An appeal to the American people to stand by justice and peace

Aliran reiterates its deepest sympathy for the victims of the horrendous attacks in the US on Sept. 11, 2001, which resulted in thousands of innocent lives, not only of Americans but peoples of other nations too, possibly a few Malaysians.

Naturally Americans have been enraged by the terrorist attacks. Though in the midst of grieving, many are now demanding revenge and retribution. US President George W Bush has virtually declared that America is now at war. The Joint Resolution passed by Congress (with a single dissenting vote) authorizes the president �to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons�. In pursuit of this goal, an US$20 billion military budget has been sought.

America�s NATO allies have rallied to its cause. For the first time, NATO has activated Article 5 of the Washington Treaty which considers an attack on one member as an attack of all. With NATO, the US is now putting together a global coalition for military action

Within days of the Sept 11 attacks, even as US intelligence was admitting that it was caught completely unawares, Osama bin Laden, harboured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, had been identified by the US authorities as the prime suspect, notwithstanding his denials to the contrary. Given the call to war, the Taliban, indeed the entire Afghan nation have also become potential targets. In fact, as the US media played on the American peoples� prejudices and ignorance of Islam, and irresponsibly worked them into xenophobic frenzy, Arabs and Muslims, including America�s very own who condemned those attacks, themselves became targets of raging racist mobs. To Bush�s credit he has condemned these mobs, visited the Islamic Centre in Washington, and clarified that the US is not at war against Islam.

As part of its military preparations, the US has leaned on Pakistan, one of only three countries which has recognized the Taliban government. Sharing a long border with Afghanistan, Pakistan faces the possibility of becoming another convenient target of American firepower. At risk of an internal uprising, its leader General Pervez Musharraf, nonetheless, has promised to give full cooperation to the US. The humanitarian aid which Pakistan provides to the Afghan refugees living in the border areas, often innocent victims of the Taliban, has been stopped with the closing of the borders. Apparently, the US also wants Pakistan�s help on intelligence gathering and logistics, as well as permission to use its airspace to launch military strikes into Afghan territory.

Pakistan had requested the Taliban to hand over Osama quickly and without conditions which it has refused unless �clear evidence� showed his involvement. The Taliban�s offer to try Osama in the Afghan Supreme Court or allow his activities to be monitored by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) have been rejected by the US. After a meeting of over 1000 clerics from all over Afghanistan, the Taliban have accused the US of using the Sept 11 attacks �to wage war on Islam�. Islamic militants in other parts of the world have already announced that they will declare a jihad (holy war) against the US and its allies and threaten their interests all over if the US attacks Afghanistan, �a Muslim country�.

Here in Malaysia, the government, in line with its �long-standing struggle against terrorism�, has also announced support for the USA�s pursuit of the terrorists. If requested, it will also consider participation in a global military force. The Malaysian army has also announced its �readiness for war� although one is not sure from whence any challenge might arise.

Aliran holds that the perpetrators of the New York attack must be brought to justice. Assuming that there is adequate evidence that Osama bin Laden was involved, the US and its allies, indeed, all peace-loving and justice-seeking people of the world should combine efforts to detain and bring Osama and his supporters to justice.

However, this appears unlikely on two scores. First, given the nature of terrorism, it would be difficult to come up with the necessary evidence to prove that Osama himself was directly involved in the Sept 11 attacks. According to analysts, there is no doubt that Osama bin Laden, a Saudi multi-millionaire, was the inspiration for the formation of an amorphous group of Muslim militants dedicated not only to the Palestinian cause but to expelling US influence from the entire Middle-East, including American troops from Saudi Arabia. In the 1980s, Osama had been a leader of the multinational Mujahidins, armed and trained by the CIA, fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Although Afghanistan might be the physical base of these Muslim militants, their supporters had established bases in Europe, North Africa and even in the United States. It is of course plausible that Osama was involved in the planning of the Sept 11 attacks. But it is just as likely that the network of militants who came from various parts of the globe had acted on their own accord, without directly involving him.

The point is that in this fight against terrorism, the enemy is elusive and evidence of involvement difficult to establish. The controversy surrounding the list of 19 suspects named by the FBI as suicide hijackers highlights this problem. A few of these alleged hijackers are in fact still alive and have given media interviews to deny their involvement. It appears that the real hijackers had used false or stolen documents. From the reports, it also appears that there is still no hard evidence linking these suicide hijackers to the men who recruited them, financed them, and ordered them to conduct the attacks.

International cooperation to combat terrorism is a way forward. We will need to share intelligence, conduct joint operations.as well as to establish international laws on dealing with this heinous crime. A related effort is to work towards the establishment of an International Criminal Court (ICC) to deal with individuals and groups - often representing no particular nation - who commit crimes against humanity. Existing international laws based on inter-nation relations do not suffice.

It is ironic to note that the US was among seven nations that voted against the setting up of the ICC (with 120 nations in favour) in July 1998. The others that opposed the ICC were China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar, and Yemen. The US, which had been very vocal against the ICC, eventually did sign up at the last minute, along with a few other nations, so that it would be allowed to be involved in future negotiations about this treaty. Not signing would have meant that while a nation would still be subject to it, it would not have been able to participate in decisions at future ICC discussions.

As of 31 Aug 2001, 139 countries had signed the Rome Statute to create the ICC. Of these signatories, 37 had ratified the statute, which needs 60 ratifications before it can come into effect. As at that date, the US and the UK, had signed but not yet ratified the statute. And regrettably, for all its concern over �militant�activities, Malaysia itself does not appear on the list of signatories (see http://www.un.org./law/icc/statute/status.htm).

There has to be worldwide recognition and acceptance of the ICC and its future judgments. In this regard it will be recalled that the World Court in The Hague had ruled against the US for �its unlawful use of force� and various other destabilizing activities against the then Sandinistas� Nicaragua government. The US rejected the order of the World Court and then vetoed a Security Council resolution calling on all states to observe international law.

The second reason why Osama will not be brought to court is more pertinent. It appears that George W Bush and his security and defence advisors � Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld and Powell � are really not interested. They are enraged and desire revenge. Taking Osama to trial is no retribution. It pales into insignificance. They want Osama �Dead or Alive�. The sheriff has mobilised his possee. The bounty hunters are in the chase. No less than a lynching or a �high noon� shootout will satisfy.

Perhaps this need to �shoot it out� is because the US has had very very little experience on how to respond to attacks on itself.

Apart from Pearl Harbour which occurred in the Pacific, this is the first time since the War of 1812 that continental US has been attacked. Its battles have all been fought on other peoples� lands. It is the others who have lost more lives and suffered the destruction of their homes, schools, hospitals, bridges, livelihoods, etc. The list is endless: the two world wars; the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the Spanish-American wars in Cuba and the Philippines; the invasion of Korea; the wars in Indochina, especially Vietnam, parts of which were subjected to carpet bombing, napalming, mining, and the use of anti-personnel bombs - just to name some examples in the Asia Pacific region. More than that, the US propped up countless authoritarian regimes and together with them committed all kinds of atrocities against untold numbers of people.

Perhaps because these events have occurred outside the US and because of distorted reporting by mainstream western media, there has unfortunately developed a disjuncture between the perception of what the Americans think they stand for in the world, and what outsiders think of them. At heart is how Americans claim that they uphold and practise the principles of justice, freedom and peace at home but resort to just the opposite, including the use of terror, abroad. This part of the USA�s history is all too often erased, ignored or forgotten by the Americans. But it is remembered very well, often in graphic details, by the outsiders.

The USA, NATO and its other allies are now preparing to wage war against Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and the Afghan people. We in Aliran have always been opposed to the use of force, whether in domestic politics or in international affairs. We have always supported non-violent means of conflict resolution in pursuit of freedom, peace and justice around the world. As the world teeters on the brink of another violent conflagration, Aliran insists in the strongest terms that all indiscriminate military retaliation will not put an end to this terrorism, not now, not ever. Unable to distinguish between the perpetrators and the civilians, between those who planned and conducted the atrocities and those who live alongside them, and/or share their religious beliefs or national origin, even more innocent lives will be lost.

Precisely because no distinction is made between the perpetrator and the innocent civilian, a new cycle of recrimination, revenge and terrorism will inevitably follow. This has been the lesson from the experiences of the collapsed Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, the war-torn regions of Africa and the Palestinian struggle in particular. Driving the moderates into the embrace of the extremism is exactly what the terrorists desire. We play into their hands by allowing our blind rage to drive us to indiscriminate revenge.

The American leaders and its NATO allies will not heed our little cry to arrest this cycle of terror. Hence we call upon the American people to prevail upon their leaders to opt for peace and justice - just as they did some 30 years back when the US government was forced to withdraw from Indochina, in part because of pressure from within the country. Then, the American youths declared in growing numbers: �Hell, No! We Won�t Go!�

In their hour of mourning, the American people have every right to expect support and sympathy from the people of the world. But to ensure that the world can begin to move towards peace, justice and freedom from terror, the people of the world have justifiable cause to implore the American people to turn their tragedy into reflections upon the reasons for the kinds and depths of despair in other parts of the world that produce suicide bombers and hijackers.

And then to discard vengence and instead initiate and support international actions to stop both terror and war by establishing meaningful peace and justice throughout the world.

The American people will have the world�s hundreds of millions on their side when they prevail upon the government to opt for policies that promote justice and peace.

Aliran Executive Committee
September 2001