The need to topple regimes that sponsor terrorism
By: Elias Bejjani*
May 07/2011
Isaiah 33/1: "Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed; and who betray,
but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be
destroyed; and when you have made an end of betrayal, you will be betrayed."
Faithful people who strongly believe in the Day Of Judgment and in God's sole
authority of revenge do not hail, rejoice, encourage, or commit the act of
killing humans under any given circumstances, no matter what are the
justifications or reasons. The two pillars of Faith are love and forgiveness,
and not hatred or revenge as per the Bible teaching. (Saint Paul's Letter to
the Romans 12/18-20: "If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace
with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s
wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”)
Murderers at the intellectual, academic, and leadership level, like the late
terrorist Bin Laden, choose their evil lifestyle of hostility, corruption and
crime. They distance themselves from God and faith, cowardly disregard all human
rights' covenants, disrespect and breaks laws, lack the spirit of accountability
and responsibility, and openly despise all values and morals. By walking this
awkward and dangerous life path of rebellion against all society and faith norms
they put themselves in a very vulnerable position where others, be individuals
or authorities, are forced to deal with them in the same manner of force,
deterrence and elimination.
In this context Osama bin Laden's acts of massive murder, terrorism and crime
has brought on him the fatal end that he asked for and ultimately received. USA
military forces haunted and killed him for the horrible massacre that he
committed against the American people on the11th of September/2001, in which
more than 3000 innocent individuals were murdered, mostly Americans, including
24 Canadians. He planned, financed and ordered this terrorist unprecedented
bloody massacre, the biggest against the American people since the surprising
air raid carried out by the Japanese Imperial Navy on December 07/1941 on the
U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.
It is an incontestable fact that killing bin Laden is a superb success in the
global war against terrorism for military, legal and psychological reasons.
Meanwhile his physical liquidation does not mean by any way that the evil
education of terrorism, suicide and homicide, fundamentalist zealotry, and the
culture of hatred that he has cultivated and spread were buried in the Arabian
Sea along with his body. No, the death of the Saudi-born, wealthy
fundamentalist and terrorist has not made the world terrorism-free. The impact
of Osama Bin Laden as a symbol will most likely keep inspiring affiliated groups
and individuals for some time, a fact that calls for an on going global
vigilance and a need to continue all joint international efforts to contain, prevent and
fight terrorism.
For achieving ultimate success and triumph in the global fight against
terrorism, the main focus in this very costly and highly sophisticated war must be on the
regimes that
harbor, breed, and export it, and not only on organizations and individuals. There is
no doubt that global fundamentalism and terrorism will continue to be a dire
threat to world peace and stability after the physical absence of bin Laden as
long as there are rogue regimes left alone without any kind of deterrence to use
terrorism in their expansionism, sectarianism, hostility and destructive
schemes. At the forefront of regimes that sponsor terrorism are the countries
of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Gaza Strip, Egypt, Iraq and the
mini-state of Hezbollah, the Palestinian refugee camps and the Syrian military
bases in Lebanon.
Bin Laden could not have escaped his deadly fate since 2001, if Pakistan and
other countries were not providing him and his top notch terrorist aids with a
safe haven. In this realm the American military and intelligence sources
disclosed that Abbottabad, where Bin Laden was shot dead Sunday night on May 2,
is a Pakistani garrison town where a large military base is located. His mansion
was just 100 meters away from Pakistan's military academy and 120 kilometers
from the capital of Islamabad and Pakistani intelligence headquarters. These
sobering facts indicate that the Pakistani military and its intelligence must
have known who was living in the exceptionally large, heavily guarded mansion in
their midst and in plain sight and kept this knowledge from the Americans. The
mansion was encircled by 12-15 meter high walls topped by 7 foot privacy wall
and barbed wire accessed through two steel, electrically-operated security
gates. The Pakistani authorities could not have missed it when it was built in
2005 and more buildings were added later.
Bin Laden's hypocrisy was unveiled and plainly exposed in the kind of life style that he was
enjoying in the midst of a semi-urban Pakistani area. While he was sending men
and women to their deaths, he was not hiding in a hole, in a jungle, or in a
remote mountainous cave. No, he was residing comfortably in a million-dollar
three-storey mansion with his wives, children, close family members and aids,
while getting the best of the latest telecommunication and leisure technology.
It is so frustrating, and extremely sad that since the mid-fifties our
peace-loving Lebanese people have been and still are victims for all forms of
terrorism. Syria is fully behind all the terrorists that have been inflicting
all sorts of terrorism on the Lebanese. Syria has instigated in Lebanon endless
futile wars, chaos, instability, exodus, corruption, crime and the confiscation
of the country's independence, freedom and sovereignty. Syria, jointly with its
Iranian mullah allies, completely embraces both Hezbollah and Hamas as well as a
score of radical and Islamic fundamentalist organizations. Syria and Iran breed,
cultivate, recruit, train, finance and use the majority of terrorism
organizations
Autocratic and oppressive regimes in both Syria and Iran are the sole godfathers
for most of the terrorist groups and individuals all over the world. They are
creating chaos and instability in Arab and Middle Eastern countries under
camouflaged and deceptive religious slogans. Meanwhile, the free world up till
now not only doing nothing but is, instead, cajoling and appeasing both rogue regimes.
To globally eliminate and eradicate all forms of terrorism, regimes that harbor
terrorists must be contained militarily or toppled. The Syrian and Iranian
regimes should be at the top of the list for this effort. Meanwhile, all
politicians, academics and clergy who advocate or sponsor terrorism must be
arrested and put on trial through international tribunals
In conclusion, the majority of the terrorist organizations all over the world including Hezbollah, and Hamas are mere military tools and proxies that are found,
financed, and sponsored by the two rogue regimes of Iran and Syria. Therefore,
an effective global war against terrorism can not by any means be successful if
the regimes that breed terrorism are not dealt with first. Fighting only
fundamentalist and terrorist organizations will not put an end to global
terrorism. What is required foremost is the eradication of the regimes that
foster, produce, protect and export terrorism.
Click Here to the Arabic version of the above editorial
http://www.10452lccc.com/elias.arabic09/elias.benladen%206.5.11.htm
Click Here to listen to the above editorial/Lebanese dialogue
http://www.eliasbejjani.com/elias%20audio11/elias6.5.11.wma
*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political
commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites
http://www.10452lccc.com &
http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.