ONLINE TODAY
► BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING
■ BALTIMORESUN 16 April 2013 :: Boston Marathon explosions[What I had in my mind yesterday was Baltimore and Tele S - Utah 17M13]|| ■ CNN April 15th, 2013 :: Bill Iffrig, subject of iconic "Boston Globe" photo: "The shock waves hit my whole body...my legs just started jittering around...I knew I was going down"
■ DAILYMAIL 16 APril 2013 : 'My legs just went all noodly': Runner, 78, who became the face of the Boston attacks when he was filmed being knocked off his feet even managed to finish
■ YAHOONEWS 16 April 2013: Boston Marathon blasts put world's cities on alert
■ REUTERS 16 April 2013: Russia tightens security at world championships
■ REUTERS 15 April 2013 : London race security under review after Boston blasts
■ YAHOONEWS 16 April 2013 : Tokyo 2020 bid CEO: Strengths are quality, safety. CEO of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic bid committee says city's strengths are 'quality and safety'
■ HUFFINGTON POST 16 APril 2013: Brothers Lose Legs In Boston Marathon Explosions As Hospitals Care For At Least 176 Victims
■ BOSTON GLOBE 16 April 2013 : Brothers watching Boston Marathon each lose a leg
■ BOSTON GLOBE 16 April 2013 : Investigation of Boston Marathon bombings continues :
■ BOSTON GLOBE 16 April 2013 : Investigators probe Boston Marathon bombings as 'terrorist act', Obama says. President Obama said Tuesday investigators do not know whether the bombs that killed three and wounded dozens at the Boston Marathon were an act of a single person or an organized group -- or why they were planted -- but that the “American people refused to be terrorized.'
["After all wounds can be healed, after the dead are buried, and after the bombers can be arrested (hopefully), what is the wisdom behind all this?" I asked myself. Then with full consciousness, I answered to my own question, "If you do not want to be terrorized, do not terrorize others." (And do not forget to type an exclamation point at the end of your sentence, Cisca, to emphasis its meaning. Ngngngng)]
▬ May 1, 2010 : Times Square Bomb Attempt || * Militant's Path From Pakistan to Times Square
▬ January 17, 2011 : The Spokane bombing attempt occurred, when a radio-controlled, shaped pipe bomb was found and defused in Spokane, Washington along the route of that year's Martin Luther King Jr. memorial march. On March 9, 2011 the FBI arrested Kevin William Harpham, 36, of Addy, Washington. On December 20, 2011 he was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the attempted bombing.
▬ April 15, 2013 : Boston Marathon explosions: a history of bombings in the US
- April 15, 2013: Two bombs explode in the packed streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing two people and injuring more than 80.
- Jan. 17, 2011: A backpack bomb is placed along a Martin Luther King Day parade route in Spokane, Washington, meant to kill and injure participants in a civil rights march, but is found and disabled before it can explode. White supremacist Kevin Harpham is convicted and sentenced to 32 years in federal prison.
- May 1, 2010: Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad leaves an explosives-laden sport utility vehicle in New York's Times Square, hoping to detonate it on a busy night. Street vendors spot smoke coming from the vehicle and the bomb is disabled. Shahzad is arrested as he tries to leave the country and is sentenced to life in prison.
- Dec. 25, 2009: The so-called "underwear bomber," Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, is subdued by passengers and crew after trying to blow up an airliner heading from Paris to Detroit using explosives hidden in his undergarments. He's sentenced to life in prison.
- Sept. 11, 2001: Four commercial jets are hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda militants and used as suicide bombs, bringing down the two towers of New York City's World Trade Center and crashing into the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 people are killed in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
- Jan 22, 1998: Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty in Sacramento, California, to being the Unabomber in return for a sentence of life in prison without parole. He's locked up in the federal Supermax prison in Colorado for killing three people and injuring 23 during a nationwide bombing spree between 1978 and 1995.
- Jan. 20, 1998: A bombing at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, kills one guard and injures a nurse. Eric Robert Rudolph is suspected in the case.
- July 27, 1996: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the Summer Games, killing two people and injuring more than 100. Eric Robert Rudolph is arrested in 2003. He pleads guilty and is sentenced to life in prison.
- April 19, 1995: A car bomb parked outside the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City kills 168 people and injures more than 500. It is the deadliest US bombing in 75 years. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are convicted. McVeigh is executed in 2001 and Nichols is sentenced to life in prison.
- Feb. 26, 1993: A bomb in a van explodes in the underground World Trade Center garage in New York City, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000. Five extremists are eventually convicted.
- Nov. 7, 1983: A bomb blows a hole in a wall outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. No one is hurt. Two leftist radicals plead guilty.
- May 16, 1981: A bomb explodes in a men's bathroom at the Pan Am terminal at New York's Kennedy Airport, killing a man. A group calling itself the Puerto Rican Armed Resistance claims responsibility. No arrests are made.
- Dec. 29, 1975: A bomb hidden in a locker explodes at the TWA terminal at New York's LaGuardia Airport, killing 11 people and injuring 75. Palestinian, Puerto Rican and Croatian groups are suspected, but no arrests are made.
- Jan. 29, 1975: The US State Department building in Washington, D.C., is bombed by the radical left group Weather Underground. No one is killed.
- Jan. 24, 1975: A bomb goes off at historic Fraunces Tavern in New York City, killing four people. It was one of 49 bombings attributed to the Puerto Rican nationalist group FALN between 1974 and 1977 in New York.
- Jan. 27, 1972: A bomb wrecks the New York City office of impresario Sol Hurok, who had been booking Soviet artists. One person is killed and nine are injured, Hurok among them. A caller claiming to represent Soviet Jews claims responsibility, but no arrests are made.
- March 1, 1971: The Senate wing of the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., is bombed by the radical left group Weather Underground. No one is killed.
- March 6, 1970: Three members of the Weather Underground accidentally blow themselves up in their townhouse in New York City's Greenwich Village while making bombs.
- 1951-56: George Metesky, a former Consolidated Edison employee with a grudge against the company, sets off a series of blasts at New York landmarks, including Grand Central station and Radio City Music Hall. No one is killed. Known as The Mad Bomber, Metesky spends 16 years in a mental hospital.
- May 18, 1927: 45 people - 38 of them children - are killed when a school district treasurer, Andrew Kehoe, lines the Bath Consolidated School in Michigan, with hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of dynamite, and blows it up. Investigators say Kehoe, who also died in the blast, thought he would lose his farm because he couldn't pay property taxes used to build the school.
- Sept. 16, 1920: A bomb explodes in New York City's Wall Street area, killing 40 and injuring hundreds. Authorities conclude it was the work of "anarchists" and come up with a list of suspects, but all flee to Russia.
- Oct. 1, 1910: The Los Angeles Times building is dynamited during a labor dispute, killing 20 people. Two leaders of the ironworkers union plead guilty.
- May 4, 1886: A bomb blast during a labor rally at Chicago's Haymarket Square kills 11 people, including seven police officers, and injures more than 100. Eight "anarchists" are tried for inciting riot. Four are hanged, one commits suicide and three win pardons after seven years in prison. - Edited by Bonnie Malkin
■ LATIMES 16 April 2013 : Pakistani Taliban denies involvement in Boston bomb blasts ::► TODAY in HISTORY
■ 17 April 1895 : Treaty signed in Honshu, Japan, after the Sino-Japanese War. China was represented by Li Hongzhang. Japan emerged as a major power, gaining Taiwan and a huge indemnity in lieu of the Liaodong peninsula and Lushun (Port Arthur).
■ Apr 17, 1964: Ford Mustang debuts at World's Fair
■ Apr 17, 1975: Cambodia falls to the Khmer Rouge
► AP BIG STORY 16 April 2013 : Online nonprofit InsideClimate News wins Pulitzer. The AP's Rodrigo Abd, Manu Brabo, Narciso Contreras, Khalil Hamra and Muhammed Muheisen were recognized for "producing memorable images under extreme hazard" while covering the Syrian war, the judges wrote. :: || ► Associated Press 15 April 2013 : AP wins Pulitzer for Syria photos; is finalist for Syria reporting || ► See a slideshow of the winning images. || ► The 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners - Breaking News Photography
► ABC News 15 April 2013 : World’s Most Expensive Smartphone: $15M iPhone Has a Black Diamond
► MASHABLE 16 April 2013 : 71% of Facebook Users Engage in 'Self-Censorship'
► DAILY MAIL 17 April 2013 : A fun protective mechanism: Muscular Hugh Jackman keeps his daughter Ava close with a piggyback ride following absurd stalker incident
► NY DAILY NEWS 15 April 2013 : Boston Marathon explosions: New Kids on the Block singer Joey McIntyre safe after crossing finish line minutes before blasts. McIntyre was running in the marathon to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Association and in memory of his mother who suffers from the disease.
► Putin's Hidden War - Chechnya. May 2004 : For Chechen civilians, Russia's 'clean-up' operations amounts to little more than genocide. Even Russian soldiers condemn their actions in Chechnya. When Ivan volunteered to fight in the second Chechen war, he had scant understanding of what he would experience. Even now, he remains deeply troubled by his time there. Lack of supplies and widespread alcoholism fuelled acts of brutality. His ill equipped unit had little choice but to rob civilians. "We had to feed ourselves. Of course we turned to looting. Of course we'd kill," he says. He believes the Chechens are being forced into acts of terrorism out of desperation and revenge. "We'd come in the house and kill five people -- one survives, they have nothing to live for and it becomes blood for blood." 60 year old Sowdat has seen two of her children killed by the Russians. Another two have disappeared without a trace. "It's genocide and it's conducted openly," states Rusen Badalov, of the Chechen Salvation Committee. Despite Putin's assurance to the contrary, Chechens believe that a bloody war is being waged against them. Daily 'disappearances' in every village tell the same story. It seems that Russia's campaign to impose order is creating the terrorism they mean to crush. Produced by SBS/Dateline. Distributed by Journeyman Pictures || ► Dirty War on Terror - Chechnya. April 2002 : By cover of night, fighters wearing brand new Russian uniforms bury an old Russian artillery shell into a road. Uploaded on 28 Feb 2008 by Journeyman Pictures
► Bomb investigators probe pressure cooker, backpacks
By Aaron Pressman and Scott Malone - BOSTON - Boston Marathon bombing investigators entered the third day of their hunt with an emerging picture of the target: a suspect or suspects carrying heavy bags or backpacks made of dark nylon.
* Young boy, "dream daughter," Chinese citizen killed in blasts
* A shaken Boston mostly gets back to work
* Faced with legs mangled by bombs, doctors forced to amputate
► Capriles distances himself from violent protests in Venezuela
► China's bird flu death toll rises to 16, government warns of spread
► VIDEOS
■ Video shows moment of deadly explosion at finish line of Boston Marathon► PICTURES
■ Boston Marathon runner's video shows explosion near finish line
■ Debris from bomb site recovered
■ Vigil for bombing victims
■ No additional devices found at Boston Marathon bombing scene: FBI
■ Protests flare as Venezuela government rejects vote recount
■ Boston Marathon bombing
■ Protests over Venezuela election
■ Israel from above
► Close-in view of post-explosion victims. Cell phone footage shows the up-close mayhem after the Boston Marathon bomb blasts including multiple victims lying in pools of blood near the finishing line of the famous race. || ► Obama vows to find those behind Boston blasts || ► Obama: Boston attacks 'cowardly' act of terror || ► FBI leading 'potential terrorist investigation' || ► Boston bomb sites closed off || ► Hunt is on for Boston bomber || ► Investigators hunt clues in deadly Boston blasts || ► 176 casualties in Boston blasts: officials || ► New York boosts security after Boston blasts
► Several killed, dozens injured in Peshawar suicide bombing
► Thatcher leaves divisive legacy in Britain || ► Conservative MP says Thatcher still inspires today || ► Great and good invited to Thatcher funeral || ► Margaret Thatcher's coffin heads to parliament
► Earthquakes. A powerful earthquake rattled southeastern Iran and was felt across the Gulf and South Asia on Tuesday, reports from around the region said. Iran's Seismological Centre reported the 7.5 magnitude quake struck at 3:14 pm (1044 GMT) about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan.VIDEOGRAPHIC
► Protesters in Venezuela call for vote recount
► Abu Dhabi Louvre displays first art collection
► Aung San Suu Kyi's first visit to Japan in 27 years
► Endangered Sumatran elephant born in captivity
► Dubai police flaunt Lamborghini patrol car
► Tuscany's 'L'Eroica' route opens for cyclists
► Humanitarian situation deteriorates in north Mali
► BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING
■ Boston Marathon Blasts Kill 3, Injure Over 140
■ Mark Wahlberg Calls Boston Blasts 'disgusting'
■ Police Search Boston-Area Apartment. Massachusetts State Police investigating the marathon bombing searched an apartment just outside Boston, in Revere. Officers were seen leaving with bags full of material. There's no word of any suspects or motive in the attack. (April 16) :
■ Mass. Gov: No Unexploded Bombs at Marathon
■ 'Star Trek' Stars React to Boston Tragedy
■ Obama: Boston Bombings an Act of Terrorism
■ Hagel: Boston Bombs 'A Cruel Act of Terror'
■ Boston Bomb Victim Describes Seeing Wife Hurt
■ Doctors: Boston Victims Had Nails, Pellets
■ Raw: Runner's Head Camera Captures Blast
■ Raw: Technicians Pore Over Boston Blast Site
■ New York on Alert After Boston Bombing
■ Expert: Bomber Intended Maximum Carnage
■ Boston Marathon Runner: 'Sad for the City'
■ Surgeon: Amputees Happy to Be Alive After Blast
■ FBI: Motives and Suspect 'Wide Open'
■ Raw: Vigil for Marathon Bombing Victims
■ Surgeon: Boston Injuries Like Soldiers' in War
■ Letter With Ricin Sent to Miss. Senator
■ 8-year-old Boston Bombing Victim Mourned
■ Former Boss Remembers Boston Blast Victim
■ Pressure Cooker Bombs Suspected in Boston Blast
► Pressure cooker bombs suspected in Boston blast
► Pivotal NKorea question: What is Kim thinking?
► SHINE : Boston Marathon Tragedy: How to Avoid Charity Scams and Help for Real
► SHINE : Cat Lives Off McDonald's for a Year
► PHOTOS : Titanic Violin on Auction
► Applicants wanted for a one-way ticket to Mars
► Light drinking 'not harmful to baby' say scientists
► Does cranberry juice stop cystitis?
► Lead bullet fragments poison rare US condors
► Boy 'lived as a robot' for two months
► TRAVEL : How to save a failing airline || ► Snapshot of a Polaroid-inspired villa in St Barth
► AUTOS : For charity, Rolls-Royce creates a blushing pink Ghost || ► Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible
► Today's African Proverb : "One head cannot carry a roof" - Sent by Enock Inno Bokola, Lilongwe, Malawi
► Boston blank: No suspects, no motives over deadly bombings
► Boston Marathon explosions: LIVE UPDATES
► OP-ED : Good vs. Evil, Boston and Beyond
► OP-ED : 'Neither liberty nor safety': Has American freedom's race been run at Boston Marathon?
► OP-ED : Nicolas Maduro won Venezuela’s elections… now what? - by : Adrian Salbuchi
► Obama advisers say they will urge president to veto CISPA
► Venezuela's Maduro accuses US Embassy of supporting violent protests
► US medical system lets hospitals profit from botched surgeries, extra care
► 'No justification' for US torturing terror suspects - 'Truth Commission' report
► Russians to simulate Mars colonization in US desert
► At least 35 dead, 80 injured as Pakistan jolted by powerful Iran quake
► VIDEOS
■ Venezuela declares Maduro president-elect amid violent protests► PHOTOS : Boston Marathon blast aftermath
■ Sound protest: Fireworks vs pots banging in Venezuela over new president
■ 'US security mega-profits don't protect people'
■ Chechnya: Republic of contrasts
► Inside Story - Somalia's peace: running on empty?
► Inside Story Americas - What next for Venezuela?
► Witness : Chagas: A silent killer
► Talk to Al Jazeera - Ioannis Kasoulides: Cracking Cyprus
► Inside Story - Counterfeits: flattery or forgery?
► From Jerusalem to Boston: Learning to Live With the Threat of Urban Violence
By Karl Vick
* A Photographer's View of the Boston Carnage► His Royal Editor: Prince Charles to Guest-Edit British Magazine
* President Obama to Travel to Boston for Thursday Memorial
* 2 Victims Identified: 8-Year-Old Boy, 29-Year-Old Restaurant Manager (VIDEO)
* Chinese National Is Third Victim in Boston Blasts, Consulate Says
* Why Our Brains 'Shut Down' When Confronted With Terrorism?
* How Can Sporting-Event Spectators Ever Feel Safe?
* A Marathon Finisher Remembers How It All Sank In
* To Catch a Terrorist: Where the Investigation Starts
* Why Heroes Risk It All for Strangers
► The 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Associated Press Coverage of Syria
► LIFE Behind the Picture: Little Leaguers Demand Their Pants, 1954
► North Korea Ratchets Up Tension on the Peninsula
► Study alleges 'indisputable' use of torture under Bush
► SPIEGEL. DE May 10, 2006 : The Iran Crisis: President Ahmadinejad's Letter to George W. Bush. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to US President George W. Bush, hoping to re-open a dialogue that broke off 27 years ago -- and ease tensions over Iran's nuclear program. Below is a shortened version of the letter.
Mr George Bush, President of the United States of America:
For some time now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena -- which are being constantly debated, especially in political forums and amongst university students. Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hopes that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them.
Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great Messenger of God, f eel obliged to respect human rights, present liberalism as a civilization model, announce one's opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, make War and Terror his slogan, and finally, work towards the establishment of a unified international community – a community which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, but at the same time, have countries attacked; the lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed... Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women – as occupation troops – put in harm's way, taken away from family and love ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide and those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of ailments; while some are killed and their bodies handed to their families.
On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no WMDs existed to begin with. Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction. He was toppled along the way towards another goal, nevertheless the people of the region are happy about it. I point out that throughout the many years of the … war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.
Mr President,
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can theses actions be reconciled with the values outlined at the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and forgiveness.
There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been tried, have no legal representation, their families cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land outside their own country. There is no international monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.
European investigators have confirmed the existence of secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values.
Young people, university students and ordinary people have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am sure you are familiar with some of them. Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times. Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country did not exist. The showy old documents and globes and say try as we have, we have not been able to find a country named Israel. I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of my students told me that during WWII, which more than tens of millions of people perished in, news about the war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties. Each touted their victories and the most recent battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war, they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six million people that were surely related to at least two million families.
Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?
Mr President, I am sure you know how – and at what cost – Israel was established : Many thousands were killed in the process. Millions of indigenous people were made refugees. Hundred of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages were destroyed. This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.
A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique – or at the very least extremely rare – in recent memory.
Another big question asked by people is why is this regime being supported? Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values? Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands – inside and outside Palestine – whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why is there so much opposition to a referendum? The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took office. All independent observes have confirmed that this government represents the electorate. Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government under pressure and have advised it to recognise the Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the programs of the previous government. If the current Palestinian government had run on the above platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the Palestinian government be reconciled with the values outlined earlier? The people are also saying why are all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?
Mr President,
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them --many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They do not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies. It is not my intention to pose to many questions, but I need to refer to other points as well.
Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East regions is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations.
You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilised for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed. Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to.
Mr President,
Don't Latin Americans have the right to ask, why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear? The people of Africa are hard working, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don't they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth – including minerals – is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others? Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings of Christ and the tenets of human rights? The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including : the coup d'etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborate this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and collaborating in their country's progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.
Mr President,
Sept. 11 was a horrendous incident. The killing of innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the world. Our government immediately declared its disgust with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the bereaved and expressed its sympathies.
All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems – and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services – or their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial? All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbours of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind. After 9.11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people – who had been immensely traumatised by the attacks – some Western media only intensified the climates of fear and insecurity – some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that a service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damage incurred from fear and panic? American citizens lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity? Some believe that the hype paved the way – and was the justification – for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media. In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly – for the public to finally believe – and the ground set for an attack on Iraq. Will the truth not be lost in a contrive and deceptive climate? Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values? Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well? Mr President, In countries around the world, citizens provide for the expenses of governments so that their governments in turn are able to serve them. The question here is what have the hundreds of billions of dollars spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign produced for the citizens? As your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country, people are living in poverty. Many thousands are homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course these problems exist – to a larger or lesser extent – in other countries as well. With these conditions in mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign – paid from the public treasury – be explained and be consistent with the aforementioned principles? What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people around the world, in our region and in your country. But my main contention – which I am hoping you will agree to some of it – is : Those in power have specific time in office, and do not rule indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in history and will be constantly judged in the immediate and distant futures. The people will scrutinize our presidencies.
Did we manage to bring peace, security and prosperity for the people or insecurity and unemployment? Did we intend to establish justice, or just supported especial interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and powerful – thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty with theirs'? Did we defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them? Did we defend the rights of all people around the world or imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated some of them? Did we bring the world peace and security or raise the specter of intimidation and threats? Did we tell the truth to our nation and others around the world or presented an inverted version of it? Were we on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors? Did our administration set out to promote rational behaviour, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity or the force of guns. Intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people, delaying the progress and excellence of other nations, and trample on people's rights? And finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true to our oath of office – to serve the people, which is our main task, and the traditions of the prophets – or not?
Mr President,
How much longer can the world tolerate this situation? Where will this trend lead the world to? How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers? How much longer will the specter of insecurity – raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction – hunt the people of the world? How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people's houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue? If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movements were instead spent on investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion of health, combating different diseases, education and improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance to the victims of natural disasters, creation of employment opportunities and production, development projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of peace, mediation between disputing states and distinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other conflicts where would the world be today? Would not your government, and people be justifiably proud? Would not your administration's political and economic standing have been stronger? And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American governments? Mr President, it is not my intention to distress anyone. If prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph or Jesus Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have judged such behaviour? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even accept us? My basic question is this : Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Moslems and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses (PBUH). All divine religions share and respect on word and that is monotheism or belief in a single God and no other in the world.
The holy Koran stresses this common word and calls on an followers of divine religions and says : [3.64] Say : O followers of the Book! Come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught. With Him and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah, but if they turn back, then say : Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The Family of Imran).
Mr President,
According to divine verses, we have all been called upon to worship one God and follow the teachings of divine prophets. To worship a God which is above all powers in the world and can do all He pleases. The Lord which knows that which is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records their deeds. The Lord who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and all universe is His court planning for the universe is done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins. He is the companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful . He is the recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the light from darkness. He is witness to the actions of His servants, He calls on servants to be faithful and do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of righteousness and remain steadfast. Calls on servants to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds. A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His servants. And A good and eternal paradise belong to those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow their lascivious selves. We believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets is the only road leading to salvations. I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH), and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth. We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well; [19,36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serves Him; this is the right path, Marium.
Service to and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine messengers.
The God of all people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He has given greatness to Humans. We again read in the Holy Book: The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purity them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious. All of the above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the Good Book as well. Divine prophets have promised: The day will come when all humans will congregate before the court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined. The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our nations and all others whose lives have been directly or indirectly effected by our actions. All prophets, speak of peace and tranquillity for man – based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity.
Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world – that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets – and improve our performance? Do you not think that belief in these principles promotes and guarantees peace, friendship and justice? Do you not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten principles are universally respected? Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets? Mr President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive. God has entrusted The fate of man to them. The Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices. Many things have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are determined by Him.
Can one deny the signs of change in the world today? Is this situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace. The people of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people around the wolrd feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies. The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries.
The people are disgusted with increasing corruption. The people of many countries are angry about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration of families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international organisations, because their rights are not advocated by these organisations. Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems. We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point – that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is : Do you not want to join them? Mr President, Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.
Vasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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