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Sub-Topics Torture and Brutality Also Try Convicting the Innocent Helping Children Cope Homeland Security Islam Middle East Muslim Rage Muslims Against Terrorism Lesson Plans Countering Terrorism (PBS) Provides a lesson plan for high school students to help them assess different approaches to taming international terrorism. 11-01 In Search of Al Qaeda (PBS Frontline) Provides resources for teachers. 10-04 Third Way to Ending Terrorism (Commonway.org - Abdullah) Recommends a "third way" to end terrorism. The "third way" does not take either side of a conflictt but rather approaches the solution differently than either side. 12-01 Lists Conventions and Charters Against Terrorism (American Society of International Law) Provides over a dozen sources of international conventions and charters that oppose and define terrorism. 3-02 Counterterrorism (Google) Provides sources of information, mostly at the college level. 1-02 Muslims Against Terrorism (University of Georgia - Godlas) Provides statements from Muslim scholars and celebrities. 10-01 Terrorism Background and Threat Assessments (Federation of American Scientists) Provides sources of information related to acts of terrorism, threats of terrorism, documents opposing terrorism, and steps to counter terrorism. 3-02 Terrorism and War Articles (University at Buffalo) Provides sources of dozens of articles to provide insight into the foundations of terrorism, war, and revolution. 1-02 Terrorists Hijacked Islam (Independent - Yusuf Islam) Provides examples from the Koran that show that the September 11th terrorists "hijacked" Islam. Also called 911, 9-11, or 9/11. 10-01 Materials Afghanistan Battle Grounds Map (BBC News) Provides a map of Afghanistan with updated results on which group controls major cities. 11-01. Also spelled battlegrounds. News -01-09-07 House Passes Sweeping Anti-Terror Measure (CBS News) "Anti-terror legislation sailed through the House on Tuesday, the first in a string of measures designed to fulfill campaign promises made by Democrats last fall." 01-07 -06-28-07 "We're Not Going to Kill Our Way to Victory" (CBS News) "Support grows for uprooting terror havens rather than relying on firefights." "It is not uncommon for a battle-ready Army special forces team to rumble into a remote village and spend most of its time painting mosques, drilling wells and running medical clinics." " 'It's basically anything that doesn't involve combat operations against terrorists,' said Andrew Feickert, a national defense specialist at the Congressional Research Service in Washington. 'As Admiral Olson has said, we're not going to kill our way to victory.' " 06-07 -07-10-07 Registered Traveler Program Coming to Airports (Christian Science Monitor) "The registered traveler program, conceived after 9/11 as a way to speed frequent fliers through airports' long and unpredictable security lines, is finally gaining national momentum." "Though it isn't expected to be operational in enough airports to ease those jam-packed security lines for this peak flying season, it should help by next summer, when as many as 20 major airports are expected to have special security lanes for registered travelers." 07-07 -10-03-07 Nation Preparing for Three Large Terrorism Simulations (CBS News) "The nation is preparing for its biggest terrorism exercise ever next week when three fictional 'dirty bombs' go off and cripple transportation arteries in two major U.S. cities and Guam, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press." 10-07 -10-03-07 Study: U.S. Still Not Ready for Disasters (CBS News) "The report concluded that all 50 states as well as 75 major cities show continuing weaknesses — with the overwhelming majority still ill-equipped to handle a natural or man-made calamity, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr." 10-07 -10-16-07 Moderate Muslims Speak to Christians (Christian Science Monitor) "The open letter from 138 prominent Muslims – including imams, ayatollahs, grand muftis, sheikhs, and scholars – said 'the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians,' urgent language indicating a concern that tensions between the two faiths are in danger of spiraling out of control." "The Muslim signatories are authoritative, representing all major schools of Islamic thought, as well as influential at the grass-roots level, say scholars of Islam." "With its call for finding common ground in the foundational principles shared by the two faiths, the letter presents a significant counterweight to the voices of radical Islam on the global stage and is being heralded by Christian clergy and scholars as of historic import." 10-07 -11-19-06 Blair: Terrorism Can Only Be Defeated by Backing Moderate Policies (CNN News) "British Prime Minister Tony Blair said military force alone cannot defeat terrorism, acknowledging Sunday that solving the Mideast crisis was key to curbing violent extremism." "Blair and Musharraf formally signed a pledge to double a £480 million ($910 million) three-year aid package to fund moderate Islamic schools and other projects." 11-06 -12-19-05 Makers of Weapons of Mass Destruction Released in Iraq (MSNBC News) " 'The release was an American-Iraqi decision and in line with an Iraqi government ruling made in December 2004, but hasn’t been enforced until after the elections in an attempt to ease the political pressure in Iraq, said the lawyer, Badee Izzat Aref." "Among them were Rihab Taha, a British-educated biological weapons expert, who was known as 'Dr. Germ' for her role in making bio-weapons in the 1980s, and Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, known as 'Mrs. Anthrax,' a former top Baath Party official and biotech researcher, Aref said." 12-05 10-15-07 The Trouble With Terror Drills (Time.com) "But as we also learned from Katrina, which was preceded a year before by a comprehensive simulation dubbed Hurricane Pam, drills don't always translate into progress. If they're going to work, they have to be realistic — and therein lies the problem with TOPOFF. Guess who won't be invited to it? You and me, or many other average folks, for that matter. Sorry, the public and the media have never been allowed to fully participate in the nation's most elaborate counterterrorism drills. Which is sort of like holding a band practice without the drums, the bass or the sound system." 10-07 Institute: Terrorism a Symptom from Poverty, Disease, and Pollution (NationalGeographic.com) " 'Acts of terrorism like the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. are a worst-case symptom of global insecurity brought about by the festering interplay among poverty, infectious disease, and environmental degradation—the true "axis of evil,' according to the Worldwatch Institute in its State of the World 2005 report." "Global poverty can be cut in half by 2015 and eliminated by 2025 if the world’s richest countries including the United States, Japan and Germany more than double aid to the poorest countries, hundreds of development experts concluded in a report Monday." "Instead of tackling the social and environmental issues embraced by the MDGs and the WSSD targets, governments' global funding priority in recent years has been the world's militaries, which receive the equivalent of nearly a trillion U.S. dollars annually, according to the Worldwatch report." "By contrast, the MDGs could be achieved with additional funding of 50 billion dollars each year—money currently available in 'outdated, ineffective, or otherwise wasteful' military programs, according to the report." " 'Do we understand that by doing things like reducing poverty, improving water sufficiency, making sure arable land is not so totally exhausted that food security becomes a huge issue, we also address the stability and security of the world's nations?" Renner said. 'In Washington [D.C.], that's a very hard sell.' " 1-05 Papers -08-04-05 Eased Logging Rules Stopped by Judge in the Northwest (MSNBC News) "A federal judge struck down a move by the Bush administration to ease logging restrictions in the Northwest, saying the government failed to consider the effect on rare plants and animals." 8-05 -Defining Terrorism - You Decide (Christian Science Monitor - Jenkins) Provides three different definitions of terrorism and asks you to pick one. Then it asks you to decide if certain acts are acts of terrorism, based on the definition you chose. Example: "Powerful state-sponsored troops ravage insurgent resources to hasten the end of civil war. They burn their way through a swath of rebel territory, sparing only civilians and their homes." Is this an act of terrorism? 11-05 -Editorial - Global Terror, Local Wars (Christian Science Monitor - Grier and Bowers) "In 2003, there were 175 significant global terror events - only 1.5 percent of those casualties were US citizens." "Indeed, this struggle may not be global, or even best described as 'war,' at all. The main fronts might instead be seen as separate hot spots, each on its own time cycle, each roiled by its own clashes of power and religion, each perhaps better fought in different ways. 'The bottom line is they are not connected,' says Bruce Hoffman, a terror expert at the RAND Corp. in Washington." "Terrorism, after all, is not an ideology, such as communism. It is a technique - a tool that employs fear as a means of political coercion." 9-04 -Editorial - Terrorists Require the Partnership of Mass Media (Christian Science Monitor - Felling) "Troubling questions abound: Does terrorism exist without the media? Does coverage of terrorist acts empower or encourage the people behind them? If terrorism is directed more at the audience than at its victims, shouldn't television journalists stop giving terrorists the forum they covet?" "Certainly, television news covers terrorist attacks for the high-minded journalistic objective of informing viewers. But the zeal with which fear has been commoditized - from shark attacks to child kidnappings to the Washington sniper - is a product of TV executives realizing that frightened people put down the remote control and await news updates, ratcheting up ratings points. Unfortunately, this living-room fearmongering plays right into the hands of terrorists who are attempting to rattle every American, turning television news reporters into de facto publicists for terrorists." "Nearly 20 years ago, the eminent Washington reporter David Broder suggested that 'the essential ingredient of any effective antiterrorist policy must be the denial to the terrorist of access to mass media outlets.' He said this in a different era, before 24-hour news channels were in hot competition for Americans' attention. He's still right." "Amateur cooks learn quickly that pouring water on a grease fire only makes it worse. Broadcasters must realize that their coverage might be doing the same. Like cutting off the oxygen that sustains a flame, a few internal shifts in reporting policy would traumatize viewers less and could save lives." 9-04 -Editorial: Defining Terrorism (Christian Science Monitor - Jenkins) "What is terrorism? Consensus has been elusive. But now that the United States is officially at war with terrorism, definition is crucial." "The term has been applied promiscuously to all forms of violence. But to get beyond propaganda, terrorism must be defined according to the quality of the act itself, not the identity of the perpetrators or the nature of their cause. An act is not terrorism simply because one opposes the cause, or because someone labeled 'terrorist' carries it out. Nor is an act not terrorism because a cause is deemed noble. Ends do not justify means." "That said, what are the qualities of terrorism?" "What sets terrorism apart from other violence is this: terrorism consists of acts carried out in a dramatic way to attract publicity and create an atmosphere of alarm that goes far beyond the actual victims. Indeed, the identity of the victims is often secondary or irrelevant to the terrorists who aim their violence at the people watching. This distinction between actual victims and a target audience is the hallmark of terrorism and separates it from other modes of armed conflict. Terrorism is theater." 11-05 01-24-07 New Military Weapon: Ray Gun (MSNBC News) "The military's new weapon is a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they will catch fire." 01-07 09-28-03 Basic Strategies to Combat Terrorism (Defense and the National Interest - Hayden) Recommends eight actions to prepare for terrorism or fourth generation warfare. 9-03 11-21-03 Terrorist Groups Spreading (MSNBC News) "The recent attacks in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya and Iraq show that the smaller organizations, most of whose leaders were trained in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, have fanned out, imbued with radical ideology and the means to create or revitalize local terrorist groups. They also are expanding the horizons of groups that had focused on regional issues." 11-03 A Muslim View on Bombing Afghanistan (Chicago Tribune - Fesperman) Provides the views of Pakistani Muslim graduate students on bombing in Afghanistan and the USA's war on terrrorism. "The overriding emotion of the day was dismay with America's bombing campaign, and with the civilian toll it has taken in Afghanistan." One of the students summarized the meeting between American diplomats and the Pakistani students with saying, 'What has become apparent is this enormous communications gap between ordinary American citizens and ordinary Pakistani citizens.' Pakistan and the USA are allies in fighting terrorism. Editor's Note - Most Muslims in the Middle East get their news from al Jazeera. Al Jazeera has been reporting the Taliban statements on casualties, which, according to American officials, are false. 11-01 A Muslim View on Terrorism (MSNBC Newsweek) Provides a Pakistani Muslim view on terrorism. Includes results of a poll to determine Pakistani views on the relationship between Pakistan and the USA on fighting in Afghanistan. A majority of the Muslims were against the terrorist attacks against the USA. Their views on who was behind the attacks on the USA, however, is incredible for Americans. "Almost half of Pakistanis (48 percent) believe that Israel is behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Twelve percent blame bin Laden and 25 percent say 'some American group' is responsible for the assaults." There is clearly a huge gap in the Pakistani view of the world and the American view. Pakistan and the USA are allies in fighting terrorism. 10-01 Accused Americans and Alleged Ringleader Charged (CBS News) "Five American-born men of Yemeni descent accused of operating a terrorist cell linked to al Qaeda were arraigned Saturday and charged with providing material support to terrorists." "Their arrests followed the capture in Pakistan of Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged al Qaeda ringleader." 9-02 Afghanistan - Bush Asks Children for Help (Awesome Library) President Bush is asking children to contribute to prevent a disaster to the children of Afghanistan. 10-01 Al Qaeda - Origins and Links (BBC News) "The organisation grew out of the network of Arab volunteers who had gone to Afghanistan in the 1980s to fight under the banner of Islam against Soviet Communism." "During the anti-Soviet jihad Bin Laden and his fighters received American and Saudi Arabian funding. Some analysts believe Bin Laden himself had security training from the CIA." 12-03 Bush Developing a Policy of Striking First (Washington Post - Ricks and Loeb) "The Bush administration is developing a new strategic doctrine that moves away from the Cold War pillars of containment and deterrence toward a policy that supports preemptive attacks against terrorists and hostile states with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons." A first-strike military policy is a massive change over the policy of the past 50 years. 6-02 Bush Favors Long Term Solution (BBC News) Suggests that President Bush is planning to attack specific targets, while continuing to build support with other countries to solve the terrorist problem long term. Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, and Condolezza Rice are supporting this approach. The alternative approach, proposed by Paul Wolfowitz, is to fight terrorism alone with massive military strikes into several countries now. 9-01 Combating Terrorism (Congressional Record - Leahy) Provides Senator Leahy's strategy for combating international terrorism. "We must confront the entire superstructure of terrorism -- the states that knowingly provide terrorists with support and safe haven, the system of financial support, and sources of recruits, and the hatreds that spawn them." Senator Leahy warns that we need to avoid civilian casualties, be more clear on our long term military objectives, provide leadership in brokering peace in the Middle East, avoid supporting tyrannies in our quest for terrorists, increase foreign aid, avoid the loss of civil rights, and address other causes of hatred toward the United States. 11-01 Commissioners: U.S. at "Great Risk" (ABC News) "The U.S. is at great risk for more terrorist attacks because Congress and the White House have failed to enact several strong security measures, members of the former Sept. 11 commission said Sunday." 12-05 Converting al Qaeda Agents Into U.S. Agents in the U.S. (Time) Provides details on how the U.S. Department of Justice is converting al Qaeda supporters in the U.S. into agents for the U.S. government." 6-03 Countries Joining US Coalition Against Terrorism (TheStar.com) Provides a map, with comments, on countries joining the USA in its war against terrorism. 9-01 Court: President Cannot Detain U.S. Citizen as Enemy Combatant (CNN News) "The government never levied criminal charges against Padilla before President Bush declared in June 2002 that he represented a 'grave danger to the national security' of the nation, reclassifying him as an enemy combatant, and transferring him to military custody, where he has remained incommunicado." " 'As this court sits only a short distance from where the World Trade Center stood, we are as keenly aware as anyone of the threat al Qaeda poses to our country and of the responsibilities the president and law enforcement officials bear for protecting the nation,' the court said in its majority opinion." " 'But presidential authority does not exist in a vacuum, and this case involves not whether those responsibilities should be aggressively pursued, but whether the president is obligated, in the circumstances presented here, to share them with Congress,' it added." 12-03 Editorial - Applying Islamic Law to Osama bin Laden (MSN - Lithwick) Asks whether bin Laden would be found guilty if Islamic law were used to try his case. Concludes that if the Taliban used Islamic law (sharia), bin Laden would already be in custody, given evidence so far revealed. Concludes that the Taliban do not use Islamic law in their legal proceedings. 10-01 Editorial - Countering Terrorism from the Middle East (Awesome Library - Adams) Argues that two problems must be addressed in order for the USA to reduce the long term problem of terrorism from the Middle East. The primary two enablers for terrorism are nations harboring terrorists and nations fostering anti-American attitudes. In addition, two more problems, if handled well, could actually lead to a new era of cooperation and long term peace. The two problems are US foreign policies that hurt Muslim nations and conflicts between Fundamentalist Muslim values and Western values. Provides recommendations for each problem. 10-01 Editorial - Forming New Afghanistan Government Will Be Complex (Far Eastern Economic Review - Rashid) Describes the different groups involved with trying to form a government after the Taliban have fallen from power. 10-01 Editorial - Make Long Term Commitment to Afghanistan (Heritage Foundation - Phillips) Recommends that the USA support the development of a stable and safe government for Afghanistan as part of a long term effort to fight terrorism. 9-01 Editorial - Reasons for Terrorist Rage (Working for Change - Beiser) "President Bush didn't quite get it right when he said bin Laden's followers hate us because of our freedoms. They hate us because we are bringing our freedoms to them." 11-01 Editorial - U.S. Detainees Need to be Tried (Guardian Unlimited) Argues that the USA should follow international law in dealing with detainees captured during the conflict in Afghanistan. (The Guardian is a British newspaper.) 2-02 Editorial - Who Is Winning the War on Terrorism? (BBC News - Gardner) "If we were to look at this purely in terms of military gains the answer would be obvious. The US has swiftly toppled two governments it considered to be rogue regimes - first in Afghanistan, then in Iraq. The Pentagon's supremacy on the battlefield is unrivalled and unstoppable. Its troops are holding down a sort of peace in both countries." "However, terrorist attacks have not stopped and there is good reason for this, according to Gardner. "Victories on the battlefield or in the interrogation rooms are meaningless if terror networks can continue to recruit from a large wellspring of discontented youth." "And that is exactly what is happening. The wave of horror and sympathy for the victims that spread across much of the Arab and Muslim world after 11 September has long ago changed to something else." "America is seen as having capitalised on those attacks by trying to 'conquer' Muslim countries - Afghanistan and Iraq." "But there is also now a growing conviction that the Bush administration has acquired a taste for regime change and will not stop at Baghdad. Threats to Syria and Iran to change their policies only confirm that view." "Against this backdrop it is hardly surprising that the US - and its close ally Britain - are losing the battle for Arab and Muslim hearts and minds." 9-03 Editorial: Combating Terrorism (SynthesisDialogues.org - Thich Nhat Hanh) The root of terrorism should be identified so that it can be removed. The root of terrorism is misunderstanding, hatred and violence. This root cannot be located by the military. Bombs and missiles cannot reach it, let alone destroy it. Only with the practice of calming and looking deeply can our insight reveal and identify this root. 9-05 Essay - Combat Terrorism by Fostering Democracy (FutureNet.org - Korten) "If we are to have real security we must at once reduce our vulnerability to terrorist disruption and eliminate the conditions of exclusion, hopelessness, and loss of meaning that give rise to it." 3-02 Evidence Against Bin Laden (BBC News) Provides British (UK) conclusions about the involvement of Osama bin Laden, al-Queda, and the Taliban in terrorist acts, based on intelligence the British government has obtained. Also spelled al Quida and Taleban. 11-01 FBI Reorganized to Fight Terrorism (CNN) Reports on the reorganization of the FBI to fight terrorism. 5-02 Fighting Terrorism (New York Times - Annan) Provides a response to the September 11th attack against the USA from the Secretary-General of the United Nations. 12-01 Foreign Ministers Agree on Anti-Terrorism Stance (China Daily) Foreign ministers attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial Meeting agreed to work together to earnestly implement measures to fight terorism, with leadership from the United Nations. They agreed that the war is between civilization and barbarism, not a war between religions or ethnic groups. The ministers also agreed to work together to solve the problems associated with global terrorism. 10-01 Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ) States how prisoners of war must be treated and includes 143 articles. For example, "Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria." 1-02 Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War (University of Minnesota) Provides the rules, adopted by most countries, for treatment of prisoners of war. Killing, torturing, starving, injuring, mistreating, or failing to provide medical assistance for prisoners of war is a war crime. 11-01 Hidden War in Afghanistan (Guardian Unlimited - Burke) Describes the conflicting interests of different nations trying to influence the war in Afghanistan. Describes the chief intelligence agency of Pakistan, who trained and supported the Taliban, as still very loyal to the Taliban. Accuses the agency, the ISI, of continuing to support the Taliban by letting Taliban supporters through the border to Afghanistan and possibly hurting the efforts of the Northern Alliance to unite against the Taliban. This is the hidden war. 11-01 History of Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (U.S. Navy) Provides a short history of the area used for detaining persons considered by the U.S. government to be most dangerous among those captured in the conflict in Afghanistan. 2-02 History of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. Naval Station (U.S. Navy) Provides a detailed history up to 1964. 2-02 Homeland Security - Preparing for a Terrorist Attack (American Red Cross) Describes what we should do to prepare ourselves and our families for a terrorist attack. 2-03 Interpol (CBS News) "Its mission is to give operational support to police departments around the world, by exchanging intelligence, tracking fugitives, and providing language and legal assistance in fighting crimes that cross international borders. Its staff is made up of police officers on loan from 58 different countries." "It's not glamorous work, but last year Interpol played a role in 4,500 arrests, including a war criminal from the former Yugoslavia and an al Qaeda terrorist connected to the Madrid train bombing." 10-07 Interpol Agrees to Support USA Fight Against Terrorism (Guardian Unlimited) Describes the international policing organization's position of support. 9-01 Interview With Muslim Scholars Regarding September 11th (CBS - 60 Minutes) Provides a Muslim perspective on "Muslim" terrorism and the Wahhabi puritan form of Islam from Saudi Arabia. Also called 911, 9-11, or 9/11. 10-01 Islam versus Militants (News Straits Times - Noor) Provides a moderate Muslim view of militants who claim to represent Islamic scholarship and traditions. "The major problem we face today is the politicisation of religion and the abuse of the educational system for clearly political and ideological ends. But one redeeming factor has been the total failure of the more radical and extremist madrasahs to produce social change in any meaningful sense. The way is still open for us to revive and develop the tradition of Islamic learning in the Muslim world, within the Muslim intellectual tradition itself. All that is required is for us to return to the fundamentals of our faith and to revive the voices of rational thought and critical enquiry that we have silenced for so long." 6-02 Islam's Silent Majority Needs To Speak Up Now (Christian Science Monitor - Ford) Discusses the failure of the large majority of Muslims to speak out forcefully against extremism in Islam. Mattson states, "who has the greatest duty to stop violence committed by Muslims against innocent non-Muslims in the name of Islam?" "The answer, obviously is Muslims."11-01 Legal Basis for US Military Action in Afghanistan (Radio Netherlands - Kievit) Provides international legal statutes that apply to US involvement in Afghanistan. Provides the opinion that the US is entitled to bring terrorist network members, including Ossama bin Laden, to justic for trial. However, Kievit states that the USA may not go further than that legally. For example, he contends that President Bush's statement that bin Ladin is wanted "dead or alive" is not a legally defensible position. 10-01 Muslim Countries Against Terrorism (CNN - Jones) Describes the reactions of key Muslim countries to proposals by the USA to fight terrorism. 9-01 Muslim Misgivings About US Military Action in Afghanistan (Radio Netherlands - Kievit) Provides a Muslim perspective on American actions in the context of the past ten years. Many Muslims believe that the USA has become a supporter for "state terrorism" by Israel against Palestinians. They do not support bin Laden's actions, but they do agree that the USA has had very unfair policies. Editor's Note - Islam does not support the practice of separating "church and state." Therefore, an attack by Israelis against Palestinian Muslims is viewed by Muslims worldwide as an attack against Islam. The USA's support of the Israelis after attacks is therefore seen as support of attacks against Islam. 10-01 Muslim Rage (Awesome Library) Summarizes an article in The Atlantic, written by Dr. Bernard Lewis, about Fundamentalist Muslim rage. 10-01 Muslim Rage (Christian Science Monitor - Ford) There can be no justification for killing innocent civilians, such as on September 11th. However, it is important for the citizens of the USA to understand how people in the Middle East regard the United States as the USA works to fight terrorism globally. Provides personal stories of Muslim families in the Middle East affected by American foreign policies and military interventions. "Trying to root out terrorism without re-plowing the soil in which it grows - which means rethinking the policies that breed anti-American sentiment - is unlikely to succeed, say ordinary Middle Easterners and some of their leaders." ''There is only one way for America to be a friend of Islam,' says Ahmed. 'And that is if they consider our lives to be as precious as their own.' 10-01 Muslim Rage (Straits Times - Zakaria) "The Muslim Brotherhood and organisations like it tried to give people a sense of meaning and purpose in a changing world, something no leader in the Middle East tried to do. Fundamentalism gave Arabs who were dissatisfied with their lot a powerful language of opposition." "If there is one great cause of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, it is the total failure of political institutions in the Arab world." "The disproportionate feelings of grievance directed at America have to be placed in the overall context of the sense of humiliation, decline and despair that sweeps the Arab world. Arabs feel that they are under siege from the modern world and that the US symbolises this world." 10-01 Muslim Rage (The Atlantic - Lewis) A tiny percent of Muslims are terrorists, just as a tiny percent of Christians or Jews are terrorists. However, there is a growing number of Muslims, especially fundamentalists, that are very angry with the United States. Bernard Lewis, the Middle Eastern scholar, summarizes why so many Muslims, especially fundamentalists, are so intensely anti-American. Editor's Note - Dr. Lewis appeared on the Charlie Rose television show (10-18-01) and pointed out that vast numbers of Middle Eastern Muslims are also very pro-United States. He gave the example of the tens of thousands of Iranians who publicly demonstrated their grief, sorrow, and support for the United States because of the September 11th disaster--despite strong orders from the Iranian government not to do so. Also called 911, 9-11, or 9/11. 10-01 Muslim Rage and Democracy (National Endowment for Democracy and the Johns Hopkins University Press - Wright) Provides Robin Wright's analysis. 12-01 Muslim Rage and Europe (Oregonian - Friedman) Provides an essay arguing that it is the loss of dignity that has caused young middle-class men from the Middle East to turn to leaders who turn them from Islam to violence. 12-01 Muslim Responsibility for Countering Terrorism (TheAge.com - Makiya) Describes the true meaning of jihad and exhorts Muslims to stop the source of terrorism, persons who are trying to hide their own rage and criminal behavior under the cloak of religion. Argues that terrorists are to Muslims what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christianity. Also argues that Muslims and Arabians should stop trying to explain why they are so angry with Americans and, instead, focus their efforts on stopping terrorism committed under the name of Islam. 10-01 Muslims Against Terrorism (Islam for Today) Provides statements from Muslim scholars. 10-01 Muslims Against Terrorism - Singapore (Straits Times Asia - Osman) According to Osman, the supreme authority of Muslims in Singapore stated 'There is no war against Islam and the war is against terrorism affecting Muslims and non-Muslims.' 10-01 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism (Rand Corporation) Provides a national plan for combating terrorism in the United States. (Uses PDF format.) 9-01 Northern Alliance (CBC) Provides a profile of the Northern Alliance, the military group opposing the Taliban in Afghanistan. 10-01 Pentagon Hires Public Relations Firm (Guardian Unlimited - Day) Discusses the hiring of a public relations firm to help the Pentagon make its case to the world regarding counter-terrorism efforts. (The Guardian is a British newspaper.) 10-01 Prayer in Response to Terrorism (Christian Science Monitor) Provides the view that terrorism is countered most effectively by praying for our enemies. 3-02 Profiling - Nations Object to Profiling (Guardian Unlimited) Describes the complaints of 17 countries regarding discrimination against Arabians and others at security points at airports. 2-02 Role of Media in Terrorism (Guardian Unlimited) "Journalists must urgently debate whether their coverage of crises such as the hostage-taking in Iraq is driving terrorists to commit ever more outrageous atrocities, a top BBC executive said last night." Editor's Note: The Awesome Library does not cover hostage-taking activities because coverage is necessary for terrorists to "gain full value" from their hostage-taking. Further, the Awesome Library staff strongly encourage other media not to cover hostage-taking events. 9-04 Roots of Militant Extremism (BBC News - Symon) Extremists "blamed the western idea of the separation of religion and politics for the decline of Muslim societies." "This, they believed, could only be corrected through a return to Islam in its traditional form, in which society was governed by a strict code of Islamic law." "Al-Banna and Maudoudi breathed new life into the concept of jihad as a holy war to end the foreign occupation of Muslim lands." Editor's Note - Historians have described Muslim societies during the peak of the Ottoman Empire as very tolerant, in sharp contrast to the descriptions by the militants. 11-02 Roots of Rage (MSNBC.com - Dateline) Discusses how the USA became the target of rage from terrorists from the Middle East. 1-02 Roots of Terrorism (Raikhlin) Provides a sociological analysis at a college level. 1-02 Saudi Arabia and al Qaeda (Weekly Standard - Wurmser) Provides a history of the relationship between Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism, Osama bin Laden, and the al Qaeda terrorist network. 10-01 Sen. Graham Accuses Saudi Government of Involvement in 9-11 (MSNBC News) "In his new book, Graham claims the president coddled the Saudis and pursued a war against Saddam Hussein that only diverted resources from the more important fight against Al Qaeda. Graham was furious when the White House blacked out 28 pages of the inquiry's final report that dealt with purported Saudi links to the 9/11 plot." 9-04 Should Christians Convert Muslims? (Time - Biema) "Muslim critics accuse missionaries of lying about their identities and their faith to achieve their goals. And as the tensions between Islam and the West continue to boil, some familiar with the Middle East have begun asking whether the missionaries, who love Muslims but despise Islam, are the sort of nonappointed goodwill ambassadors the U.S. really needs in a region dense with the rhetoric of holy war. Says Charles Kimball, a Baptist minister who was director of the National Council of Churches' Middle East office in the 1980s: 'Sincerity isn't the issue, or commitment to one's faith. It is just that the region is at a pivotal and volatile juncture, and it is arguably not the time for groups coming in, like someone with a lighted match into a room full of explosives, wearing Jesus on their sleeves.' " 6-03 Steps Needed to Counter Terrorism in the USA (US State Department) Provides steps that the United States government needs to take to improve its ability to prevent terrorism. (The report was published in June of 2000.) 9-01 Tape of Bin Laden - Arabian Reaction (BBC News) Provides reactions from Arabians after seeing a videotape of Osama bin Laden stating that he had been involved in planning the September attack against the USA. 12-01 Tape of Bin Laden - Arabian Reaction (Time.com - MacLeod) Describes how a videotape of Osama bin Laden stating that he had been involved in planning the September attack against the USA, combined with the fall of the Taliban, will probably affect followers of bin Laden. 12-01 Terrorism Expert: Federal Authorities Undermine Trust? (CBS News) "The disconnect between security officials in New York and Washington over the alleged subway bomb plot is reminiscent of pre-Sept. 11 days and has left many people confused." " 'I think I would trust the mayor and the police commissioner,' Neil Livingstone, a security and terrorism expert from Washington, told The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith Friday morning." 10-05 Terrorism Glossary (TKB.org) Provides definitions of key words related to combating terrorism. 9-04 Terrorism Mentality Clashes With Small-Town Ways (MSNBC News) "Federal law will make county treasurer Paula Schneider do something that would be plain rude on the streets of this little town: treat friends as strangers." 8-05 Terrorism and the Peace Process in the Middle East (Time) Discusses the relationship between efforts to reduce international terrorism, lead by the USA, and the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. 11-01 Terrorist Attacks Update - International (TKB.org) "The MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base represents years of collaborative effort by many partners. Though we believe this to be the most extensive and user-friendly system of its kind, any resource spanning over 35 years of data will contain oversights and omissions." The MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base uses these definitions: "Terrorism: Terrorism is violence, or the threat of violence, calculated to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm. These acts are designed to coerce others into actions they would not otherwise undertake, or refrain from actions they desired to take. All terrorist acts are crimes. Many would also be violation of the rules of war if a state of war existed. This violence or threat of violence is generally directed against civilian targets. The motives of all terrorists are political, and terrorist actions are generally carried out in a way that will achieve maximum publicity. Unlike other criminal acts, terrorists often claim credit for their acts. Finally, terrorist acts are intended to produce effects beyond the immediate physical damage of the cause, having long-term psychological repercussions on a particular target audience. The fear created by terrorists may be intended to cause people to exaggerate the strengths of the terrorist and the importance of the cause, to provoke governmental overreaction, to discourage dissent, or simply to intimidate and thereby enforce compliance with their demands." "Terrorist Group: A collection of individuals belonging to an autonomous non-state or subnational revolutionary or anti-governmental movement who are dedicated to the use of violence to achieve their objectives. Such an entity is seen as having at least some structural and command and control apparatus that, no matter how loose or flexible, nonetheless provides an overall organizational framework and general strategic direction. This definition is meant to include contemporary religion-motivated and apocalyptic groups and other movements that seek theological justification or divine sanction for their acts of violence." 9-04 Treatment of Suspects (Amnesty International) Argues that suspects that have not been charged with crimes in the September 11th disaster should not be abused or lose basic human rights. Also called 911, 9-11, or 9/11. 10-01 U.S. and Afghanistan Priorities Different (Time.com - Karon) Describes differences between American priorities and Afghan priorities regarding the Taliban. The Americans want the Taliban leaders captured and the Afghans are willing to have the leaders change sides and go free, an Afghan tradition. 1-02 US Government's Relationship With Middle East Muslims (Washington Post - Morgan) "It is too late for a dialogue with terrorists and extremists who are cynically using religion to attack a straw man: 'Christian' America that is 'crusading' against Islam." "Even so, our security now depends on finding ways to show we are on the side of peaceable Muslims, even fundamentalists, who are using religious principles in a legitimate struggle for better societies." 10-01 United Nations Adopts Resolution Against Terrorism (Dawn.com) Provides key components of the resolution. 9-01 Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act (Quicken.com) Summarizes the benefits for those affected by terrorist attacks against the United States. 2-02 Wanted for Terrorism - Rewards Provided (U.S. Department of State) Offers up to 5 million dollars as a reward for "information that prevents, frustrates, or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. interests worldwide or leads to the arrest or conviction in any country of an individual for the commission of such an act." Provides pictures and descriptive information on twenty-two persons indicted on charges of terrorism. 11-01 Projects Communication With Children in Other Countries (Friendship Through Education) President Bush asks that each child in America find a Muslim child in the Middle East to communicate with to improve understanding between our two cultures. This is the program he recommends. 10-01

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