RE: virus: Osama bin Laden and the Bushes (was Saddam arrested)

From: Jonathan Davis (jonathan.davis@lineone.net)
Date: Tue Dec 16 2003 - 11:20:53 MST

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    Hi Blunderlov,

    I strongly recommend the book I am reading now (that I quoted earlier)
    Modern Jihad by Loretta Napoleoni. It is a superb, politically neutral
    analysis of the economic side of terrorism. Within twenty pages she had this
    reader gripped. The book is ostensibly about how terrorists finance
    themselves, but it is so much more.

    Here is the review from Publishers Weekly:

    "No punches are pulled in this alarming study of a $1.5-trillion terrorist
    economy that is as integral a part of the Western economy as banking or big
    oil. So compelling is Italian economist and journalist Napoleoni's
    indictment of the West for the creation and sustenance of international
    terrorism that she believes this is the reason publication was nixed by her
    commissioning publisher's board of directors. Napoleoni traces 50 years of
    Western economic and political dominance in developing Muslim countries
    backing repressive, corrupt regimes, fighting the Cold War by proxy and
    blocking the legitimate economic ascendancy of millions. "As in the
    Crusades," in which Napoleoni finds many modern parallels, "religion is
    simply a recruitment tool; the real driving force is economics." The only
    way those left behind by globalization can afford to fight back, the author
    says, is with the proceeds of crime, drugs, arms, prostitution, gems,
    smuggling, even slavery all fueled by the West's addictions and other
    "poisonous dependencies" and laundered and reinvested by the West's own
    financial industry. Interviews with former terrorists, intelligence
    officials and world-class economists enliven this thoughtful and informed
    analysis, but evidence of the FBI and CIA being prevented by the Clinton and
    Bush administrations from fully investigating the real (Saudi) sources of
    Islamist terrorism and of the real motives for the campaigns in Afghanistan
    and Iraq could create a political firestorm here and abroad."

    This is in no way and US bad/Them good type anti-Western screed, but rather
    a superbly interesting look at terror groups, their means, methods and
    masters. From French Indo-China, to the mining of Nicaraguan ports through
    to Noraid, Al Quaeda and the new narco-terrorists.

    The horrible truth is that the "economy of terror" is deeply entangled with
    the West's economy. To destroy it might destroy us too and that is one of
    the most serious conundrums we face. If we were to really succeed in the war
    on terror, we would almost certainly plunge our economies into serious
    recession.

    I know this sounds a bit suspicious, but the evidence in this book is
    superbly well presented.

    Here are some reviews and a good Weblog post/summary:

    Official website: http://www.modernjihad.com/index_home.html

    http://www.teamnull.com/blog/archives/000635.html (good blog summary)

    http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/books/story/0,10595,1105765,00.html

    The Saudis: Friends or Foes?
    http://www.progress.org/2003/saudi01.htm

    http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3129953/

    I am sorry I am just chucking this at you, but I am rushing to organise my
    trip to India. In know you will love the book, check it out if you can.

    Kind regards

    Jonathan

    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com] On Behalf Of
    Blunderov
    Sent: 16 December 2003 16:55
    To: virus@lucifer.com
    Subject: RE: virus: Osama bin Laden and the Bushes (was Saddam arrested)

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com] On
    Behalf
    > Of Jonathan Davis
    > Sent: 16 December 2003 1641
    > To: virus@lucifer.com
    > Subject: RE: virus: Osama bin Laden and the Bushes (was Saddam
    arrested)
    >
    > Hey Blunderlov,
    >
    > I don't really get Moore's points.
    >
    > He asks if the Bush family and Osama bin Laden's family have some
    links
    > with
    > Bush. If they do, so what? If would be virtually impossible to avoid
    Saudi
    > money if you dealt with the non-Israeli middle east over the last 25
    > years.
    > This looks like a simple smear attempt by Moore and is as such basing
    his
    > implied arguments on a fallacy fallacious.
    >
    > The central question in my opinion, is not about Bush and Bin Laden,
    but
    > about a multi-decade refusal by various American administrations to
    face
    > up
    > to the nasty horror that is Saudi Arabia? In her new book - Modern
    Jihad -
    > Loretta Napoleoni shows how every post-war US administration has
    squashed
    > attempts to investigate the Saudis. I expect this will be a
    fascinating
    > story when it emerges.
    >
    > The Bin laden on dialysis story is a feint. He planned and financed
    the
    > operation before he was sent to (probably die) in his Afghan cave. See
    > Operation Holy Tuesday for an in-depth look at the run up to 9/11 and
    > Osama's involvement:
    >
    > http://www.limbicnutrition.com/blog/archives/020958.html
    [Blunderov]
    Hey Jonathan! Nice post - thoughtful. There is much in what you say about
    the 'multi-decade refusal by various American administrations to face up to
    the nasty horror that is Saudi Arabia' as you so well put it.

    Sadly, as is pointed out by Moore, this is itself part of a larger pattern
    in which the USA, lover of freedom and democracy, has consistently supported
    the most atrocious dictatorships, including Saddam, and even gone so far as
    to subvert and overthrow perfectly legitimate democratic governments when
    expedient. Perhaps this is quite simply the way all empires are built and
    maintained and the US is no less immune to this than any previous empire.
    Pity.

    With regard to OBL, it seems that Moore was incorrect in asserting that the
    bin Ladens were evacuated during the air travel lockdown. Otherwise I have
    not, so far, located any other inaccuracy in this context.

    Whether OBL is dead or not remains to be seen. There have, subsequent to
    9/11, been sporadic tapes allegedly starring OBL but who can tell if they
    are real? Me, I thought Saddam was long dead, but apparently he isn't.

    Still, it does seem strange that the US was unable to find OBL.

    Best Regards 

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