One of the reasons that 9/11 happened is that Clinton hamstringed the CIA with the help of
Congress & particularly a Congressman from N.J. whose name escapes me at the moment. They made a rule that the CIA couldn't have any dealings with
anyone who was a criminal or terrorist or any kind of unsavory character. This was partially due to the fact that the CIA had done done questionable things. However, the unsavory characters are the ones on the inside who can
give us the information to abort things like 9/11. In addition, Clinton was offered Bin Laden more than once during his presidency. Both times he refused. But when 9/11 occurred, Clinton said he immediately knew it was Bin Laden. On the other side, Bin Laden perceived us as weak, because we did nothing when he first bombed the World Trade Center, and when he directed the slaughter of our soldiers in Mogadishu (dragged their naked bodies through the streets).
The best I can ascertain about the reason we're particularly hated by Bin Laden is---Saudi Arabia, where he is from, is ruled autocratically by a family of sheiks. The rest of the population is poor and has no say in the gov't. There is a lot of unrest, and the fundamentalists were chaffing against the sheiks, whom they see as corrupt. The sheiks, to save their own power (and skins) have contributed in many ways to any movement that diverts their subjects away from wanting to overthrow them, and helps redirect it to aggression against the western countries. European leaders have accepted large immigration of Arabs into their countries. They vote in some, but cause lots of trouble in others. Countries like France and Germany are afraid of their own populations of Arabs. Afraid that if they help the US too much, they will face riots in the streets at home. An additional reason Bin Laden hates us is that the Muslim holy city is Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have let us use an air base there. Muslims consider this having infidels in their holy city. Their view of religion is much like the medieval crusader/Inquisition attitude of Christianity in the Middle Ages. As someone once said (don't think this one was Churchill): More atrocities have been committed in the name of religion
...
It's never simple. We've made some mistakes. On the other hand, they're crazy. Imagine your worst fundamentalist Christian with literalist
interpretations of the bible. Then raise him in a society where they stone women, mutilate people, and publicly execute them for rather small infractions. Then give them money, safe havens in several countries, and other countries that are naive on the one hand and afraid on the other.
Then realize that they think their religion not only permits them to kill innocent people, but tells them to, and will reward them for it.
On top of that, there is the Yankee syndrome (my invention). Know why everybody hates the Yankees? Because they are the best, and they are at the top. Everyone has to hate the one at the top, because that makes them feel that they don't deserve it, even if they are the best. We don't like anyone who is better. We have to cut them down somehow. It goes on and on. The Homeland Security thing bothers me too. Not as much
as smallpox, but it bothers me. It has a date when it will expire, unless Congress specifically extends it. That makes me feel a little better...
