The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 12:41:43 -0400
From: Lorraine Graham <yakub_etc@YAHOO.COM>
To: POETICS@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU
Subject: Flyers: 'The Partnership of Nations is here to help'

Hi Poetics-

This is from CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/18/ret.flyers/index.html)--
the pamphlets/propaganda that the US is dropping (literally) on Afghanistan.
As I'm sure many of you know, the US government formally "discourages" the
press from printing translations of anything coming out of Afghanistan, Bin
Laden...etc etc...Several people in the office where I work were
"discouraged" from talking to the press about US special operations and so
on. The Administration appears to be puzzled as to why there is still so
much anti-American sentiment...

I'm sure these flyers will help. (sarcasm).

Yikes!

-Lorraine Graham
www.yakub-beg.com


Flyers: 'The Partnership of Nations is here to help'

Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (1)

On September 11th , the United States was the target of terrorist attacks,
leaving no choice but to seek justice for these horrible crimes. We are here
to take measures against the terrorists that have rooted themselves in your
country. It is not you, the honorable people of Afghanistan, who are
targeted, but those who would oppress you, seek to bend you to their own
will, and make you their slaves.

These terrorists and oppressors are currently in your country, undermining
your economy, your rights as citizens, and your place within the
international community. It does not have to stay that way. But the battle
against these fanatics that feed off the blood of the Afghan people cannot
be won without your help.

It will take the combined efforts of the international community and you to
remove these evil people from Afghanistan. Take the following action: Do not
give food, shelter, or any type of aid to the Taliban or Usama bin Laden.
This will be a great help in the effort.

We have no wish to hurt you, the innocent people of Afghanistan. Stay away
from military installations, government buildings, terrorist camps, roads,
factories, or bridges. If you are near these places, then you must move away
from them. Seek a safe place, and stay well away from anything that might be
a target. We do not wish to harm you.

With your help, this conflict can be over soon. And once again, Afghanistan
will belong to you, and not to tyrants or outsiders. Then, you will reclaim
your place among the nations of the world, and return to the honored place
your country once held. Remember, we are here to help you to be free from
this terrorism, despotism, and the fear and pain they bring with them. This
is the best way to restore honor and dignity and make your country a free
nation once again.

Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (2)

Since the time of the Soviet invasion, Afghanistan has been a country in
conflict. War and strife have been a constant part of the daily life of its
citizens. Yet time and again, it has not been the people of Afghanistan, but
outsiders who have been the real cause of this pain and destruction.

Latest in the line of those who would aid in the destruction of this once
great country is Usama bin Laden and the despots called the Taliban who now
rule. These people have continually aided in the destruction and
deterioration of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's economy is nearly non-existent, and because of the Taliban's
support for terrorists such as Usama bin Laden, Afghanistan has been shunned
by the international community. Even now the Taliban undermines the lives
and rights of the people of Afghanistan, treating women as little more than
slaves, and treating the rest of the population little better. The so-called
leaders of the Taliban are disrespectful of Afghan cultural and Islamic
tradition and its proud past.

Now they have brought the anger of the United States and the international
community upon themselves through their terrorist actions. Now, forces are
coming into Afghanistan from outside places to bring justice because of the
atrocities committed by Usama bin Laden and the Taliban.

With the help of the nations of the world, and the people of Afghanistan,
the United States will now remove these tyrants from Afghanistan. It will
take a combined effort to do this, and every bit of help is needed. Try to
find ways to ignore the Taliban and Usama bin Laden's requests for help, and
do not give them food or shelter.

The United States does not want to injure or kill innocent civilians,
destroy homes, hospitals, mosques, or other public places. This is most
easily avoided if people stay away from military installations, Taliban
government buildings, the camps of Usama bin Laden, and other places where
terrorists gather.

Afghanistan can once again become the proud member of the international
community that it once was. The people of Afghanistan can once again take
control of their own land and set it free from the foreign invaders and
local tyrants who have inserted themselves into its power structure. Help
free yourselves from despotism and rejoin the nations of the world.

Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (3)

"Just as the blood stains the apron of the butcher, unjustly shed blood
remains on the hands of the murderer." [Afghan poem] On September 11, 2001
thousands of people were killed en masse in the United States. Among them
... was a two-year-old girl. Barely able to stand or dress herself. Did she
deserve to die? Why was she killed you ask? Was she a thief? What crime had
she committed? She was merely on a trip with her family to visit her
grandparents.

Policemen ... firefighters ... teachers ... doctors ... mothers ... fathers
... sisters ... brothers all killed. ... WHY? These people did nothing to
warrant the kind of wrath inflicted upon them.

Thousands of good people died on that day at the hands of terrorists.
Deluded fighters that prey upon the unsuspecting and the innocent. They are
cowards that hide in shadows and strike at the weak. They strike out at
expectant mothers, the elderly, and at little children. They fire their
weapons blindly inflicting death and destruction upon the innocent. They
hide like cowards and strike from afar, then return to the safety of their
shadows before they can be caught. They believe they are heroes, Ghazi
warriors triumphing over the evil of the West. However the truth is ....
They are murderers, and do not represent Islam.

It is inconceivable that any country in the world would tolerate the kinds
of horrific terrorism committed against the United States. It is now that we
ask for your help and support in seeing those guilty for these crimes
brought to justice. United States forces may be moving into or through your
area in the future. Please, for your own safety, do not interfere with
United States military operations. The United States forces are not here to
occupy you, nor are they here to make you give up your proud heritage. We
understand that your culture and heritage is important to you and we wish to
disturb it as little as possible. However we must seek out justice for those
who have fallen victim to terrorists. Terrorists and those who harbor
terrorists must be stopped. With your support we will ensure that those
guilty will be brought to justice.

Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (4)

Dear Afghanistan ... A grave crime has been committed against the United
States. Four of our planes have been hijacked, several buildings in our
economic centers destroyed and more than 6,000 innocent people, hundreds of
which were Muslim, were murdered by the hand of Usama bin Laden, Al Quaeda,
his supporters, and the Taliban. We see these actions as acts of war. We
will not sit idly by and do nothing in these times. However, we do not wish
to spill the blood of innocent people, as did the cowardly terrorists. We do
not blame the Muslims or Afghans for these attacks. We do not hold those who
follow true Islam responsible. We will hunt down and punish these
terrorists. They will pay with their blood. America is not against the
beliefs of Islam, nor is it against Muslims. More than million Muslims live
and worship Allah in peace in the United States, a number equal to almost
half the population of Afghanistan. In the United States people of all
religions live side by side in peace. Muslims living in America have the
same rights to worship as any other citizen of any other religion.

We are not here to attack your religion, or your way of life. We are
attacking the terrorists and their hosts, the Taliban, for the atrocities
committed against the United States. We do not wish to harm or occupy the
people of Afghanistan. The terrorists see themselves as heroes, martyrs, and
saviors.

However, no nation or religion would tolerate the kinds of viscous
unprovoked attacks like those committed against the United States. These
acts of terror and violence are inexcusable in any culture, and we will
bring to justice those who have committed these crimes.

Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (5)

Attention Taliban! You are condemned. Did you know that? The instant the
terrorists you support took over our planes, you sentenced yourselves to
death. The Armed Forces of the United States are here to seek justice for
our dead. Highly trained soldiers are coming to shut down once and for all
Usama bin Laden's ring of terrorism, and the Taliban that supports them and
their actions.


Our forces are armed with state of the art military equipment. What are you
using, obsolete and ineffective weaponry? Our helicopters will rain fire
down upon your camps before you detect them on your radar. Our bombs are so
accurate we can drop them right through your windows. Our infantry is
trained for any climate and terrain on earth. United States soldiers fire
with superior marksmanship and are armed with superior weapons.


You have only one choice ... Surrender now and we will give you a second
chance. We will let you live. If you surrender no harm will come to you.
When you decide to surrender, approach United States forces with your hands
in the air. Sling your weapon across your back muzzle towards the ground.
Remove your magazine and expel any rounds. Doing this is your only chance of
survival.


Theme: The Partnership of Nations is here to help (6)

Taliban leaders! By harboring Al Quaeda and their leader Usama bin Laden you
have declared war on the United States, and by doing this you have just
guaranteed your own demise. Hand over these criminals and you will save
yourselves from destruction. By not turning over Usama bin Laden and Al
Quaeda to stand trial you are showing the world you are weak, and that you
need a criminal organization and its leader to protect you. However, they
cannot protect you from what will happen if you do not comply. Like all
criminals they will try to hide from their impending punishment. They will
leave you to fight the United States and our overwhelming military by
yourselves. Our military is bigger, faster and stronger; with more
modernized weapons and better-trained troops. You will be attacked by land,
sea, and air. There will be no warning as to when and where we will attack.
Destruction is imminent if our will is not met. Bin Laden may tell you he
can protect you from the mighty United States, but all he can protect you
from are unarmed innocent men, women, and children. He can have his
subordinates hijack civilian airplanes and take bombs into civilian
buildings, but he cannot save you from the justice of the United States.
Resistance is futile, our goals will be achieved. If not willingly than by
overwhelming force. You have but one choice, and that is to comply quickly,
for time is short. You will suffer the same fate as the terrorist if you do
not comply with our demand.


Theme: Taliban actions are Non-Islamic (1)

Tragedy struck the United States on 11 September 2001 when terrorist
hijackers took over two Boeing 767 jets and two Boeing 757 jets. American
Airlines and United Airlines flights were hijacked and used in the acts to
kill over 6,500 innocent men, women, and children. Many of these people were
not American; but representatives from 67 countries from all over the world.
Many were even Muslims. The hijackers proceeded to crash the planes into
World Trade Center Towers one and two. Another plane crashed on a field in
Pennsylvania when heroic passengers retook control of the aircraft. Hundreds
of innocent lives were lost on just the aircraft alone. Thousands are feared
to have been lost in the attack on the former World Trade Center Towers,
that collapsed as a result of the terrorist act.

We ask that you, the true people of Afghanistan, help us bring Usama bin
Laden and members of his terrorist group, Al Quaeda, to justice for crimes
committed against innocent people. Not only have Usama bin Laden and Al
Quaeda committed crimes against the United States, but they have also
dishonored Afghanistan and helped in the continuation of bloodshed in your
country. They are using your country as a nest of terrorism to kill your
people and innocent Americans. These outsiders do not care about the welfare
of Afghanistan, nor of their countries, and people all over the world. These
terrorists are blackening the reputation of the people of Afghanistan and
Islam. The people of Afghanistan are known for bravery and upholding honor.
These terrorists, with their cowardice ruin this reputation. You can help by
not interfering with United States troops or operations, by not supplying
him or his supporters with food, water, or lodging. Small things such as
these will make the biggest impact.

United States forces do not want to see a senseless loss of life. We do not
want to take over your nation; we want to give it back to its rightful
owners, the people of Afghanistan. The United States wants to see a return
to prosperity for your nation. With your help we can achieve this. If we
work together Usama bin Laden, his supporters, and terrorists like them will
no longer be able to incite fear in people around the world.


One of the leaflets dropped over Afghanistan that depicts a radio
transmitting tower and sketches of radios and tells times and radio stations
to tune in to what the Dept. of Defense calls "Information Radio."

Theme: Taliban actions are Non-Islamic (2)

Do you enjoy being ruled by the Taliban? Are you proud to live a life of
fear? Are you happy to see the place your family has owned for generations a
terrorist training site? Are you proud to live under a government that
harbors terrorists? Are you proud to live in a nation ruled by extreme
fundamentalists?

The Taliban have robbed your country of your heritage. They have destroyed
your national monuments, and cultural artifacts. They rule by force,
violence, and fear. They insist that their form of Islam is the one and only
form, the true form, the divine form. They see themselves as religious
experts. They seek to rob you and your nation of its past. That which has
brought you together as a nation over the past thousands of years is being
slowly torn apart. They destroy your national treasures. They also harbor
terrorists.


United States forces have come to stop Usama bin Laden and to shut down the
terrorist camps once and for all. United States forces are here to strike
back at the Taliban and at the rest of Bin Laden's fighters. It is the
United States' right as a nation to seek justice for those killed in the
attacks on the World Trade Center. Over 6500 people lost their lives in the
attacks on the World Trade Center, many of whom were not American, but
representatives from other countries around the world. Many were Muslim.
Terrorists and those who harbor terrorists must be brought to justice. Do
not interfere with United States military operations. Battlefields are
places for soldiers, not civilians. Our soldiers are not here to take over
your way of life. Your culture is important to you, and to us. We do not
wish to destroy it.

Theme: Taliban actions are Non-Islamic (3)

Do you enjoy being ruled by the Taliban? Are you proud to live a life of
fear? Are you happy to see the place your family has owned for generations a
terrorist training site? Do you want a regime that is turning Afghanistan
into the Stone Age and giving Islam a bad name? Are you proud to live under
a government that harbors terrorists? Are you proud to live in a nation
ruled by extreme fundamentalists?


The Taliban have robbed your country of your culture and heritage. They have
destroyed your national monuments, and cultural artifacts. They rule by
force, violence, and fear based on the advice of foreigners. They insist
that their form of Islam is the one and only form, the true form, the divine
form. They see themselves as religious experts, even though they are
ignorant.


They kill, commit injustice, keep you in poverty and claim it is in the name
of God. They seek to rob you and your nation of its past. That which is the
source of pride and has brought you together as a nation in the past is
being ripped apart. They destroy your national treasures and they also
harbor terrorists. They keep people as if they are animals for the
slaughter. They are not concerned with leaving your families fatherless and
your mothers begging in the streets in order to feed their children.

United States forces have come to stop Usama bin Laden and to shut down the
terrorist camps once and for all. United States forces are here to strike
back at the Taliban and Bin Laden's fighters. Tyrants and those who harbor
terrorists must be brought to justice. It is the United States' right as a
nation to seek justice for those killed in the attacks on the World Trade
Center. Over 6500 people were killed in that attack. People from all over 67
nations of the world and from many religions. Please do not interfere with
United States military operations. Our soldiers are not here to take over
your way of life. Your culture is important to you, and to us.

We wish for a better life for you, for the children of Afghanistan to live
independently, free of foreign domination and oppression imposed by the
Taliban's ways.

Theme: Taliban actions are Non-Islamic (4)

People of Afghanistan, do you support the puppet rulers of your nation and
their political practices? How can you support the Taliban when they give
refuge to Usama bin Laden, whose evil actions are aimed at Muslims and
non-Muslims alike? The result of a terrorist attack does not differentiate
between people. It kills people of all ages, races and religions.

Usama bin Laden would have you believe he is for a united Islamic nation,
but how can that be true when even his home nation has exiled him? Saudi
Arabia exiled him in 1991 and in 1994 he lost his Saudi Arabian citizenship
as a result of his terrorist activities. Usama bin Laden is a coward who
hides behind cowardly attacks on innocent people, killing them because they
disagree with his twisted, non-Islamic beliefs. The Taliban support his
criminal and inhumane activities by doing nothing to bring him to justice.
The Taliban regime is not even a recognized government by most of the world
community. Yet its leaders dictate over you, when it is you, the honored
people of Afghanistan, who should live under your own laws and beliefs and
not the laws and beliefs of a terrorist supporting regime.


Think of your children. Do you want them to live in fear of what one man and
his supporters would do to them if their beliefs differed from his? What if
he decides that not only Western nations pose a threat, but also Muslim
nations that do not agree with his way of life? Contrary to his beliefs the
United States is neither anti-Muslim, nor against the people of Afghanistan,
but we are for an Afghanistan free from oppression, killing, and poverty.

Theme: Taliban actions are Non-Islamic (5)

Noble people of Afghanistan ... Today is a day of mourning for your country.
Your history and culture are being destroyed. The Taliban have tried to
erase your past to hide you from the truth. They have destroyed historical
and religious monuments in order to instill their form of aberrant Islam.
They say that they are doing it for your own protection.

You have lived together for hundreds of years before the Taliban. What do
the Taliban give you? Do they listen to you? Do they supply you with food
and medicine or do they hoard it for themselves? The Taliban tells you that
dying for their fanatical form of Islam is a proud and noble thing to do.
They encourage you to be martyrs, but in reality, they are cowards hiding
behind farmers, and families. If dying for this form of Islam is noble, why
doesn't Mullah Omar go to the fronts? He is enjoying his luxurious quarters
and his wives while you are asked to die.

The Taliban has tarnished the name of your proud nation by making it a haven
for criminals and terrorists. They have provided supplies intended for the
people of Afghanistan to Usama bin Laden and Al Quaeda. Their actions are
bringing war to your homes. Is this what you want? Is this the kind of
future you want for your children? Speak out! Stand up and let your voice be
heard!

Resist, and encourage your friends and neighbors to resist! The Taliban have
gone too far! The Taliban can only rule if you choose to let them.

Theme: Aid will be brought to your location

Attention! People of Afghanistan, United States forces will be moving
through your area. We are not here to harm you! We are here for Usama bin
Laden, Al Quaeda, and those who protect them! Please, for you own safety,
stay off bridges and roadways, and do not interfere with our troops or
military operations. If you do this, you will not be harmed. Do not approach
United States forces. Stay in your homes! We are not here to occupy you, or
to overrun your country. If you see United States forces, you need to find
shelter and not leave it until we have left the area. This is for your
protection. Roadways and bridges will be unsafe for travel. Your home will
be the safest place. Do not listen to the Taliban or Al Quaeda. We will not
harm you if you comply with these instructions.

Once again, we do not want to harm any innocent people.

Theme: Safety and Security

Attention, people of Afghanistan! Aid is being dropped by plane at a very
high altitude using large parachutes. These parachutes slow their descent.
Despite the parachutes, the bundles will still fall very fast. These bundles
will drift and shift directions due to wind. These bundles may appear small,
but they are in fact very large and heavy. Do not stand directly below them.
Let the bundles land and settle before you approach them. If you follow
these instructions you will not be injured. The bundles are filled with
food, water, and medical supplies. The bundles will not contain any military
related supplies or equipment. These have been given to you by the United
States in an effort to show our support for the fair people of Afghanistan.
The United States does not want you, the innocent people of Afghanistan, to
suffer for the deeds of Al Quaeda and its leader Usama bin laden. That is
why the United States has prepared and delivered these aid bundles. The
United States can not warn you enough about the danger that you will put
yourself in if you do not stay away from the bundles until they land. Once
the bundles have landed and settled you can retrieve the supplies. These
supplies are being sent to help you, because you did not commit the crimes
against the United States, Al Quaeda and its supporters did.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/18/ret.flyers/index.html

Research Assistant
China Program
The Henry L. Stimson Center
11 Dupont Circle, NW Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 223-5956 ext. 3470
Fax: (202) 238-9604
http://www.stimson.org