The Financial Times ran a story in today's edition describing an important change in the Bush administration's approach to international Islamist terrorism. Instead of the military strategy that has done nothing but increase the number of terrorist attacks around the world, the goal will be to "develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to discredit and demystify extremists' ideology and promote moderate Islamic voices."
This should have been the first step taken by any American leader aware of the international support for anti-American terrorism that has been growing for over a decade. The bombs, assassinations, destruction of civil infrastructure and immoderate rhetoric that have been official American policy since the attacks of September 11 legitimize terrorist violence. The continuing American support for the international arms trade and the failure to set an example in the area of nuclear weapons disarmament deliver the same message.
As long as we practice torture and kill innocents in the pursuit of those who declare themselves our enemies, we foster a culture of violent retribution and racist disregard for the suffering of Afghanis, Iraqis and others who do not look like white America.
I will write a letter to President Bush today, praising him for adopting this new polocy of outreach to the Muslim world.
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