Howard Zinn: A People’s Champion? Part 34, 9/11 and the War on Terror.

       One popular notion today is that the world hates America because of its foreign policy. A common talking point among intellectuals is that America’s support of Israel, actions in Iraq, and support of right wing dictatorships in Latin America cause terrorism. Further more, some openly say that America deserved 9/11, that the people who died in the Twin Towers had blood on their hands, and some even claim that 9/11 was planned by President Bush, and that Osama is innocent. Howard Zinn in his last chapter of “A People’s History” supports the idea that America caused terrorism, and hints that Osama was innocent. Though he doesn’t explicitly speak of a conspiracy in his book, various speeches he made suggest skepticism of the official story. The most bizarre thing is that he’s said if 9/11 was an inside job, that it doesn’t really matter because it’s past us.

        ”Critics of the bombing campagin (In Afghanistan in 2001) argued that terrorism was rooted in deep grievances against the United Sates, and that to stop terrorism, these must be addressed. The grievances were not hard to identify: the stationing of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, site of the most holy of Moslem shrines, the ten years of sanctions against Iraq which, accodring to the United Nations, had resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children; the continued U.S. support of Israel’s occupation of Palenstine land, including billions in military aid” (1) Regarding 9/11, Zinn writes “On the supposition that the Islamic militant Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the September 11 attacks, (WINK WINK WINK) and that he was somewhere in Afghanistan, Bush ordered the bombing of Afghanistan.” (2) A brief look at Osama and his group Al Qaeda.
       In 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Osama Bin Laden went to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Fahd.  He offered to free Kuwait with the help of 100,000 Muslims. Osama was asked how they’d defend against biological weapons. Bin Laden’s answer was “through faith.” King Fahd rejected his offer and welcomed American troops. This enraged Bin Laden, who hated to see Americans on Saudi Arabian soil, Islam’s sacred home. Osama dedicated his life to destroying America. He went to Afghanistan and using his family fortune, built his network. In 1993 Al Queda exploded a truck bomb in the World Trade Center, (which Zinn never mentions) bombed the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, (Zinn never mentions that was Al Queda, but instead suggests again it was really because of America’s military bases around the globe) and attacked the USS Cole in October of 2000 (Zinn never mentions) (3)

       The reason Al Queda attacked America was because American soldiers were on Saudi Arabian soil. So, did terrorists attack America out of protest of its foreign policy? If you wanted to be super technical about it, then yes. However, did terrorists attack America because it did something wrong in it’s foreign policy? Definitely not. American troops invited by the Saudi King to Saudi soil certainly cannot justify two embassy attacks, an attack on a battleship, and two attacks on the twin towers, one of which destroyed both of them and killed three thousand people. Finally, it’s simply irresponsible and ignorant to assume that 9/11 was a reprucussion of America’s policies toward Israel, Iraq, Latin America or even the bombings Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

       During various speeches after 9/11, Zinn hinted that he didn’t believe in the “official government explanation,” which is nothing new. Zinn gave a speech at Colorado University on 10/9/08, at which people asked him about a possible government conspiracy and if it existed, how could the people be brought to justice. He said “Do I believe the government version of what happened? Well, I’m skeptical. Do I believe that the government was in a conspiracy to do this? I don’t know. I don’t know enough about the situation, and the truth is, I don’t care that much.. That’s past.. To me that’s a diversion.” (quotes from video below)  On November 19th, 2008, Zinn spoke at UQAM (University of Quebec). In Montreal he attempted to clarify his remarks, saying that maybe a small group of people could investigate it, but that we shouldn’t devote all our research to it. His argument was that people spent a lot of time and resources investigating the JFK assassination which went no where. In the end it comes down to cynicism, Zinn simply believes in both cases we’ll never find the truth. It’s interesting that in “People’s History” he says there was no Pearl Harbor conspiracy, makes no mention of a JFK conspiracy, but in his speeches indicates belief in JFK and 9/11 conspiracies.

       Even long time Zinn supporters started to turn on him at this point. Maybe this was the moment they saw this guy for the clown that he was. 9/11 is past us? Listen, Pearl Harbor is past us. The Alamo is past us. The Boston Massacre is past us. The historical epoch that we live in right now started with 9/11. World politics and military action today is predicated on the events of 9/11. If nothing else, Howard Zinn does not deserve to be called a historian after making such remarks.

       Regarding 9/11 conspiracies, let’s say Bush did plan 9/11. If that’s the case, why would bringing the perpetrators to justice not matter? I don’t know what’s more offensive to victims that day, to say the government did it, or to say it doesn’t matter. In the last chapter of his life, Howard Zinn fully revealed himself to be a sick deranged individual, who, despite his years of experience, had little to no understanding of world events.

1. Zinn, Howard: “A People’s History of the United States” Harper Perennial Modern Classics 2005 p. 681

2. Zinn, p. 678

3. Chafe, William H The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II Fifth Edition 2003 Oxford University Press p. 539

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