The War of Images - an essay by Lee Harris

[Dissident Heart]

Quote:I just don't know how we've ever used and abused the middle eastern countries. Chris,I suggest we consider these ten points when discussing the American abuses in the Middle East. Taken from, TEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT U.S. POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EASTby Stephen Zunes AlterNet Septeber 26, 2001from the book Another World Is Possibleedited by Jee Kim, Jeremy Glick, et alSubway and Elevated Press, 20011. THE UNITED STATES HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE MILITARIZATION OF THE REGION.2. THE US MAINTAINS AN ONGOING MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.3. THERE HAS BEEN AN ENORMOUS HUMANITARIAN TOLL RESULTING FROM US POLICY TOWARD IRAQ.4. THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT BEEN A FAIR MEDIATOR IN THE ISRAELI - PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.5. US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL OCCUPATION FORCES HAS CREATED ENORMOUS RESENTMENT THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST6. THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT IN ITS ENFORCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.7. THE UNITED STATES HAS SUPPORTED AUTOCRATIC REGIMES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.8. US POLICY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE RISE OF RADICAL ISLAMIC GOVERNMENTS AND MOVEMENTS.9. THE US PROMOTION OF A NEO-LIBERAL ECONOMIC MODEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAS NOT BENEFITED MOST PEOPLE OF THE REGION.10. THE US RESPONSE TO MIDDLE EASTERN TERRORISM HAS THUS FAR BEEN COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE.Each of these points are spelled out in further detail here . Edited by: Dissident Heart at: 7/9/04 3:56 pm