WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2001
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5A
Arab states fearful about U.S. response to terrorist attacks
The Associated Press
AMMAN, Jordan — A week after terrorist strikes demolished the World Trade Center and punched a gaping hole in the Pentagon, there is growing alarm and thinly veiled resentment in the Arab world at the prospect of U.S.-led military retaliation aimed at Osama bin Laden.
Across the region, recent days have seen renewed expressions of fury about U.S. support for Israel, a heightened sense of solidarity with fellow Muslims that may extend to Afghanistan's radical Taliban regime, and a sharp questioning about whether sufficient proof yet exists to target anyone in the Sept. 11 attacks.
In some quarters, doubts about backing America were crystallized by hearing President Bush refer to a "crusade" against perpetrators of terrorist acts — a term that for many here recalls the Crusades, the medieval wars against Muslims in the Holy Land by a succession of Christian monarchs in Europe. An aide said yesterday the president regretted using the word "crusade" — that Bush only meant to say that his is a "broad cause" against terrorism.
Also prompting unease was the president's use of colorful Wild West terminology in vowing to get bin Laden "dead or alive." The exiled Saudi millionaire, whom the United States considers the prime suspect in the attacks, is believed to be living in Afghanistan, which so far has not acceded to U.S. demands to hand him over.
As the confrontation hardens, Arab governments seen as friendly to the United States are uncomfortably aware that their perceived support for American-led military action — however measured — would go down badly with many of their citizens.
Some think that retaliatory U.S. strikes will only spawn more of the same hatreds that lay behind the Sept. 11 attacks.
"It looks like America is planning to wage a holy war against Muslims and Arabs," said Halim Mansour, a 39-year-old librarian in Jordan, one of only two Arab states to have signed a peace treaty with Israel.
Vilification of Israel, always at the forefront of public discourse in the Arab world, is going on as
usual—but more and more mainstream commentators and government officials are pointing to the Palestinian conflict as dangerous fuel for future terrorist strikes.
"It's about American arrogance, and the incredible degree of anger that this causes," said Jordanian analyst Labib Kamhawi. "When I see pictures of the plane about to hit the tower, I shudder — but I think about the kind of suffering America's policies cause every day, and how this could drive someone to commit such an act."
Arab governments, including Jordan's, have said fallout from the attacks on America should not be allowed to divert attention from efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mindful of that view, the United States has put heavy pressure on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop fighting — which they say they will, at least for now. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat announced yesterday he was unilaterally enforcing a cease-fire. Israel responded by ordering a halt to military operations except in immediate self-defense.
Amid talk of Afghanistan as a likely target for U.S. retaliatory strikes, many in the region thought it would be wrong to lash out at a country already impoverished and miserable by decades of warfare.
"Afghanistan is in ruins anyway," declared 20-year-old Cairo student Rasha Hesham.
A spiritual leader of the Islamic militant group Hamas issued a religious edict yesterday saying those who sided with the United States against fellow Muslims would be considered traitors.
"It is illegal for any Muslim group or state ... to cooperate or align itself with America in any way," said Sheik Hamed Bitawi, a Hamas leader in the West Bank town of Nablus.
Iraq's Saddam Hussein, in what he billed as an open letter to the American people, weighed in with preemptive criticism of any retaliatory strike. The official Iraqi news agency quoted him as saying that Washington is operating on the assumption that "Islam, with Arabs in the lead ... are enemies of the United States."
Terrorist attacks spawn scores of urban legends
NEW YORK — Did you hear about the police officer who miraculously "surfed" debris down a collapsing World Trade Center tower? How about Satan's face revealed in smoke billowing from the doomed buildings?
The Associated Press
Spread by word of mouth and e-mail, a lot of dubious and outright false information has popped up since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I think that people fall for this stuff because people are trying to make sense of these disasters — the idea that there's some idea or plan to these wrenching events," said Kevin Christopher of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal near Buffalo.
Some of the tales that have circulated are the instant bits of folklore sometimes referred to as urban legends.
One story describes a Port Authority officer caught high up in Trade Center tower as it collapsed, surviving by riding the debris all the way down.
In one version of the story, he was on the 82nd floor and broke both his legs. Frank Pita, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said yesterday the report is unconfirmed and the agency suspects it is not true.
E-mails about Nostradamus, the 16th century French soothsayer credited by some with predicting Hitler's ascent and the French Revolution, now credit him with foreseeing the World
Trade Center attack
Critics say Nostradamus wrote his predictions so vaguely that it is easy to fit facts to the prediction after an event. As for the quoted quatrains, Barbara Mikkelson, who with her husband runs the Urban Legends Reference Pages on the Internet, said Nostradamus didn't write either one.
A version of one cited quatrain reads in part: "The third big war will begin when the big city is burning." And another reads: "In the city of york there will be a great collapse."
NEWS
Another e-mail circulating sees the number 11 as significant. It notes that the attack occurred on Sept. 11. The first plane to strike the towers was Flight 11 and Sept. 11 is the 254th day of the year. Also, the towers resembled a big 11 before they were felled.
Some have claimed the profile of a face can be made out in dark smoke above the Trade Center in an Associated Press photograph taken last week. This has been called "the face of Satan" on some Internet postings.
Then there's the face in the smoke.
Skeptics say the face is no different from someone seeing images in clouds — they are seeing patterns where there is randomness. Vin Alabiso, an AP vice president and the news cooperative's executive photo editor, has said the photo was untouched and the AP has a strict policy that prohibits the alteration of the content of a photo in any way.
LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS INC.
ROCK CHALK BRIDGE CLUB is holding its initial membership drive this Saturday Sept., 22, at 6:00 pm. at the Holidome, 200 Mc Donald Dr. We are a brand new campus organization and we have a lot to offer including free lessons for beginners. All students are welcome. We will start with a brief lesson. You will be playing bridge in less than a half an hour. We will then have a registration mixer in our hospitality suite. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends
and discover the wonderful game of Bridge.
President Patrick Prewitt says "Be there."
Vice-President Andy Bond says "Be there."
Any questions?Reach Don at Card potato@hotmail.com or leave a message at 550 - 9001.
beyond the wall
939 Massachusetts St.
785-843-3223
Open Mon.-Sat 1lam-8pm & Sun. 12-6pm
Sexy Beast 9:30 p.m.
Set on the Spanish Costa del Sol, Sexy Beast is the story of ex-con Gary "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone) who has served his time behind bars and is bisfussily retired to a Spanish villa paradise with his wife whom he adores. The idyllic retirement is upset by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last job.
Arts and Craft Tent September 20
Tents will be set up where students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of arts and crafts. Activities will include community mural and loom, tie-dye and much more.
student union activities The University of Kansas Level 4, Kansas Union 785-864-SHOW www.ku.edu/~sua
September 21
Tunes @ Noon: KEY
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Serendipity Free Sneak Preview 8:00 p.m. September 25
Vouchers available in the SUA Box Office on 9/25 starting at 8:30 a.m. Vouchers do not guarantee seating.
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