FACT: America provided Bin Laden and "Afghan Jihad" fighters with weapons and military training!

The US used their weapons and military technologies to fight against Russian Communists in their war against Afghanistan from 1979-1989. In other words, in an indirect way, certain American policies led to terrorist attacks of September 11th. After Afghan war was over, what would these Muslim, US-trained soldiers do? They had to fight for some cause! Bin Laden happened to inspire soldiers to fight against spread of Americanism and western culture which seemed to go against Islamic values.

The first few facts can be read in many history books about modern Middle East. Interpretations of events will vary though. To help establish US and Bin Laden, I will quote from introduction of my current book, "Love Your Neighbors? Discover Real World Religions."

[The situation concerning 1993 WTC bombing and events behind September 11th attacks are more complex than most recognize. In order to "fight" against communism, three presidential administrations (Carter, Ford and Reagan) performed covert activities through CIA. A key element was to train Islamic men in war against communists in Afghanistan (1979-89), aptly referred to as "Afghan jihad," holy war in Afghanistan. America's activities helped establish Taliban regime and allowed bin Laden to gain his supporters. Bin Laden stated: "To counter these atheist Russians, Saudis chose me as their representative in Afghanistan. ... I settled in Pakistan in Afghan border region. There I received volunteers who came from Saudi Kingdom and from all over Arab and Muslim countries. I set up my first camp where these volunteers were trained by Pakistani and American officers. The weapons were supplied by Americans, money by Saudis. I discovered that it was not enough to fight in Afghanistan, but that we had to fight on all fronts, communist or Western oppression." (Ahmed Rashid, "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia," Yale University Press: New Haven, 1999, p. 132) It was, "A strange love affair which went disastrously wrong: alliance, during second half of twentieth century, between United States of America and some of most conservative and fanatical followers of Islam." (John K. Cooley, "Unholy Wars: Afghanistan, America and International Terrorism," Pluto Press: London, 1999, p. 1) See books quoted from more information.]

I hope that facts I have presented are stimulating enough to open pathways of discovery. Stay tuned for my next sections of "Discover Real Bush War!" After this introductory article, I will go to imperialistic mindset Bush adopts in his War. The follow up article will go all way back to Plato and his "Republic." Discover why Bush is choosing to spend trillions of dollars and multiply US deficit (what you and your children will have to pay back). Here I will trace a popular economic theorist who was a British delegate at foundational 1944 United Nations' Bretton Woods Conference.

3. Learn a new skill. Imagine sense of accomplishment and power of mastering a new skill. Like mesquite cooking. Like whittling. Like pterodactyl breeding. Oh well, two out of three. And if you learn that skill in a classroom setting, full of other energized new-skill-masterers, you get bonus of seeing that positive face of world, complete with smiles and busy dentists.

4. Study history. Bad things happen. Good things happen. That's history. Today will one day be history that somebody reads about. So don't sweat it. (Editor's note: If nobody is left to read about it, scratch this tip.)

5. Volunteer. One of scariest things about world today is not just that it seems to be going downhill, but that we feel powerless to stop it. Worse still, politicians and diplomats are in charge. But we CAN take control and send world uphill right in our own neighborhood. We can help local animal shelter. We can work at food bank. (That's my personal favorite, and NO you do NOT get free samples.) We can help little old ladies across street. We can make a difference right in our own communities where politicians and diplomats won't interrupt.

Sorry about those five tips. If you wish to ignore them and return to regularly-scheduled misery-wallowing, please go ahead. After all, in wartime nobody really wants to be happy, do they?