Makkah Attack Threat

Makkah Attack Threat Draws Flack

A Republican presidential hopeful's suggestion to attack Islam's holiest
sites in order to deter a nuclear attack on American soil has come under
scathing criticism from the Bush administration and Muslims.
A Republican presidential hopeful's suggestion to attack Islam's holiest
sites in order to deter a nuclear attack on American soil has come under
scathing criticism from the Bush administration and Muslims.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo has said that the best way to deter a nuclear
terrorist attack on the US was to threaten to bomb the holy cities of
Makkah and Madinah.

Casey said the Republican aspirant's statements were "reprehensible" and
"absolutely crazy".

"Any suggestion that the defense of the American homeland or the defense
of American interests would ever justify attacking holy sites or
religious sites is just simply an idea that goes against the length or
breadth of US history," he said.

"…we want to have good, positive relations with countries certainly in the
Middle East and broader Muslim world."

A spokesman for Tancredo's campaign, Alan Moore, said the Republican White
House aspirant stands by his statements.

In 2005, Tancredo threatened to "take out" Islamic holy sites if
terrorists ever launched a nuclear attack against the US.

The threat was the latest in anti-Islam statements warning Americans of
"militant Islamism, "radical Islamism" and Muslims in general.

Last year, prominent pastor Rev. O'Neal Dozier, a former adviser to
President George W. Bush, told a Radio show that Islam was a "cult" and
"dangerous" religion.

Prompt action by US Muslim leaders have forced radio hosts and pastors
critical of Islam to offer on-air apologies and backtrack on their racist
remarks.

Unworthy

Tancredo's statements were strongly condemned by Muslim leaders.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said
Tancredo's statements were "unworthy of anyone seeking public office in
the United States," according to The Denver Post.

"Perhaps it's evidence of a long-shot candidate grasping at straws and
trying to create some kind of a controversy that might appeal to a niche
audience of anti-Muslim bigots," said CAIR Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.

Tancredo's statements also fueled anti-US sentiments in Pakistan.

"Such threats appear real, if seen in the prospect of the deployment of a
large number of US troops in Saudi Arabia," Sen. Sajid Mir, the Vice
President of the Mttahida Majlis-e-Amal, was quoted as saying by The News
daily.

He called Tancredo's statements absurd, provocative and an expression of
sheer insanity and arrogance.

The Pakistani leader also called on Muslims to snub cooperation with the
US on the so-called "war on terror".

"It is high time for Muslim countries to dissociate themselves from the
so-called US-led war against terror and chalk out a collective strategy
to combat US designs," he said.

On Wednesday, August 1, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
warned to strike Al-Qaeda in Pakistan without gaining Islamabad's
approval if Pakistan failed to take on the Osama Bin Laden's network.

IOL, Agencies

http://www.worldbulletin.net/ , printed on 06.08.2007.

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