Who Is The Real Terrorist?

Seeing the news break over the death of Osama I was left feeling somewhat empty. The man who engineered the September 11 Twin Towers atrocity has finally seen his life come to an end after being relentlessly hounded for ten years.

After seeing images of jubilant Americans celebrating the death of Osama, I couldn’t help but draw correlations to those of the Afghanistan and Middle Eastern people celebrating the loss of American life.

It is ok for the Western media and its people to celebrate the death of this terrorist who has taken countless innocent lives, yet it is not ok for those in the Middle East to celebrate the death of those associated with the American bureaucracy?

Don’t get me wrong, not for one moment do I think that Osama and his follower’s acts of terrorism are anything less than despicable forms of cowardice and violence against those who can’t defend themselves.

Having said that, how are America and her allies actions any different when they drop countless tonnes of ordinance from their fighter jets that result in civilian casualties?

That’s ok, that can be brushed off as collateral damage can’t it? Swept under the rug away from the Western world that is so preoccupied in the death and chaos caused by Osama that the “collateral damage” is almost acceptable.

Between 2001-2003, over 3,100 Afghanistan civilians were killed as a direct result of NATO bombing runs.  2,752 died in the attacks on the WTC.

Once again, I am not condoning Osama’s actions, yet we need to take off the blinkers and understand from the perspective of the Middle Eastern nations why there is so much hate and contempt for us Western countries.

No one can win this war on terror.

Not so long as America and her puppets continue to meddle in the affairs of these nations.

Not so long as there are evil men and women who wish to do harm to the weak and vulnerable.

The celebrations the American’s engaged in following Osama’s death were akin to those of the Afghan’s when American troops are killed. Think of the contempt you feel for the Afghani’s as they rejoice in the death of American soldiers. The way they gloat and yell and jeer for the end of American life. Now think how the American’s carried on, and how these images were broadcast world-wide. Now think what the terrorists are feeling having seen such delight in the faces of those they consider their enemy.

No one is right here.

There is not one condonable action in the 10 year window that this “war on terror” has spanned. From the gutless acts which resulted in the atrocities of 9/11, to the retaliation from the US of A in search of “weapons of mass destruction”.

My argument is that we as a Western country are quick to frown upon the celebratory acts of the Middle Eastern nations at the death of our soldiers, yet we quickly pick them up and engage in them when the situation suits. We are not as unalike from our perceived enemies as we may think, and each side sees validity and justification in their cause and action.

Terrorist acts are in the eye of the beholder, what the 9/11 tragedy is as a terrorist act to us, is the same as NATO air strikes on civilian neighbourhoods in Afghanistan. Don’t be so blasé and quick to judge the thoughts and responses of others before indulging in your own hedonistic activities.