Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 15:33:09 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <200110091933.PAA10722@mattababy.mit.edu>
From: belmonte@mit.edu (Matthew Belmonte)
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Subject: stop United States terrorist attacks against Afghan civilians

In your latest round of cruise missile attacks in Afghanistan, you targeted a
United Nations de-mining operation near Kabul.  Four Afghan civilians working
for the United Nations were killed, and another four were injured.  This
attack on de-mining comes on the heels of the United States' refusal four years
ago to sign the Oslo treaty banning land mines.

Terrorism does not cease to be terrorism just because it is sponsored by the
United States.  During the past several decades the world has witnessed over
and over again the United States government's cavalier disregard for
international human rights and national sovereignty.  During the past thirty
years, the United States government has:

* killed countless Vietnamese civilians and ravaged Vietnam in a
  vain attempt to destroy that country's government and infrastructure;
* provided financial and political support to Israel's occupation
  of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as military support
  in Lebanon;
* been complicit in human rights abuses and murders during
  counter-revolutionary actions in El Salvador and Nicaragua;
* been complicit in human-rights abuses as part of the drug war in
  Bolivia and Colombia -- even to the point of providing military
  support to Colombian forces that shot down a civilian airplane
  carrying American missionaries this past April;
* rigged elections in Panama and given CIA support to Manuel Noriega,
  then invaded the country after Noriega ceased cooperating;
* become embroiled in civil strife in Somalia in order to protect
  the interests of Conoco and other US oil companies;
* provided resources to Iraq to use in its war with Iran, then bombed
  and invaded Iraq in order to protect oil supplies;
* provided weapons and terrorist training to the Afghan mujahadeen to
  use against the Soviets, then seen one of those Afghan proteges,
  Osama bin Laden, turn on his US keepers

The best way to end terrorist acts against the United States would be for the
United States to stop sponsoring terrorist acts of its own.  Although bin
Laden's tactics are reprehensible and immoral, in light of the history of
United States interventionism the frustration that fuels bin Laden's rhetoric
and actions is understandable.  In his latest video-taped communique, bin Laden
stated his intent that the United States should not feel safe from terror until
such time as the Palestinians can feel safe from terror.  The United States
should stop giving terrorist organisations such as bin Laden's a reason to
fight.

Matthew Belmonte