Dewi Fortuna responds<\/p>\n
I regret very much that my interview published in The Jakarta
\nPost on Sept. 14 concerning the terrorist attacks on the World
\nTrade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon has been misconstrued by some
\npeople as an endorsement of these heinous acts.<\/p>\n
Let met state clearly here that I have always been opposed to
\nviolence, especially acts that cause the loss of innocent lives,
\nwhether they are carried out by state or non-state actors.
\nTerrorism, whatever its motivation, cannot and should not be
\ntolerated.<\/p>\n
My response to the questions posed by the Post on why such
\nviolent attacks against the symbols of American economic and
\nmilitary power took place, was that these acts could have been
\nmotivated by feelings of grievances against the U.S.,
\nparticularly the U.S. policy in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
We know for a fact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
\nwhich has dragged on for nearly six decades, lies at the core of
\nmany terrorist threats and attacks against American interests
\nworldwide, as well as acting as the primary irritant in American
\nrelations with Islamic countries as a whole.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has always supported Israel, even when the latter has
\nattacked and killed innocent Palestinian lives, but quick to
\ncondemn if the violence is carried out by the Palestinians.
\nAmerican missiles and bombs have killed many innocent lives in
\nthe Middle East, in Sudan and in Afghanistan. All of these have
\ncreated many enemies for the United States, which may have
\nmotivated terrorist attacks against American interests.<\/p>\n
Unless the U.S. is willing to address these fundamental
\nproblems there is little chance that these forms of terrorism can
\nbe dealt with effectively. To point this out is not to be anti-
\nSemitic, as Ambassador Gelbard accused me of being, but to appeal
\nto reasoning that violence cannot simply be met with more
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
DEWI FORTUNA ANWAR<\/p>\n
Deputy for Social Sciences and Humanities<\/p>\n
Indonesian Institute of Sciences<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dewi-fortuna-responds-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }