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Posted September 19, 2001
Subconscious Colors
Any response that does not start with compassion for the innocent lives snuffed out for a political statement shows your subconscious colors. You are animals below consideration by the human race. I will do everything in my power to come after organizations like yours that support terrorism.
The "Backtalk" editor replies:
We've received many emails like this during the past week. None of them quote a single sentence or phrase in support of terrorism, from the offending column or columns. This isn't surprising, since there isn't a single sentence in support of terrorism in any of the dozens of columns on this subject published by Antiwar.com.
What the Whole World Knows
I
am a regular reader of [Nebojsa
Malic's] articles about the Balkans and especially
Kosova. It is very obvious that you are a Serbian and
you'll represent Serbian interest in your writing.
I
don't doubt that you are a smart person with a lot of
abilities, but also I don't doubt that you are blinded
by Serbian nationalism. Some of my best friends at school
were Serbs. For a long time they praised Milosevic as
the best leader Serbia has ever had, they constantly supported
his ruthlessness. ...When Milosevic was handed over to
Hague by his people they immediately said that Milosevic
was a bad man and a traitor.
Dear Mr. Malic, I think you're just wasting your time
with your articles. The whole world knows that the corrupted
and criminal state of Milosevic was responsible for all
wars in former Yugoslavia. Everybody knows that Serbian
military is responsible for genocide in Croatia, Bosnia
and recently in Kosova. The whole world supported the
NATO war against Serbia and Milosevic in 1999.
In your articles you always try to portray KLA as an terrorist
organization. You know very well that KLA nowadays is
the official defense force of Kosova. KLA is actually
supported and funded by United Nations. Again, the whole
world chose the KLA to protect Kosova instead of the ruthless
and criminal Serbian army. If you still think that Serbian
army and Milosevic were right then don't spend your time
in a capitalist country like the USA, but go back home
to Serbia and join those handful people who want Milosevic
back to power. I am happy that the majority of Serbs decided
to hand over Milosevic and restart living a different
life.
I wish you the best and above all I hope you understand
what the whole world knows.
Nebojsa Malic replies:
I
thank Mr. Shqarri for his kind wishes. But I am somewhat
perplexed by his opinion. I have never written a thing
about "Kosova," nor have I ever mentioned any
"genocides" in Croatia or Bosnia. What I have
done, repeatedly, is prove that not "everyone"
and certainly not "the whole world" is willing
to subscribe to puerile fantasies espoused by the KLA
and its supporters.
Wishing for something loudly and often enough, whether the wisher is the KLA, NATO, or even the US, does not make it true. I thank Mr. Shqarri for not mincing words and saying outright what many have been saying for years – the KLA is on the UN payroll, and in the service of US/NATO interests in the Balkans, despite the fact that Americans have repeatedly called it a "clearly terrorist organization." Given that the US is now gearing up for war against all sorts of terrorists, and that the KLA might be one of its targets in the near future, I hope Mr. Shqarri will have the sense to realize who exactly is being blinded here, and how fickle the opinions of the "whole world" really are when it really matters.
Innocent People
I am writing to you because I am greatly concerned about the recent events in New York and DC. It seems to me that much of the American population is jumping to conclusions about yesterday's events. I read that President Bush was quoted as saying something to the effect of "we will make no distinction between the terrorists and those who harbored them." I am 20 years old, and as I'm sure you know should there be a draft I will be one of the first to be forced into war. I'd like to say that I have more of a political agenda, that I don't agree with attacking an entire country just because a terrorist group happens to be based there (which is true). But to be totally honest, the main issue for me is fear. I'm afraid there will be a draft, and I'm afraid I'll be forced to go to war, and I'm afraid, basically, that I could lose my life. I write this to you because Antiwar.com is the first thing that came up in a search engine and seems the most likely place that someone will understand what I feel.
The media and politicians have announced these events as acts of war, yet all the suspects so far are terrorists. I don't know how you can justify going to war with an entire country based on the actions of a minority of their population. Whatever does happen, I can't go to war. I have too much to lose, and on top of that I had a good friend that was killed in the military (US Cole bombing). It seems obvious to me that it's time for the US to find out why we are the target of such horrifying terrorism and sort it out like civilized people. I'm no expert, and maybe the people who support us going to war are right – but I'm not willing to risk my life for them.
The Swiss
While I agree that we should not panic I do not agree that we should withdraw from the world "as the Swiss do."
A better mechanism for encouraging change and compromise would benefit us more than putting our heads in the sand and minding our own business. The world is our business, we all live here.
Should people be suffering in East Timor or Iraq or Ethiopia/Eritrea and we just stand by and let it happen if we can do something? I don't think so. Taking more responsibility for all the people of this planet and all the nations of the world would be a better stance.
The "Backtalk" editor replies:
Antiwar.com has never suggested that Americans should be barred from helping people in other countries.
Blowback
A great many people apparently have recently discovered that it is "obvious" that American support of proxy guerrillas during the Cold War was a bad thing, including the astonishing claim on your website that the CIA "created" Osama bin Laden, as if you know how he would have turned out in the absence of American support.
The "Backtalk" editor replies:
It does seem obvious to many people that funding the "Afghan Arabs" was a bad thing. Maybe you missed it the first time: people that the government funded, armed and trained are suspected of having organized the deadliest terrorist attack in world history.
MSNBC's international editor, Michael Moran, described the CIA as bin Laden's "creator" in his article "Bin Laden Comes Home to Roost," which Antiwar.com linked to. It is true that we don't know what bin Laden would have become (an astronaut, a dead terrorist, a golfer, an even more dangerous terrorist?) if the United States Government hadn't funded the Afghan Arabs.
Cowards
These cowards do not think like we do and we can't blame ourselves and look for reasons why. Our actions must be a loud and unmistakable warning to all other potential terrorists or we must be prepared for future terrorist attacks.
The "Backtalk" editor replies:
Antiwar.com opposed US interventionism – bombing and sanctioning Iraq, funding Israel's military, basing troops in Saudi Arabia, etc. – before last week's terrorist attack and will continue to do so because it makes moral and strategic sense.