Mr Gassama, I do not agree with the overall thrust of your argument which in a very cursory way you professes condemnation of the wanton murder of thousands of people while in effect painting the United States as a deserving victim. I also find your rhetorical questions to be convenient conduits for your preconceived notions of what the U. S should do viz-a-viz the world. Let' s begin with your take on the events of September 11. You took issue with Bush declaring war before proffering what you term credible evidence establishing culpability and not taking up the Taliban's offer to hand over Osama and his Al Qeada network to a third country for trial. Even if you quibble with the extent and quality of the evidence the U. S was willing to put in the public domain, don't you think the Taliban had a responsibility to hand over Bin Laden to any willing third country unconditionally since he was being accused of masterminding the murder of thousands of people whose government has a responsibility to protect them? Infact the Taliban was given time to do just that. The only three countries that recognized them as a government in the entire world all tried in vain to essentially dissuade them from being unwitting accomplishes to what an aggrieved party rightly believes to be a grave offense against it's people. Refusing to surrender a man and a network that was under previous indictment for blowing up the U. S embassies in east Africa was not actions of a gov't remotely interested in upholding natural justice. The Taliban were an evil regime that respected only their agenda and in the process inflicted monumental hardship on it's own people. As bad as that may be it did not was not going to prompt the United States into wagging war to get rid of the Taliban. In a similar vein it is true that thousands of people get killed the world over in all kinds of circumstances some of which the U. S could be more helpful in preventing. But it is quite a stretch to equate their lack of intervention in the numerous places in the world with hypocrisy simply because they have acted swiftly after they were attacked in their own country. You also dueled on the predicament of the poor Iraqis who continue to die in their thousands from sanction induced problems. I believe more effort is needed in ameliorating the plight of innocent Iraqi's especially in the basic areas of health, food and other necessities. I would however put most of the blame squarely on President Saddam Husseine who has been more of a terrorist to his people than a responsible leader. He is much more interested in the instruments of power than the predicament of his people and that is why he is more than willing to sacrifice the weak and vulnerable of his people on the altar of power politics. He builds himself and his cronies palaces and lavishes resources on his security goons and scurries away even more of Iraq's wealth. On the issue of the Palestinians, we are not in disagreement. I believe U. S policy in that area borders on atrocious because they finance and support the Israeli gov't that is a racist,savage colonial occupier. I would also add that there is much that is wrong in America especially in their pursuit of foreign policy which is driven primarily by their interests. Even amongst Americans there are divergent views on various issues. But this time around, America is right in going after Al qeada and the Taliban who cavort and shelter them. It is a legitimate right of every state to defend it itself when attacked. It is the perpetrators of terror who are doing their darnest to wrap themselves in the cloak of this great religion of ours. It is they who would like to make it appear as a war on Islam , when their real motivations are political and their methods criminal. As for your views on world leaders and their reaction, well I'll just say we can see people in all shades. I will agree that some of them are rather unsavory and there is also an element of posturing. But none of that changes the fact that a country was attacked by terrorists and they are defending themselves. I think your attempt to latch on a series of grievances against the U. S has the unfortunate effect of seeming to rationalize an act you ordinarily would abhore.While the grievances you outline may in their own rites have merit, using them as whip is something I find disagreeable. Karamba <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>