Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihlpg.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!ihlpg!tan
From: tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Understanding the Shiites
Message-ID: <751@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 13:58:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.751
Posted: Wed Jul  3 13:58:55 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 05:33:10 EDT
References: <675@cadovax.UUCP> <681@rlgvax.UUCP> <727@ihlpg.UUCP> <1083@ihuxb.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 49

> > > 	The U.S. literally supports the economy and the armed forces of
> > > 	Israel with it's generous aid. I am not surprised that the Middle
> > > 	East nations have nothing but hatred for the U.S. They see Isreal
> > >	[I have edited out the rest of his article. HRT]
> > > 							- Raghu.
> > 
> > For your information, the United States has friendly relations with
> > Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, North Yemen, Saudi Arabia,
> > United Arab Emirates, Bahrein, Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco,
> > and Mauretania.  Even relations with Syria aren't all that bad.  What
> > Middle Eastern nations are you referring to?  Only Libya's
> > Kaddafi (a lunatic) and Soviet satellite South Yemen, of all Arab countries,
> > hate the U. S.  Most of the hatred of the U. S. in the Mid-East comes from
> > Iran, a non-Arab country which under the Shah had full and friendly
> > diplomatic relations with Israel.  Khomeini's anti-Americanism has virtually
> > nothing to do with the existence of Israel, but rather with U. S. support
> > of the Shah and a general reaction against Western "decadence".
> > -- 
> > Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL  ihnp4!ihlpg!tan
-----------------------------------
> 
>    Furthermore, even though the governments of these countries are
> friends with the US, their people feel contempt for any country that
> supports Israel.  Bill's problem is that he falls for a government's
> official line.  How could you believe a friendship between Iraq and
> the US when only two years ago ...  Now really!
> 
> [Article Edited - BT]
> 
> Muslim Middle Easterns hate (OK, "dislike"?) Israel and
> therefore they hate the US even though their governments may have been
> friendly with the US for less than a decade.
> 
> H. Reza Taheri
> ...!ihnp4!ihuxb!reza
> (312)-979-7473
-----------------------------------
Talk about sweeping generalizations!  SOME Muslim Middle-Easterners do
hate the U. S., but many do not.  Of course, the official positions
of Arab governments do not necessarily reflect the views of their people.
Unfortunately, we will never be able to have a secret ballot to determine
the percentages of those who like, dislike, or hate the U. S.  It is true
that much of the bad feeling in the ARAB world towards the U. S. does
stem from U. S. support of Israel.  I doubt very much, however, that
Khomeini and Iran would stop hating the U. S. if we stopped supporting
Israel.  I suppose Khomeini hates Iraq (he did even before Iraq invaded
Iran) because Iraq supports Israel -) -) -).  Khomeini just likes to hate.
-- 
Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL  ihnp4!ihlpg!tan