A year after September 11 incidents, one of the most notable questions that haunted the mind of majority of the international psychoanalysts remains unanswered. Why did they do it? Majority of the internationally recognized behavior scientist are still intrigued as to what could have driven nineteen young men to get themselves killed along with thousands others.
The September 11, no doubt was human tragedy of a greater magnitude and deservedly invoked lot of condemnation at the international level. The happening helped the United States to emerge as a global leader with greater strength. The United States got world support in its battle against Al-Qaeda movement and the Taliban regime. It triumphed over and demolished the Taliban. It carried out air raids and bombardment deep inside Afghanistan killing many a civilians with out raising an eye brow. It also gained strategic foothold in one of the worlds most volatile regions bordering China and former Soviet republics. The United States Government, instead of addressing the fundamental issues and finding out the cause of hatred against it among a big section of Muslims, engaged in lot of rhetoric. It raised the spectra of the terror much beyond its size and painted the entire Muslim community as a society of fanatics. It failed to introspect. Many analysts agree that Washington’s myopic foreign policy is in part to blame for what happened on September 11.
A survey conducted by the Brookings Institution shows this idea has credence among some demographic groups: Nearly half of college graduates and people under age 50 surveyed said past US actions may have motivated the attacks. To understand what motivates these “terrorists”, analysts suggest examining the US’ role and presence in West Asia – especially in the Persian Gulf region. The role of the United States in West Asia from the day the state of Israel was created has been dubious.
The blood of both Palestinians and Israelis which continues to flow tragically in the West Bank and Gaza streets never made Washington serious to find a solution to the problem, instead it always looked for a weak spot in the otherwise fragile relations between the two countries. As has been very rightly pointed out by Prof. Francis Fukuyama of the Johns Hopkins University, in the Wednesday’s issue of the Washington Post; “Americans are largely innocent of the fact that much of the rest of the world believes that it is American power, and not terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, that is destabilizing the world.” The views expressed by this American professor should not be brushed aside by the United States intelligentsia. The US will have to re-examine the Bush doctrine for global peace from an international perspective and not as portrayed by the White House mandarins.
The United States will have to look a fresh at its international policy. It will have to stop thinking that they are the embodiment of universal values that have a significance for all of mankind. Its idealistic involvement in world affairs which it has been confusing with its national interests shall have to go. It will have to look at the issues and problems confronting the Muslim nations from their point of view instead of its biased view of them.
Mr. Sajjad Haider is the editor-in-chief of the daily Kashmir Observer.
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