9/14    USA Today Headline: "Palestinian leaders try to repair image --
        Effort includes threats to the media"
        http://usatoday.com/usatonline/20010913/3627513s.htm
        \_ Why do Palestinians hate America so much?  What's wrong with them?
                \_ Israel has occupied Palestinian lands for decades. U.S. backs
                   Israel.
           \_ The united states was pretty key in forming israel and (as the
              poster below points out) supporting it with weapons and cash.
              poster below points out) supporting it weapons and cold cash.
              Additionally, US foreign policy in the middle east (dating back
              to the cold war and after WWII) has been extremely mercenary --
              we gave money and training to ANYONE willing to fight the
              soviets; even if the current groups was in opposition to one of
              groups we'd supported before.  The fact that we've been playing
              a pretty shifty game, coupled with the fact that their religious
              beliefs are in oppostion to those of the US....
                \_ the weapons the israelis use on palestinians
                   come from the united states.  we are also
                   israel's biggest trading partner.  many israeli
                   settlers living in well guarded compounds in the west
                   bank were united states citizens.
                   \_ Ah, like Uzis, Galils, Kfirs and Merkavas, not to forget
                      the Israeli nuclear program we actively sponsored.  You
                      are a bit off-base;  that hatred is the result of a
                      fairly uneducated and volatile population being taken
                      cynical advantage of by fanatical, resentful religious
                      groups.  -John
                \_ so we need to educate the population that the US
                   didn't give Israel gunships and missiles, but we sell them
                   to Israel, except Israel uses aid dollars we gave them?
                   I think saying we spend billions of dollars supporting
                   Israel is a valid point, no matter how much we educate
                   the Palestinians.  we need to educate Israel into treating
                   the Palestinian minority in a more humane way.
                      \_ more so we need moderate/peaceful muslim to educate
                         the fanatics/uninformed that US and the rest of the
                         world are not against muslim, but we are against
                         world is not against muslim, but we are against
                         terrorists.  Taliban is claiming that getting
                         to bin Laden equals to attack on musim, what kind
                         of f***** up logic is that?! But guess what, a lot of
                         muslim would belive the claim looking at all the
                         anti-arab activies/sentiment displayed.  Step back
                         and think about it before you run down to your
                         local mosque and help Taliban to solidify their claim.
                \_ There are plenty of reason why they hate us.  We installed
                   Shah in Iran (not exactly most humane regime on face of the
                   earth).  We support Iraq when it invaded Iran.  We shut
                   down Iran passener jet because we think it is an F-14.
                   Ultimately, I think our unconditional support for
                   Israel didn't really help neither.  What Israel has done
                   to Palestinians are identical to what we have done to
                   the native American: build nation upon the promise
                   land... by whiping out those who lived there for past
                   2000 years.  Those sucide bomber are nothing more than
                   an desperate and fruitless attempt to prevent such
                   demise from happening.
              soviets; even if the current group was in opposition to one of
              the groups we'd supported before.  The fact that we've been
              playing a pretty shifty game, coupled with the fact that their
              religious beliefs are in oppostion to those of the US....  --mice
              religious beliefs are in oppostion to those of the US....
           \_ the weapons the israelis use on palestinians
              come from the united states.  we are also
              israel's biggest trading partner.  many israeli
              settlers living in well guarded compounds in the west
              bank were united states citizens.
           \_ I find it extremely disturbing that the US gives more money
              in foreign aid to Israel than to any other country.
        \_ Even the Quaran acknowledges Jews have a right to be
           in Canaan.
                         of f*** up logic is that?! Step back and think about
                         it before you run down to your local mosque and
                         help Taliban to shore up their claim.
                         muslim would belive the claim.  Step back and think
                         about it before you run down to your local mosque and
                         help Taliban to solidify their claim.
                   \_ The thing I am against is the economic sanctions
                      and bombings against Iraq 12 years after a war that
                      lasted 1 year.  How many Kuwaitis and Nato soldiers
                      died in the invasion of Kuwait and defeat of the
                      Iraqi forces.  How many Iraqis civilians have died
                      as a result of the economic sanctions?  Seems like
                      the response is disproportionate to the crime.