Western leaders in general have been in a state of denial as to the real cause behind the acts of terrorism Muslim extremists have carried out in New York, Madrid, Istanbul and now in London. A question repeatedly asked by Americans in the aftermath of the 9/11 atrocity was, 'Why do they hate us?' Given the power of the Zionist lobby in the US media and politics, no one has been courageous enough to come up with an honest answer.
Instead there has been a deliberate attempt to confuse the real issue - which is political rather than religious - to malign Islam and its followers. Consequently, Bush administration's policy has been to curb the civil liberties of ordinarily law abiding citizens, in the name of security, through the draconian Patriotic Act, and to profile all Muslims as potential terrorists. For the first time last Saturday British Prime Minister Tony Blair put the issue in its right perspective.
In a BBC radio interview aired on Saturday he said that "with this type of terrorism the solution cannot only be the security measures...Ultimately, although we have to take the measures necessary, the underlying issues have to be dealt with, too, in terms of trying to get rid of this dreadful perversion of true faith of Islam".
He identified the underlying issues, albeit partially, as he mentioned the need for easing the Middle East conflict. Anyone familiar with the Middle East scene is aware that it is the United States' unabiding support for Israel's continued occupation of Arab lands - the longest occupation in modern history - as also its backing of oppressive Arab regimes that has created a sense of deep anger in the Arab people in particular and the larger Muslim world in general.
The illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq has further fuelled that anger. As a matter of fact, the terrorists, who claimed responsibility for the London bombings cited "massacres carried out by Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan" as the reason for their heinous crime against innocent civilians.
Blair correctly observed that the solution is to try and pull up, by its roots, the scourge of terrorism. The biggest root of terrorism is the festering issue of Israeli occupation of Palestine in flagrant violation of UN resolutions. Under pressure from his own public, Blair is said to have recently tried to convince his friend, US President George Bush, of the need to help push the international roadmap for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During the last few months Bush did show a degree of interest in the implementation of the peace plan, sending his Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, to the trouble spot. But not much has changed. Knowing where real sympathies of the US lie, Ariel Sharon has continued to ignore its advice to stop building new settlements on the occupied West Bank as well as the separation wall that the International Court of Justice has declared as illegal.
The recent meeting between Sharon and the Palestinian President, Mehmoud Abbas, too, proved to be unproductive. In the meantime, despite a mutually agreed cease-fire, Israeli troops have killed a number of Palestinians in unprovoked attacks. Israel has continued to terrorise Palestinians and keep their lands under occupation for as long as it has because of the US support.
The super-power not only provides the Zionist state with political backing but also financial and military help. Little wonder then that a deep sense of injustice and resentment persists against the US among Israeli aggression's victims and their sympathisers. If it wants Washington can easily redress the situation by firmly and fairly implementing the roadmap authored by it with the support of the European Union, the UN and Russia.
The other root of terror being the occupation of Iraq, US and Britain must find a way out of the quagmire they have created for themselves in that unfortunate country. In this respect the example of Spain offers an instructive lesson. It may be recalled that Spain, under its previous pro-American government, had sent its troops into Iraq.
Which led to train bombings, in March 2004, in Madrid that killed 191 people and injured another 1,900. The elections that were held soon after brought a left wing leader to power, who had promised to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. He held good on his promise.
The Bush administration, of course, was not amused, but the new government itself felt confident enough about having addressed the cause of Muslim hostility that rather than to increase surveillance on its Muslim population, it relaxed immigration rules and gave amnesty to illegal Muslim immigrants.
Britain and the US also need to find a decent exit strategy for the sake of security of their own citizens and establishment of peace in Iraq. During the recent days, both Bush and his Defence Secretary and neo-con zealot, Donald Rumsfeld, have indirectly admitted that their soldiers cannot suppress the growing Iraqi insurgency, a task, they said, had to be performed by the Iraqi security men themselves. A much respectable way out for them would be to hand over complete security control to the UN, and go home.
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