“1. State Senator Barack Obama, September 19th 2001:
“Even as I hope for some measure of peace and comfort to the bereaved families, I must also hope that we as a nation draw some measure of wisdom from this tragedy. Certain immediate lessons are clear, and we must act upon those lessons decisively. We need to step up security at our airports. We must reexamine the effectiveness of our intelligence networks. And we must be resolute in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous acts and dismantling their organizations of destruction.
“We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.
“We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe-children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores.”
2. Senator Barack Obama, September 11th 2008
“Today, we honor the memory of the lives that were lost on September 11, 2001, and grieve with the families and friends who lost someone they loved in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We will never forget those who died. We will always remember the extraordinary efforts of our firefighters, police and emergency responders, and those who sacrificed their own lives on Flight 93 to protect their fellow Americans. And we give thanks for the Americans defending us every day in our communities at home, and in our military abroad.
“On 9/11, Americans across our great country came together to stand with the families of the victims, to donate blood, to give to charity, and to say a prayer for our country. Let us renew that spirit of service and that sense of common purpose. Let us remember that the terrorists responsible for 9/11 are still at large, and must be brought to justice. Let us resolve to defeat terrorist networks, defend the American homeland, stand up for the enduring American values that we cherish, and seek a new birth of freedom at home and around the world.”
The Brits still have the words, at least.......
“Obama’s Pal Khalidi Reacts On 9/12/01
While perusing Mr. Obama’s comments in the archives of the Chicago Public Radio defunct program, Odyssey we came across the timely comments of one of his mentors, Rashid Khalidi:
September 11, 2001
No Odyssey broadcast due to coverage of the attacks in New York and Washington D.C. Subsequent shows cover the issue in detail.
Reaction to the Terrorist Attack
September 12, 2001
Listen to the Entire Program
David Strauss – Professor in the law school at the University of Chicago
Rashid Khalidi – Director of the Center for International Studies and a professor of history at the University of Chicago
Robert Pape – Professor of political science at the University of Chicago
Obama’s associate Rashid Khalidi calls talk of revenge for 9/11 an “idiot wind.”
He calls for restraint and understanding — of our enemies. Instead of being driven by anger and fear — which will only make the situation worse.
His reaction on the day after 9/11 sounds remarkably like what most of the US-hating left would be saying in years to come.
Obama’s other colleagues at the University of Chicago are not much better.
They are all terribly concerned about our leaders over-reacting. And they are worried that we might become more “exclusionary” in our xenophobia.
It is absolutely appalling.
And it is all too telling about us the rabidly anti-American culture that Mr. Obama comes from.”
Guess what......Khalidi’s words are gone.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-pal-kahlidi-reacts-on-91201
Does anyone have Obama’s greeting in “halting Arabic” TODAY to the guy in Qatar?