HELEN THOMAS: “WHAT IS THE CORE REASONS THEY WANT TO BLOW US UP?”

By


Joseph Chez

Ever since the attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253, the media and our government has been consumed with what is perceived as a systemic security failure. Consequently, reactionary measures are being put in place in hopes of keeping the country safe. But will we be safer with beefing up security without considering the cause and affect of what fuels terrorism?

On January 5, 2010 at a White House news briefing, the dean of the White House Press Corps and columnist for the Hearst Newspapers, Helen Thomas, asked Press Secy. Robert Gibbs the most profound, yet simple question to date concerning the attempted terrorist attack- and so she asked: “what is the core reasons they want to blow us up?” Not surprised, Press Secy. Gibbs responded consistent with our national denial and did not adequately answer Helen’s question. Here’s what he did say:

MR. GIBBS: I don't know that I'm the best person to speak for some of their actions.

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, again, I think that for whatever awful and murderous reason that people seek to get on planes and do innocent people throughout the world harm, I can't speak to the type of deranged mentality that leads somebody to do that.

Immediately after the White House news briefing that day, I contacted Helen and thanked her for having the determination to ask questions which are not being asked by the rest of the media, and questions which are not being addressed by this administration. Helen responded that it was important to get the administration on record that if they do know or acknowledge the cause of the new hatred against us, that it was important that we know what the authorities do know.

On January 7, 2010, during a White House Briefing by Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Brennan, and Press Secretary Gibbs, Helen once again asked:



HELEN: … what is really lacking always for us is you don't give the motivation of why they want to do us harm.

MR. BRENNAN: Al Qaeda is an organization that is dedicated to murder and wanton slaughter of innocents. What they have done over the past decade and a half, two decades, is to attract individuals like Mr. Abdulmutallab and use them for these types of attacks. He was motivated by a sense of religious sort of drive. Unfortunately, al Qaeda has perverted Islam, and has corrupted the concept of Islam, so that he's able to attract these individuals. But al Qaeda has the agenda of destruction and death.

HELEN: And you're saying it's because of religion?

MR. BRENNAN: I'm saying it's because of an al Qaeda organization that uses the banner of religion in a very perverse and corrupt way.

HELEN: Why?

MR. BRENNAN: I think this is a -- this is a long issue, but al Qaeda is just determined to carry out attacks here against the homeland.

HELEN: But you haven’t explained why.



Of course, as in litigation, a lawyer should not ask a question for which he/she does not know the answer. In like circumstances, a news reporter should ask questions for which there is still no answer. Thus, Helen, the renowned journalist that she is, continues to ask “why” we are being targeted by terrorist.

As a young man, while in college, I worked for the USFS as a member of a hot-shot fire crew, and the most basic of fire science taught me that in fighting fire, one must get to the source of the fire - first and foremost. Simply throwing water at the flames is meaningless and does nothing to abate the fire. Therefore, in extinguishing a fire, one must first take out the source of the fire and second, whatever fuels the fire. Likewise, tackling the issue of terrorism, our national leaders must not only know the source of terrorism but must also tackle what fuels terrorism. Simply reacting with surprise, finger pointing and instituting tougher security measures does not address the issue of why such individuals are so willing to give up their lives in order to get to us. Can we really stop them? Not really. For example, while our government is focusing on tightening airport security, thousands of Iranians, Somalis, Iraqis, et al, are skipping the airports and are simply walking up to our border crossings and asking for asylum. After a short detention, they are simply let out – on their own recognizance- and are given a date for an immigration hearing (if they ever show up of course). Does anybody see a failure to connect dots………?

And so I agree with Helen Thomas, that it is imperative that the core reasons for “why” they want to harm us be considered and answered by our government leaders. For if we deliberately disavow our uneven-handedness in the Israeli/Palestinian issue or our hostile involvement in the various, overt and clandestine wars in the Middle East, then, we are fooling ourselves and adding fuel to the fire which may consume us. Conversely, if we truly wish to be safe from terror, we must therefore resolve the issues which fuel the hatred towards our country.

ANY NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST MR. PRESIDENT?

Last night, President Obama held his first national news conference and he was very eloquent and confident. However, despite a prevailing spirit of change in this new administration, he failed to answer the question posed by the "first lady of the press", White House correspondent, Helen Thomas. She asked, Mr. President, "do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons?" Of course, it's been the policy of the United States government not to confirm or deny any fact of existing nuclear weapons dead center in the Middle East. Consequently, President Obama skirted Helen's question and stated that "he did not want to speculate". So he said, " what I know is this, if we see a nuclear arm's race in a region as volatile as the Middle East, every one will be in danger...". But Mr. President, we do understand the sensitivity of the issue and the nuance of diplomacy. What we do not understand, is that your omission of the facts or not answering the questions about existing nuclear weapons in the Middle East does nothing to change the status quo in the Middle East. Why should known facts of our involvement in such issue continue to be shrouded in mystery or a cover-up? After all, our country is knee-deep in the middle of the issue.

Helen's question was of course designed to call into question why our government remains adamantly protective of one state in the Middle East which has a huge existing arsenal of nuclear weapons - which should be of concern to the entire world. Her question perhaps, was also meant to debunk the hyper scrutiny of Iran's infant nuclear research and development.

The fact is, the state of Israel is a major nuclear power rivaling perhaps known major nuclear countries such as France or England. Regrettably however, the United States has long been protective of Israel unjustifiably, but has also been bias when there is any attempt to enforce any United Nations inquiry or resolution against Israel.

Notwithstanding, I am sure Helen knew the answer to her question; that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons - enough to pulverize the entire Middle East. In fact, its territory is dotted with nuclear research or assembly facilities. For example, in the north west part of Israel, the Rafael and Yodefat facilities assemble missile ballistic systems that carry nuclear weapons. In Eilabum, also in the north east of Israel, this is where you find Israel's second largest nuclear facility. This is where all of the tactical nuclear shells and land mines are kept. To the south east of Israel, we find Israel's main nuclear depot, at Dimona. At this facility, the largest facility in Israel, most nuclear weapons are assembled and stored. Therfore, it should be known that Israel has for the last 30 years been producing no less than 40 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium per year. Keeping in mind that it only takes about 4 kilograms to make a weapons-grade nuclear bomb. So you do the math and get an idea of how many plutonium base nuclear bombs Israel has. Additionally, Israel also has up to 100 lithium-6 deuterium base thermal-nuclear bombs.

Currently however, there is much concern in the intelligence community because Israel is closely working with India in an attempt to obtain India's new tritium technology in order to develop more sophisticated and more efficient nuclear weapons. So this may explain why there was a terrorist attack in Mumbai India by an alleged Pakistani group. Mmmmm? An arms race in that region, with Israel, India, Pakistan and the U.S. as the major players?!

Yet Mr. President, it is time that we take off the cloak of deception and let the people know the facts about Israel's monstrous arsenal of nuclear weapons. It is time Mr. President that our government let its people know that each nuclear facility in Israel is defended by American defense missile systems. It is time that we own-up to the fact that our government skirts international convention by conducting illegal research and development of more sophisticated nuclear weapons in Israeli facilities.

As far as Iran being a nuclear concern, yes it is. Although, their technology is simply infant and diminimus. Their recent rocket carrying a satellite into orbit, well, in reality, it is equivalent to when the Russians sent their Sputnik satellite into orbit in 1957 - still rather crude and does not pose an immediate threat. However, within 5-10 years, there will be enough nuclear weapons in the Middle East to pose a mutual assured destruction- with our help. So this is where you come in Mr. President; under your government of change, we must change the course of history by not allowing anybody in the middle east, including Israel, to bring about a foreseeable Armageddon.
Helen, I hope the above answers part of your question......

Joseph Chez