Return-Path: <sentto-279987-2098-1000952504-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.1.0) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 19 Sep 2001 19:23:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: (qmail 26356 invoked by uid 510); 20 Sep 2001 02:22:08 -0000 Received: from n9.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.59) by 204.181.12.215 with SMTP; 20 Sep 2001 02:22:08 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-2098-1000952504-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com Received: from [10.1.1.223] by fl.egroups.com with NNFMP; 20 Sep 2001 02:21:45 -0000 X-Sender: fc@big.all.net X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_3_2_2); 20 Sep 2001 02:21:44 -0000 Received: (qmail 38727 invoked from network); 20 Sep 2001 02:21:44 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.26) by 10.1.1.223 with QMQP; 20 Sep 2001 02:21:44 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO big.all.net) (65.0.156.78) by mta1 with SMTP; 20 Sep 2001 02:21:44 -0000 Received: (from fc@localhost) by big.all.net (8.9.3/8.7.3) id TAA10586 for iwar@onelist.com; Wed, 19 Sep 2001 19:21:44 -0700 Message-Id: <200109200221.TAA10586@big.all.net> To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List) Organization: I'm not allowed to say X-Mailer: don't even ask X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL1] From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net> Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 19:21:44 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Subject: [iwar] [fc:Arab.conspiracy.theorist.says.it.was.an.inside.job.involving.Israel.that.attacked.the.WTC] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ARAB CONSPIRACY THEORISTS DISSECT U.S. WANTED LIST By Michael Georgy LONDON, Sept 19, (Reuters) ***** - Like other Arab conspiracy theorists, Egyptian-born Abu Hamza al-Masri thinks he is uniquely qualified to determine who was behind the suicide plane attacks on the World Trade Center. Not only did he fight in the Afghan war when Washington's prime suspect Osama bin Laden was there, the radical cleric also says his experience in structural engineering has led to a shocking conclusion. It was not bin Laden but an inside job linked to Israel. "It is a visual fact that none of these planes carried explosives. It can only be done by those in charge of the buildings," said al-Masri, who has a metal claw instead of the hand he lost in Afghanistan. "This whole episode is a conspiracy against Islam and Arabs made by hidden forces or hidden people, hence the (Jewish) lobby, which controls the political policies of America." Many Arabs resented the fact that the finger of blame was pointed so quickly at the Arab world after last week's attacks. As Afghanistan's ruling Taliban faces mounting international pressure to hand over bin Laden, some in London's large Arab community are pointing fingers at a host of other possible suspects. "It could have been the Vietnamese to get revenge for America's killings in the Vietnam War," said Khaled Rashid, 43, an Iraqi living in London. "Or it could have been the Japanese Red Army." FRUSTRATION FUELS CONSPIRACIES While some of the speculation over last week's U.S. attacks sounds bizarre, it reflects deep frustration with Washington's decades-old unwavering support for Israel and its backing of undemocratic Arab governments that control the press. Rumours have mushroomed since the United States stationed its troops in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, during the 1991 Gulf War, infuriating people like bin Laden. "It reflects the difficulty of countries who have been close to America trying to manage populations who are not sympathetic to this, especially as America has become increasingly visible in the region. This gives added impetus to wild speculation," said Neil Partrick, head of the Mideast programme at the Royal United Services Institute. That's one reason why some Arabs see an American and Israeli hand in everything, political analysts said. Between the roll of backgammon dice and sips of tea at a cafe on London's Edgware Road, a Syrian man concluded that there was no way bin Laden was behind one of the most spectacular suicide attacks in history. Bin Laden has denied any role in the bloodshed. "Bush and Israel did this so they could change the world. Bush wants to get into Afghanistan and take control of its neighbours, like Iran. Anything is possible. These planes may have been run by remote control," said the Syrian. Conspiracy theories are a habitual pastime in the Arab world, where regional and world events are patiently dissected for hidden meanings and agendas. A favourite is the one about Israel's Mossad sending attractive women with AIDs to Egypt to kill off the male population many years after the countries signed a peace treaty. Or consider the alternative explanation on why Bill Clinton was elected president -- he was related to a Jew from Iraq so the Israeli lobby in Washington backed him. After Princess Diana died in a car accident along with Dodi Al Fayed, many suggested she was assassinated because the British royal family wanted to prevent her from marrying Dodi, a Moslem. The latest world crisis has only deepened suspicions among some Arabs. If the most unlikely scenario is to be believed, U.S. President George W. Bush actually ordered the destruction in New York and Washington to make Moslems look bad and help Israel. "Bush is behind this. He wants to help the Jews and hurt us," said an Arab at London's speakers' corner, where emotions often run high when the talk turns to the Middle East. Rage and years of resentment often mixes with speculation. "Now we are aware of a new weapon. I want to fly an airplane the same way into a building in Tel Aviv," said a Kuwaiti who claims he is a pilot. He declined to give his name. 11:59 09-19-01 ------------------ http://all.net/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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