Killer was driven by hate of US

The Arab world is well stocked with angry men like Hisham Mohammed Hadayet, the 41-year-old Egyptian who attacked the El Al ticket desk at Los Angeles airport.

He seems to have been the latest victim of a widespread delusion that sees America as the fount of all the world's evils and Israel as its agent in the Middle East. The region's autocratic rulers traditionally deflect criticism for their own failures by blaming outsiders. Previously the villains were the old colonial powers, with Britain top of the list. Now it is the US.

At the same time political Islamists promote the idea of Muslim victimhood claiming the Arab world is the target of a vast Western conspiracy to prevent it achieving its glorious potential. The tactic has been remarkably successful in shielding from the citizens of the region the epic scale of the misgovernment under which they they suffer.

It was revealed in a document published this week by the United Nations Development Programme.

Its Arab Development Report 2002 was written by Arab experts and focused on 22 countries. It boldly laid the blame for the prevailing poverty and hopelessness in the region on the economic illiteracy of its governments. Oil wealth has been exported or squandered on useless projects. The combined gross domestic product of the nations surveyed was the same as that of Spain. It concluded that "given the political commitment, Arab countries have the resources to eradicate absolute poverty in less than a generation".

To underline the point it stressed that "commitment, not resources, is the binding constraint". The report also denounced the lack of political freedom, poor education standards and subjugation of women rife in many of the countries.

The fact that the survey was of Arabs by Arabs, means it will carry more weight than foreign denunciations of the Middle East's sclerotic and cynical regimes. But not much. Well-intentioned Arab critics are often presented as collaborators who have been corrupted and co-opted by the outside world. Indignation at the actions of Israel and America provide an outlet for many for the anger and frustration they feel in their own lives.

The thinking is reflected in parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the relatively moderate Egyptian opposition party which is seeking to impose Islamic law. Many of its members are sober, educated professional men with values that Tony Blair would endorse. But they also believe that Israel and America are engaged in a campaign to repress Islam and keep the Arab world stuck in poverty and ignorance.

"Iraq is a good example," Mohammed al-Hudaibi, a spokesman for the Brotherhood, said last week. "It is being attacked simply because it is trying to build up its nuclear power even though Israel has nuclear weapons." Mr al-Hudaibi, a retired judge, believed that Israel had launched a nuclear-tipped missile into space that constantly circled the earth, ready to be launched whenever it was thought to be threatened.

Talk of democracy and civil society he regards as cant. "Human rights are only for the citizens of the West and not even then if they happen to be Arabs or Muslims," he said. "You don't consider that anyone else deserves them."

Close the borders now!

To ensure we Americans never offend anyone - - - -particularly
fanatics intent on killing us - airport screeners will not be allowed to profile people. They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning former Governors. Let's pause a moment and take the following test.

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred
by:

(a) Olga Corbett
(b) Sitting Bull
(c) Arnold Schwartzeneger
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by:

(a) Lost Norwegians
(b) Elvis
(c) A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon
by:

(a) John Dillinger
(b) The King of Sweden
(c) The Boy Scouts
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:

(a) A pizza delivery boy
(b) Pee Wee Herman
(c) Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked, and a 70 year
old
American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard by:

(a) The Smurfs
(b) Davy Jones
(c) The Little Mermaid
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a U.S. Navy diver
was murdered by:

(a) Captain Kid
(b) Charles Lindbergh
(c) Mother Teresa
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:

(a) Scooby Doo
(b) The Tooth Fairy
(c) Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid who had a few sticks of
dynamite left over from the train job.
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:

(a) Richard Simmons
(b) Grandma Moses
(c) Michael Jordan
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:

(a) Mr. Rogers
(b) Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
(c) The World Wrestling Federation to promote its next villain:
"Mustapha the Merciless"
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked and destroyed and thousands
of
people were killed by:

(a) Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd
(b) The Supreme Court of Florida
(c) Mr. Bean
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:

(a) Enron
(b) The Lutheran Church
(c) The NFL
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:

(a) Bonnie and Clyde
(b) Captain Kangaroo
(c) Billy Graham
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

Hmmm . . . nope, no patterns anywhere to justify profiling.

He seems to have been the latest victim of a widespread delusion that sees America as the fount of all the world's evils and Israel as its agent in the Middle East.

Silly me. Some here tell me that Israel is the problem, and that if we would only abandon them, everything would be alright.

Now, it's, "America is the fountain of all evil".

Larry, could you help me out with this one? I thought you said they would be our good buddies if only we would give up Israel. Now it seems they hate America primarily, and it seemingly appears that if no Israel were in existence, they would hate us anyway. It's all so confusing.

"The Arab world is well stocked with angry men like Hisham Mohammed Hadayet"

In other words, the Arab world is well stocked with loosers.

"Islamists promote the idea of Muslim victimhood claiming the Arab world is the target of a vast Western conspiracy to prevent it achieving its glorious potential."

And they will continue to be loosers until they take responsibility for their condition themselves and work constructively to bring themselves out of it.

Murder, suicide, and terror are not the answer. They are part of the problem. They merely bring greater dishonor and disgrace to these loosers and bring to them the loathing, disgust, and condemnation of history and the world.

No one is responsible for their wretched condition but themselves. Until they accept this, they will not achieve any potential--and certainly not some glorious potential.

What a bunch of loosers!

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