First, I want to clear up a few myths that commonly surround those of us who take the liberal view. I am just as scared of the future as the next person. I want the world to be so clear-cut. Furthermore, I do not believe that there is any excuse for terrorism. I recognize that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden really are evil and hateful. I celebrate the many heroes in our military, fire and police squads, and common citizenry.

Having said all that, I still think it is important to delve deeper into why bin Laden and the members of Al-Qaeda hate us so much. What makes a young person willing to commit suicide in such an explosive manner? Yes, the actions of bin Laden were cowardly. However, his operatives were actually brave.

The same applies to the young Palestinian martyrs. These people knew that they were condemning themselves to a violent and painful death. What kind of life makes you choose that kind of death?

America needs to step back and look closely at our allies and enemies. We have repeatedly taken the wrong side in the wrong battles. We have allied ourselves closely with the Saudi rulers. While Hussein might be an oppressive dictator, he is really no worse then the autocratic Saudi royalty. Iraq is actually far closer to American ideals of equality and opportunity. In Iraq, women are well-educated. They are allowed to drive their own cars and can hold positions equal to and superior to men. The infamous Iraqi biochemical war machine is actually headed by a woman. How can we expect the Iraqi people, particularly the women, to join us and rise up against their leader when they see the other regimes we support in the Middle East?

We have demonized Yasir Arafat. Yet, he is a stable and popularly elected ruler. Furthermore, the watchdog groups who study elections found less voting irregularities in the Palestinian elections than in Florida. I am not a fan of George Bush, and I did not vote for him. I would still fight against any foreign power that said that the only way America deserved statehood was to replace him with a leader of their choosing. We all know how we reacted as a nation when an imperialistic power over the sea tried to dominate us like this ¯ we waged war, often with guerilla tactics.

Bush's latest fight against Germany is yet another example of misplaced anger. The story of Bush being compared to Hitler was completely misrepresented in the popular American press. The real issue is that Germany has dared to strongly question the American war against terrorism. By reacting the way we have, we have made no friends.

Perhaps in the end the best way really is to take out Saddam and occupy Afghanistan. Maybe there should not be a separate Palestine. However, if we keep ignoring the underlying issues, these actions will not actually solve anything.

America needs to stop and think about the attitudes that lead to the policies of our allies, our enemies, and ourselves before rushing in to another unexamined war.