The roots of 9/11

[mmonk]

What is the general cause that produced 9/11?

[dkf]

1. We were desecrating the holy land of Saudi Arabia.

[mmonk]

2. That was one of the reasons bin Laden gave.

I tend to look at him as an radical opportunist who among other things, hated the Saudi royal family.

[dkf]

3. He wanted us outta there. I do believe that was his primary objective.

And we left.

The question is if that was done for religion or another purpose, like to remove the royal family from power. Seeing as how he didn't do that I'm guessing he was truly offended at our infidel presence.

[mmonk]

4. I remember the attack on Aramco and the subsequent Saudi crackdown.

I find it ironic that he got his wish when the US pulled its command center out of Saudi Arabia to the ul-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

[dkf]

5. Exactly. Personally I think the war in Iraq was partly done to hide the fact that we were doing so.

We could not be seen to be acquiescing to his demands yet our presence put pressure on the Saudi royals. So under cover of Iraq we left.

[Junkdrawer]

6. The collapse of Communism begged an answer to the whole question....

of why we need to have military bases around the world and a bloated military budget. Demands for a "Peace Dividend" were becoming harder to ignore.

[Swamp Rat]

7. MIC, oil contracts, and keeping the U.S. dollar as oil transaction currency

[H2O Man]

8. The Pakistani

intelligence officers who are involved with those who carried out the 9/11 attacks were aware that the Bush administration was intent upon invading a Middle East nation. 9/11 was a preemptive strike.

[mmonk]

9. That is my assessment as well.

Especially when the Bush administration's ultimatums were made clear to those involved.

[chimpymustgo]

11. So H2O, you're LIHOP?

[mmonk]

13. I cannot speak for H20 Man, but the Pakistani ISI

and their operatives in Afghanistan knew war was coming and launched a preemptive strike (9/11).

[chimpymustgo]

17. Carpet or bombs or carpet of gold (pipeline)?

[H2O Man]

19. I do not think

that my post suggests that.

[burnsei sensei]

10. I'd take it all the way back to the 1880s at least.

We should never, ever have been engaged in the region, even if they did have oil.
Instead of forcing inhabitants of the region to drill and process it themselves, we sent people there to drill it for them.
Instead of encouraging completely nationalized oil industries that would give the region some integrity, we invested, profiteered and exploited.
Western engagement in the East has always ended in disaster.
It did even hundreds of years before Christ.
We have been playing with fire and we deserve whatever the hell we get for it.

[ixion]

12. Other... Pax Americana, and the need for a 'Pearl Harbor' moment

...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. +1!

[McCamy Taylor]

14. GOP shit on Palestinian peace process in order to poke a stick at Muslim radicals.

Bin Laden is the RNC's best asset. He was always there when Bush needed him. I can not believe that any sane Muslim would take him seriouly.

For the Saudis, Bin Laden is a way to redirect energy that might go towards a workers' revolution in their country. Hard line Sunnis preach that a monarchy is the best way to honor and protect Allah. Very self serving---for the rich as sin Saud Family. Just wait until their faux revolution becomes a real revolution and bites them on their lily white butts.

[HopeHoops]

16. Florida didn't just fuck up the 2000 and 2004 elections, they fucked up training the pilots.

Their real target was the Sears Tower.

[IndianaGreen]

18. OTHER: US policy in the Middle East!

It's the Occupation, stupid!