Skip to main content
CNN.com /transcript

CNN TV

EDITIONS
SERVICES
CNN TV
EDITIONS

CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

America's New War: How Should the U.S. React?

Aired September 14, 2001 - 18:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOIE CHEN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration has talked about the exiled Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden as being the main suspect behind Tuesday's attack. Joining us now to talk more about Osama bin Laden is Hisham Melhem, who is the Washington bureau chief of the Lebanese newspaper "As-Safir."

Mr. Melhem, if you can talk to us a little bit. There has been sort of this knee-jerk, gut reaction among many people in the United States that if Osama bin Laden can be proven to have ties to these attacks, then a swift, quick strike on this individual is the way to go, is the way to retaliate. Is it that simple?

HISHAM MELHEM, AS-SAFIR: Well, it's not that simple. I mean, I think that you cannot combat terrorism, especially terrorism of this kind, by military means alone, and you cannot combat it without the support -- at least the tacit support and approval and maybe the explicit collaboration of regional powers. And that's why to begin with, you have to identify the enemy.

This is obviously a new war, but it's -- you are dealing essentially with a faceless enemy, an unorthodox enemy using unorthodox means, and it requires a great deal of specificity. And I think the people of the region would probably go along with retribution and punishment if it is directed at the culprit alone after you come up with convincing evidence, but people in the region would like to -- who are -- obviously looked at what's happened in New York and Washington with the mixture of revulsion and shock and disbelief, would like also the administration here in Washington to be cognizant of the fact that even those in the region who criticize certain U.S. policies in the region definitely would never condone such heinous crimes such as we've seen last Tuesday.

CHEN: There is a difference...

MELHEM: So, first -- sure. First, you have to identify the enemy, and then deal with it, but clearly deal with it also in context.

CHEN: Well, talk to us on the couple tracks that you started out by outlining. One of those being the notion of a military strike and being the appropriate response. Why is that not? I mean, talk to us specifically about why a military strike might be A, so difficult in the region; and B, produce some consequences that people might not have considered? MELHEM: I'm not saying no military strikes in absolute terms, but if you are talking about lashing out as -- without really defining the enemy, coming up with strong, convincing evidence and work with the neighboring states on at least strategy, you'd probably end up repeating what happened three years ago, when Osama bin Laden's camps were bombed to no avail, and when the United States bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan, that was the wrong target.

CHEN: And there was anger. I mean, this generated actual anger among some people who may have peripherally supported the same notions as bin Laden, but might have actually been motivated to back him more specifically as a result?

MELHEM: I mean, that created a great deal of anger, absolutely. But again, just as people here understandably are angry and outraged and frustrated because civilians were killed for no -- for no reason, I think people in the region, if they see that the American retribution is going to lead to civilian casualties, to so-called collateral damage, also they'll be very angry.

Things in the region are at the boiling stage. We've seen what's taken place in the Palestinian-occupied territory. There is a great deal of anger, there's a great deal of frustration in the Arab states. And, of course, nothing justifies no cause, no grievance, no religion justifies what happened in New York, but then again, leaders in this country are called upon at this stage to deal with the situation rationally, in a cold-blooded fashion, if you will, and deal with this incredible phenomena, which not only threatens the United States, or the West. It also threatens the existing way of life in the region.

Osama bin Laden is one of those false prophets, self-appointed angels of death, who are wreaking havoc not only in the West, but also in the Arab world. But you have to define the enemy and you have to work with the neighbors and you have to also address the political grievances in the region.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top