriously."

After the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, many Arabs praised bin Laden as an avenging hero who gave the United States its just reward for supporting Israel.

They also rallied behind the Qaeda leader when the United States started bombing fellow Muslim Afghanistan.

All the suicide plane hijackers who took part in the September 2001 attacks were Arabs, and most hailed from key U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, bin Laden's birthplace.

Bin Laden's message Tuesday coincided with heightened anti-U.S. sentiment among Arabs who support the Palestinian uprising against Israel and fear a U.S. war on Iraq would wreak havoc in the whole region.

NATIONALISM SEEN ON THE RISE

Analysts said the threatened war has not provoked religious fervour as much as Arab nationalism, adding they believed most Arabs would see through bin Laden's bid to hijack the current crisis to further his radical brand of Islam.

"He (bin Laden) is trying to turn the U.S.-Iraqi conflict into an Islamic issue, but there is much more at stake here," said a Gulf-based Arab analyst.

"The Arab street is looking for a Gamal Abdel Nasser not an Islamist militant," he said, referring to the Egyptian revolutionary leader and staunch Arab nationalist.

In Cairo, the most populous Arab capital, some Egyptians echoed bin Laden's warnings that the United States was seeking to control the Middle East by occupying Iraq but insisted they had no intention to fight the world's only superpower.

"All Muslims must oppose the American plan to control the whole Middle East," said Abdel Karim al-Hassan, a 37-year old teacher. "But I don't want to join any war against America. I have to feed four children and I want to live in peace."

Ali, a 31-year-old taxi driver, also lashed out at the United States, but said he did not want a war.

"I hate America and their policy. They only want to rule the Middle East together with Israel. All Muslims must stop America but I don't want to see any war in this region," he explained.

Hala Mustafa, director of the political department at the Cairo-based Al Ahram Center for Strategic Studies, told Reuters bin Laden's missive would find more support among radical Islamists rather than ordinary Arabs.

"He sounded like a war planner addressing his troops, the armed militias and fundamentalists in the region," she said.

Support for bin Laden, however, was alive and well among some Muslims performing the haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

"I am very happy he is alive because he has made a lot of sacrifices for God and Muslims," said Egyptian youth Abdulrahman. "May God help him in his struggle against the infidels until total victory."

posted by West 7:49 AM