Love/Hate

I wonder how many people know that today, on the 10th anniversary, the Taliban have issued another statement denying any involvement in the attacks of 9-11. Of course this was not reported in the mainstream media, they were far too busy soaking up the theatrical grief-fest that was being disseminated by those who bore true responsibility for what happened on that day. BUT JUST THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT: Those of us who can remember the IRA attacks on the UK will remember that the perpetrators lost no time in claiming responsibility after a bomb had gone off somewhere or a soldier, policeman or government official had been assassinated. Indeed this is the very nature of terrorism: such attacks are designed to have a specific effect; to achieve ‘the oxygen of publicity’, and to show a powerful oppressor that they are not invincible, and that they can be hit at any time; to instil a sense of vulnerability within the civilian population and in doing so to and strike a blow at public moral and thereby to undermine the military potency of the enemy.

Now if the attacks of 9-11 had truly been perpetrated so successfully (and in such an incredibly propitious way) against the most powerful nation on the face of the planet by a few militants based in a cave in the wilds of Afghanistan, then surely this would be a huge triumph, something to shout about and broadcast around the world - a massive publicity coup and a victory that they would still be proud to claim responsibility for today, even after all these years. Indeed, these so-called Islamic terrorists would surely be proclaiming this victory against the ‘Great Satan’ as evidence of some sort of divine providence, a vindication of their cause willed by Allah himself. Instead they have just issued another denial of any knowledge or involvement. 10 years later, after their country has been utterly violated by US and UK troops, and when you would expect them to be proclaiming their victory against the aggressor ever more passionately, they are still denying all responsibility for these attacks, whilst quietly, bravely (and rather successfully) rebutting this unwarranted military aggression.