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Islamic Nations Sidestep U.S. War in Afghanistan
Thursday, October 11, 2001
SF Gate News

DOHA, Qatar
Fifty-six Islamic nations holding an emergency meeting issued a statement yesterday that avoided directly condemning the U.S. attacks against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, while warning against inflicting civilian casualties or striking against other Muslim countries.

The emergency gathering of the Organization of the Islamic Conference had been called by Iran. Evidence of significant opposition at the meeting could have shredded American efforts to build an alliance that included Arab countries and other Muslim nations around the world against Osama bin Laden and other terrorists.

Still, the communiqué clearly and succinctly expressed the various Islamic governments' central concern of self-preservation. "The conference rejected the targeting of any Islamic or Arab state under the pretext of fighting terrorism," the statement said.

The careful wording reflected the complex pressures and fears that weigh on Arab and Muslim governments, whose own legitimacy is often precarious. The conference, representing 1.2 billion Muslims from Africa and Asia as well as the Middle East, dedicated one sentence to finding fault with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

"These terrorist acts contradict the teaching of all religions and human and moral values," the statement said.

In perhaps the closest expression of outright support for America, the conference spokesman, the Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al- Thani, said that the raids into Afghanistan were understandable.
(More: SFGate.com News Source)
2001 © San Francisco Chronicle.

Well, I see the Wimpy Report is in:
These national leaders (really not much more than OPEC businessmen), “avoided directly condemning the U.S. attacks against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.” How about that? Seems they also avoided congratulating the Taliban and bin Laden for their successful, UNPROVOKED attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the deaths of civilians aboard commercial airliners.

Approx. 180 U.S. Military dead, 5000+ INTERNATIONAL civilians dead.

And now they warn against retaliation aimed at “other Muslim countries.” We’re only allowed to fight Western terrorists, not the Middle Eastern brand that openly attacked us. I’d like to thank Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al- Thani for at least “understanding,” but I would expect a little more from “supposed world leaders” than “rejecting the targeting of ANY Islamic or Arab state under the pretext of fighting terrorism.”

Complete crock. These blessed leaders should just hang up their “crowns” and call it a day. They couldn’t “lead” there way out of cul-de-sac at high noon.

Dan