Middle East

Middle East By: Kenny & Mark

CONFLICTS

Fatah al-Islam and Nahr al-Bared

“ We are all supporting the Lebanese army here," says Marwan Zaatar, 33. "These people in Fatah al-Islam are not true Muslims. They are a gang of terrorists."

CULTURE

The Middle East is built on a magnificent legacy of civilizations dating back to ancient times

Science, the arts, written language, mathematics, a legal system, and other hallmarks of civilization flourished in ancient Sumer, Persia, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East

The Middle East continues to offer the world a rich cultural contribution, as home to three major world religions, a vibrant entertainment industry, a fascinating tradition of folkloric music and dance, and a growing economic power base

International Terror

September 11, 2001 Attack on America

The world mourns Israel Cambodia The UK

Newspapers around the world the day after the attack

But some people did not grieve

These are the people who want the destruction of Israel. They are dangerous, not only to Israel, but to the entire free world .

The perpetrator

All 19 hijackers lived, trained and got ready for their deed in the U.S. and Europe, without raising any suspicion.

Syria Libya Hizballah Iran Hamas Palestinian Authority Taliban Iraq Al-Qaida

Sources

The Secretary of State designates Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO’s), in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury. These designations are undertaken pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. FTO designations are valid for two years, after which they must be redesignated or they automatically expire. Redesignation after two years is a positive act and represents a determination by the Secretary of State that the organization has continued to engage in terrorist activity and still meets the criteria specified in law.

The designation of state sponsors of terrorism by the United States--and the imposition of sanctions--is a mechanism for isolating nations that use terrorism as a means of political expression. US policy seeks to pressure and isolate state sponsors so they will renounce the use of terrorism, end support to terrorists, and bring terrorists to justice for past crimes. The United States is committed to holding terrorists and those who harbor them accountable for past attacks, regardless of when the acts occurred. The US Government has a long memory and will not simply expunge a terrorist's record because time has passed. The states that choose to harbor terrorists are like accomplices who provide shelter for criminals. They will be held accountable for their "guests'" actions. International terrorists should know, before they contemplate a crime, that they cannot hunker down in safehaven for a period of time and be absolved of their crimes.

United States Government officials have announced the creation of the "Most Wanted Terrorists" List. The first individuals placed on this list are 22 people wanted for their role in crimes committed since 1985, crimes which resulted in the death of innocent people around the world.