WASHINGTON, D.C., 8 October — Following yesterday’s US attacks on bases in Afghanistan, Arab News gathered initial reactions from a leader in the American Muslim community, who supported the strikes, and a professor of political science who spoke on America’s need to act very carefully following the bombings.
Ali Abuzaakouk, Director of American Muslim Council, hopes today’s strikes will be “directed against Bin Laden organization, and the government of the Taleban which supported him — and that the people of Afghanistan will be saved from any repercussions of today’s attack.
“We support our government in its pursuit of its terrorists, and this is a good time. The US asked the Taleban to cooperate, and asked them to bring the criminals to justice, but since they didn’t act — they have to be held responsible for supporting him. They must realize that they are responsible for putting themselves in this position.”
Asked if he thought yesterday’s bombings might have a backlash on Arab and Muslim Americans, Abuzaakouk said no. “It shouldn’t, because President Bush clearly stated today that this is not a war against the Muslims, the Arabs, or Islam. It’s a war against the terrorists.”
“It’s a clear mission and it targeted the suspected terrorists, and those who supported them,” he said.
Questioned on what may happen next, Abuzaakouk said “It’s easy to foresee that the Taleban’s days are over, and that Afghanistan will have an opportunity to build itself up again with the northern coalition and the rest of the country, to build a new government that will be representative of everyone in Afghanistan and not one single group.
He then called on Muslims and Arabs throughout the world to work on ridding their countries of terrorism: “The Muslim world and the Arab world needs to pull its forces together and organization itself to get rid of all these terrorist organizations.
He also said the US has some work to do: “In our country here we need to develop a more even-handed policy regarding the Palestinians, and have a better policy with Iraq that will end the sanctions and also deal more effectively with the dictator of that country.”
“We support the US in its pursuit to bring justice to the terrorists, but we are also very concerned that innocent civilians will not be collateral victims. We hope what we hear is true, that they are only attacking military bases and military airports. And we hope they will continue their support of government compassion of the Afghani people
Abuzaakouk said it is important for Arab and Muslim Americans to voice their support and to “stand behind our government and soldiers, because in times in need the country needs to stand together, and this is the fight against criminals and terrorists who have not yet received the justice due to them.”
Dr. David Gibbs, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona, is a specialist in Afghani affairs. He spoke to Arab News just after receiving news of today’s bombings.
Dr. Gibbs has some reservations about today’s bombings, “because, basically, there is no really good solution to the terrorism problem.” He said he is “fearful that anything the US military does is likely to act as a recruiting position for terrorists.”
“There is no way I can see that the US will be able deal an definite blow against terrorism. It can’t be done, with such multiple groups spread out across the area. It will be easy to reassemble — all you need are young men who are willing to act as martyrs. I don’t see any military solution in the long term. In medicine, we say, whatever you do, don’t make it worse in the long term. That’s how I feel about the need for the US to be careful in what we are doing today.”
Dr. Gibbs says he is also troubled by the fact that we are dependent on “agencies that will be dependent on is the intelligence community and the CIA — and that agency played a significant role is causing that problem, starting back with the Mujahadeeen, which propagated the type of extremism, that lead to he Sept. 11 acts. That form of Islam extremism is potentially, and actually quite dangerous, to American interests now.
“We need to ask what were the policy failures in the past that lead to this problem. Can we really depend upon the people who helped create this problem?” said Dr. Gibbs.
