Ill. State Sen. Obama on 9-11: "it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair"

Ill. State Sen. Obama in 2000

Ill. Sate Sen. Barack Obama blamed the 9/11 attack by Muslim extremists on "poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair." Ill. Sate Sen. Obama also mentioned "lack of empathy" as a root cause of the 9/11 attack. This is typical liberal BS. The 9/11 attack grew out of a hatred of anything American or Western that has it's roots in a 13th century interpretation of Islam.

Even as I hope for some measure of peace and comfort to the bereaved families, I must also hope that we as a nation draw some measure of wisdom from this tragedy. Certain immediate lessons are clear, and we must act upon those lessons decisively. We need to step up security at our airports. We must reexamine the effectiveness of our intelligence networks. And we must be resolute in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous acts and dismantling their organizations of destruction.

We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.

We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe — children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores. — State Senator Barack Hussein Obama, September 19, 2001

Israelis respond to Obama administration's demand to stop building settlements

Israelis respond to Obama administration's demand to stop building settlements. From The Bulletin:

Israeli Government Press Director Daniel Seamen reacted to this Obama administration statement by saying: “I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem.”

Here is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement.

Jerusalem — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued an unprecedented statement clarifying President Barack Obama’s demands for Israel to stop expanding Jewish communities in areas it acquired following the 1967 Six-Day War, including Jerusalem.

The statement, issued Wednesday, applies to the area known in Israel by their Biblical names, Judea and Samaria, and as the West Bank by the international community.

There are now 128 Jewish communities in these areas, with a population of almost 300,000 Jews.

Mrs. Clinton explained President Obama demands that there should be no expansion in these communities for the purpose of “natural growth.”

That would include an American demand to stop construction of kindergartens, schools and housing for young couples.

Full story here.

UN slaps North Korea's hand and sends them to bed without their milk and cookies

The UN agreed today on a statement to condemn North Korea's missile launch. The statement condemns the launch and calls for unspecified additional sanctions. This is the weakest response besides completely ignoring the event. Japan caved in on their demand for a new resolution against the North Koreans. A statement is not even legally binding according to some experts. Here is the story from breitbart.com.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Key Security Council nations reached agreement Saturday on a statement that would condemn North Korea's rocket launch and toughen U.N. sanctions against the reclusive communist nation.

The five permanent veto-wielding members—the U.S., China, Russia, Britain and France—and Japan reached agreement after Tokyo backed down from a demand that the Security Council adopt a new resolution, the strongest response the U.N.'s most powerful body can give.

They distributed the text of the proposed presidential statement to the nine other council members, who must now consult their capitals. Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi said he expects the council to meet again Monday.

A presidential statement is considered a weaker reaction by the council, and while the U.S. insists it is legally binding, others do not.