Here's the problem. Bin Laden's following grew during the Gulf War because many of the Arab people were convinced that the US was only protecting the oil interests and did not care about them. The ruling faction of the Arab Republic has been despotic, autocratic and neglectful of it's people. Many are quite poor. Not everyone is a sheik. These people were iniated into a perversion of the Muslim religion because they thought it would help them. This is why there is a terrorist network in thirty countries headed by Bin Laden today.

When Bin Laden went to Afghanistan, he brought many Arab followers with him . Our culpability (lack of concern for many of the poor people in the so-called Third World) will have to be looked at if there is to be any cessation of this ungodly terror.

Trying to stop terrorism by bombing countries is like trying to smash a fly with a steamhammer.

The development of alternative energy sources being explored would have reduced our addiction for oil. This might have stopped the need for a Gulf War. This might have circumvented the problem of the alienation of the poor Arab community. How did Bush Sr. (the oilman from Odessa Texas) stand on the issue of protecting oil?

Frank