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Eric Morris: Do we know our enemy?

I have noted several articles suggesting people should never forget 9/11. I agree, but I think it is important that we should understand the motivations for that attack and similar ones.

If we don’t learn, then the victims may have truly died in vain. Osama bin Laden issued two fatwas declaring war on the United States in 1996 and 1998 for the U.S. keeping military bases in Saudi Arabia, continuing to bomb Iraq after the first Gulf War, and for U.S. support of Isreal’s actions against Palestinians.

The recent Manchester arena murderer’s sister claimed he did it as revenge for western bombing of Syria. ISIS claims the same reasons motivated the Brussels terrorists.



A surviving victim of the Orlando shooting stated the murderer wasn’t going to stop his attack until the U.S. stopped bombing his county (presumably Afghanistan). Professor Robert Pape has studied suicide terrorists and concludes most are mainly motivated by foreign occupation or bombing and not by religion, freedom or other factors.

Sun Tzu said know your enemy, otherwise for every victory you will suffer a defeat. Do we know our enemy?



Eric Morris

Indiana and Steamboat Springs property owner


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