andresG
23rd August 2002, 21:17
Reverend Dr. Robert M. Bowman is an American who has managed to wake up and see what is truly happening. He is a rare mix of religious leader, conservative, military leader, scientist and now a dissident.
He is presently the Archbishop and president of the "United Catholic Church". In 1978 his 22 year old career, in the Air Force flying 101 combat missions over Vietnam, ended. He was also director of an advanced special program of the Air Force that controlled a budget of more than 500 million dollars, including the "Star Wars" program, when it was still a secret. A retired Colonel and university professor, his diplomas, medals and honorable mentions do not fit anywhere. In 1990 he presented himself as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States and defeated Pat Buchanan in Iowa, Illinois and California before retiring from his campaign.
This is a open letter written by Dr. Robert M. Bowman that has been circulating the internet. I almost fell off my chair when I read his article.
Will the Real Terrorists Please Stand Up?
The "Security" Charade
by Robert Bowman
If deceptions about terrorism go unchallenged, then the threat will continue until it destroys us.
The truth is that none of our thousands of nuclear weapons can protect us from these threats. No
Star Wars system no matter how technically advanced, no matter how many trillions of dollars are
poured into it can protect us from a nuclear weapon delivered in a sailboat or a Cessna or a
suitcase or a Ryder rental truck. Not one weapon in our vast arsenal, not a penny of the $270
billion a year we spend on so- called defense can defend against a terrorist bomb. That is a
military fact.
As a retired lieutenant colonel and a frequent lecturer on national security issues, I have often
quoted Psalm 33: "A king is not saved by his mighty army. A warrior is not saved by his great
strength." The obvious reaction is, "Then what can we do? Is there nothing we can do to provide
security for our people?"
There is. But to understand it requires that we know the truth about the threat. President Clinton
did not tell the American people the truth about why we are the targets of terrorism when he
explained why we bombed Afghanistan and Sudan. He said that we are a target because we stand for
democracy, freedom, and human rights in the world. Nonsense!
We are the target of terrorists because, in much of the world, our government stands for
dictatorship, bondage, and human exploitation. We are the target of terrorists because we are
hated. And we are hated because our government has done hateful things.
In how many countries have agents of our government deposed popularly elected leaders and replaced
them with puppet military dictators who were willing to sell out their own people to American
multinational corporations?
We did it in Iran when the US Marines and the CIA deposed Mossadegh because he wanted to
nationalize the oil industry. We replaced him with the Shah and armed, trained, and paid his hated
Savak National Guard, which enslaved and brutalized the people of Iran all to protect the financial
interests of our oil companies. Is it any wonder that there are people in Iran who hate us?
We did it in Chile. We did it in Vietnam. More recently, we tried to do it in Iraq.
And, of course, how many times have we done it in Nicaragua and all the other banana republics of
Latin America? Time after time we have ousted popular leaders who wanted the riches of the land to
be shared by the people who worked it. We replaced them with murderous tyrants who would sell out
their own people so the wealth of the land could be taken out by the likes of Domino Sugar,
Folgers, and Chiquita Banana.
In country after country, our government has thwarted democracy, stifled freedom, and trampled
human rights. That's why it is hated around the world. And that's why we're the target of
terrorists.
People in Canada enjoy democracy, freedom, and human rights. So do the people of Norway and Sweden.
Have you heard of Canadian embassies being bombed? Or Norwegian, or Swedish?
We are not hated because we practice democracy, value freedom, or uphold human rights. We are hated
because our government denies these things to people in Third World countries whose resources are
coveted by our multinational corporations. That hatred we have sown has come back to haunt us in
the form of terrorism and in the future, nuclear terrorism.
Once the truth about why the threat exists is understood, the solution becomes obvious. We must
change our ways. Getting rid of our nuclear weapons unilaterally if necessary will enhance our
security. Drastically altering our foreign policy will ensure it.
Instead of sending our sons and daughters around the world to kill Arabs so we can have the oil
under their sand, we should send them to rebuild their infrastructure, supply clean water, and feed
starving children. Instead of continuing to kill hundreds of Iraqi children every day with our
sanctions, we should help Iraqis rebuild their electric power plants, their water treatment
facilities, their hospitals all the things we have destroyed and prevented them from rebuilding.
Instead of training terrorists and death squads, we should close the School of the Americas.
Instead of supporting insurrection, destabilization, assassination, and terror around the world, we
should abolish the CIA and give the money to relief agencies.
In short, we should do good instead of evil. Who would try to stop us? Who would hate us? Who would
want to bomb us? That is the truth the American people need to hear.
(Edited by andresG at 9:27 pm on Aug. 23, 2002)
He is presently the Archbishop and president of the "United Catholic Church". In 1978 his 22 year old career, in the Air Force flying 101 combat missions over Vietnam, ended. He was also director of an advanced special program of the Air Force that controlled a budget of more than 500 million dollars, including the "Star Wars" program, when it was still a secret. A retired Colonel and university professor, his diplomas, medals and honorable mentions do not fit anywhere. In 1990 he presented himself as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States and defeated Pat Buchanan in Iowa, Illinois and California before retiring from his campaign.
This is a open letter written by Dr. Robert M. Bowman that has been circulating the internet. I almost fell off my chair when I read his article.
Will the Real Terrorists Please Stand Up?
The "Security" Charade
by Robert Bowman
If deceptions about terrorism go unchallenged, then the threat will continue until it destroys us.
The truth is that none of our thousands of nuclear weapons can protect us from these threats. No
Star Wars system no matter how technically advanced, no matter how many trillions of dollars are
poured into it can protect us from a nuclear weapon delivered in a sailboat or a Cessna or a
suitcase or a Ryder rental truck. Not one weapon in our vast arsenal, not a penny of the $270
billion a year we spend on so- called defense can defend against a terrorist bomb. That is a
military fact.
As a retired lieutenant colonel and a frequent lecturer on national security issues, I have often
quoted Psalm 33: "A king is not saved by his mighty army. A warrior is not saved by his great
strength." The obvious reaction is, "Then what can we do? Is there nothing we can do to provide
security for our people?"
There is. But to understand it requires that we know the truth about the threat. President Clinton
did not tell the American people the truth about why we are the targets of terrorism when he
explained why we bombed Afghanistan and Sudan. He said that we are a target because we stand for
democracy, freedom, and human rights in the world. Nonsense!
We are the target of terrorists because, in much of the world, our government stands for
dictatorship, bondage, and human exploitation. We are the target of terrorists because we are
hated. And we are hated because our government has done hateful things.
In how many countries have agents of our government deposed popularly elected leaders and replaced
them with puppet military dictators who were willing to sell out their own people to American
multinational corporations?
We did it in Iran when the US Marines and the CIA deposed Mossadegh because he wanted to
nationalize the oil industry. We replaced him with the Shah and armed, trained, and paid his hated
Savak National Guard, which enslaved and brutalized the people of Iran all to protect the financial
interests of our oil companies. Is it any wonder that there are people in Iran who hate us?
We did it in Chile. We did it in Vietnam. More recently, we tried to do it in Iraq.
And, of course, how many times have we done it in Nicaragua and all the other banana republics of
Latin America? Time after time we have ousted popular leaders who wanted the riches of the land to
be shared by the people who worked it. We replaced them with murderous tyrants who would sell out
their own people so the wealth of the land could be taken out by the likes of Domino Sugar,
Folgers, and Chiquita Banana.
In country after country, our government has thwarted democracy, stifled freedom, and trampled
human rights. That's why it is hated around the world. And that's why we're the target of
terrorists.
People in Canada enjoy democracy, freedom, and human rights. So do the people of Norway and Sweden.
Have you heard of Canadian embassies being bombed? Or Norwegian, or Swedish?
We are not hated because we practice democracy, value freedom, or uphold human rights. We are hated
because our government denies these things to people in Third World countries whose resources are
coveted by our multinational corporations. That hatred we have sown has come back to haunt us in
the form of terrorism and in the future, nuclear terrorism.
Once the truth about why the threat exists is understood, the solution becomes obvious. We must
change our ways. Getting rid of our nuclear weapons unilaterally if necessary will enhance our
security. Drastically altering our foreign policy will ensure it.
Instead of sending our sons and daughters around the world to kill Arabs so we can have the oil
under their sand, we should send them to rebuild their infrastructure, supply clean water, and feed
starving children. Instead of continuing to kill hundreds of Iraqi children every day with our
sanctions, we should help Iraqis rebuild their electric power plants, their water treatment
facilities, their hospitals all the things we have destroyed and prevented them from rebuilding.
Instead of training terrorists and death squads, we should close the School of the Americas.
Instead of supporting insurrection, destabilization, assassination, and terror around the world, we
should abolish the CIA and give the money to relief agencies.
In short, we should do good instead of evil. Who would try to stop us? Who would hate us? Who would
want to bomb us? That is the truth the American people need to hear.
(Edited by andresG at 9:27 pm on Aug. 23, 2002)