While official spokesmen for Arab states and organizations, with the exception of Iraq?s Saddam Hussein, issued messages of condolences and condemnation of the dramatic terrorist attacks on the United States this week, Arab citizens in Jerusalem, Shechem, Ramallah and elsewhere were celebrating the mass murder of Americans with dancing in the streets and the distribution of candies to children, a behavior often seen after successful terrorist attacks on Israel as well.
Such displays of joy should surprise no one, however, as there has been a consistent chorus of editorials and articles in the Arab press in support of suicide attacks in general and attacks on American interests in particular.
An editorial in the Egyptian newspaper al-Akhbar called America ?a racial state,? whose leader, along with Israel?s, will suffer the consequences ?as what happened to Hitler and Mussolini.? The Egyptian Gazette is a bit more generous and states that the US President simply does not appreciate ?the big-time gamble he is running overseas in the Middle East.? The Gazzette warns that ?[a]nti-American suicide bombings could well happen even in the most moderate Arab Gulf states, with which Washington enjoys a special relation? There is also the possible return of the oil weapon? the global economy is so precarious at the moment that even a small oil shock could have a massive ripple effect. And the Arabs know that.?
PLO leader Yasser Arafat appeared shocked and dismayed by the latest terrorist attacks on America; however, statements by leaders of the Palestinian Authority and the PA press carried a very different message prior to the attacks:
The newspaper al-Ayam presented the text of a eulogy for a slain terrorist leader, which included the call to ?harm American interests in the Arab world, with all possible means, in all places, at all levels, because the United
States does not understand the language of logic and wisdom, but only the language of interests and force.? In a later article, al-Ayam calls American leaders ?nothing but priests, obedient to their Hebrew High Priest...?
During an August 30 joint press conference, spokesmen for various PLO-affiliated organizations roundly condemned America. According to the al-Quds newspaper, a member of the central committee of Yasser Arafat?s Fatah faction, Saher Habash, ?expressed his hope that the Arab and Islamic world will act against America and Israel? [and] demanded to strike and to threaten the American interests in the Arab world...?
How will these strikes be carried out?
The official Palestinian Authority daily, al-Hayat al-Jadida, carried an article containing the following praise for Arab suicide bombers:
?The suicide bombers of today are the noble successors of their noble predecessors...the Lebanese suicide bombers, who taught the US Marines a tough lesson in [Lebanon]...and then, with no preconditions, they threw the last of the remaining enemy [Israeli] soldiers out of the [security] zone. These suicide bombers are the salt of the earth, the engines of history...They are the most honorable [people] among us...?
The Hamas, in its claims of responsibility for suicide attacks, regularly refers to them ?as a special gift? to terrorists eliminated by Israel in the past. In its latest communiqu?, referring to its armed militia, the Hamas ominously warns ?wait for Qassam's next surprise.?
Such displays of joy should surprise no one, however, as there has been a consistent chorus of editorials and articles in the Arab press in support of suicide attacks in general and attacks on American interests in particular.
An editorial in the Egyptian newspaper al-Akhbar called America ?a racial state,? whose leader, along with Israel?s, will suffer the consequences ?as what happened to Hitler and Mussolini.? The Egyptian Gazette is a bit more generous and states that the US President simply does not appreciate ?the big-time gamble he is running overseas in the Middle East.? The Gazzette warns that ?[a]nti-American suicide bombings could well happen even in the most moderate Arab Gulf states, with which Washington enjoys a special relation? There is also the possible return of the oil weapon? the global economy is so precarious at the moment that even a small oil shock could have a massive ripple effect. And the Arabs know that.?
PLO leader Yasser Arafat appeared shocked and dismayed by the latest terrorist attacks on America; however, statements by leaders of the Palestinian Authority and the PA press carried a very different message prior to the attacks:
The newspaper al-Ayam presented the text of a eulogy for a slain terrorist leader, which included the call to ?harm American interests in the Arab world, with all possible means, in all places, at all levels, because the United
States does not understand the language of logic and wisdom, but only the language of interests and force.? In a later article, al-Ayam calls American leaders ?nothing but priests, obedient to their Hebrew High Priest...?
During an August 30 joint press conference, spokesmen for various PLO-affiliated organizations roundly condemned America. According to the al-Quds newspaper, a member of the central committee of Yasser Arafat?s Fatah faction, Saher Habash, ?expressed his hope that the Arab and Islamic world will act against America and Israel? [and] demanded to strike and to threaten the American interests in the Arab world...?
How will these strikes be carried out?
The official Palestinian Authority daily, al-Hayat al-Jadida, carried an article containing the following praise for Arab suicide bombers:
?The suicide bombers of today are the noble successors of their noble predecessors...the Lebanese suicide bombers, who taught the US Marines a tough lesson in [Lebanon]...and then, with no preconditions, they threw the last of the remaining enemy [Israeli] soldiers out of the [security] zone. These suicide bombers are the salt of the earth, the engines of history...They are the most honorable [people] among us...?
The Hamas, in its claims of responsibility for suicide attacks, regularly refers to them ?as a special gift? to terrorists eliminated by Israel in the past. In its latest communiqu?, referring to its armed militia, the Hamas ominously warns ?wait for Qassam's next surprise.?