The Session has started, please send in your questions!
Answer
.
Name
Mohammed
- United States
Profession
Question
Is CIA an honest broker in the middle east?
Answer
No, because the CIA is an arm of the administration and the American administration did not prove yet to be an honest broker. It is taking the side of Israel against the legitimate rights of the Palestinian People.
Name
Saladin
- United States
Profession
Question
Salaam a'laikum,
Why has all of a sudden the CIA, a covert intelligence agency, come to play a role in which it is mediating public security talks in the Middle East? Is this really their field of expertise? Over intelligence gathering and covert operations? Is this not a bit suspicious?
Answer
Yes, it is very suspicious and represents a level of intimidation. The agency supposedly knows all the activists and the players and is putting its heavy hand over the situation, which is very intimidating especially on the Palestinian side.
Name
Nora
- United States
Profession
Question
Is there anything to suggest that involving the CIA is actually a progressive strategic move on behalf of the Bush Administration, or is it merely the President's way of being "engaged" but not involved.
Answer
I cannot describe it as progressive. I would describe it as intimidating and more posing of an agreement. The CIA is not trained for soft diplomacy.
Name
Emad
- United States
Profession
Question
How much do you think the CIA is in control of the situation in the Middle East? Do you think it's true that the agency has an influence over some Arab rulers, particulary Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat?
Answer
I will not be specific in answering that question because we simply don’t know. However, the documents that were released after 30 years did show that King Hussein was on the CIA payroll.
Name
Kamal
- United States
Profession
architect
Question
The U.S. media is putting a lot of weight on the "ceasefire" brokered by CIA Director Tenet. Do you believe that he and his institution are going to continue to buy time with cease-fires and the such or do they have an actual strategy for bringing a just and fair peace to the region?
Answer
1) There is no ceasefire and the fire is basically coming from one side. The other side, the Palestinian side, is desperately trying to struggle against occupation.
2) I think there is a process for preparing the public opinion for a massive action by Israel.
Name
Susan
- United States
Profession
Question
As the Bush Administration has thus far taken a very hands off approach to the Middle East, do you feel that the CIA will be effective in carrying the burden that in all actuality should fall on the shoulders of Bush and Powell respectively?
Answer
As I said before the CIA is one of the arms of the administration, I don’t think the buck is being passed to the CIA. The buck is still with the administration. It happens that the administration decided to use that particular arm at this particular time.
Name
Amina
- United States
Profession
Question
Given the CIA's reputation, do you think that Arabs in the region will trust the CIA to be an effective broker of peace?
Answer
It depends on which Arabs we are talking about. If we are talking about the Arab people then they will have no trust what so ever in the CIA. If we are talking about the Arab leaders, then they will be very intimidated by the CIA.
Name
Billy
-
Profession
Question
Why do the Muslim People need to depend on the CIA? Why can "governments" like Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan do something?
Answer
We can address this question to the governments of Bahrain, Egypt, etc. We cannot tell you why. We don’t believe these governments represent their people.
Name
Hasan
-
Profession
Question
Should we be talking about security first, in the first place? Or should we rather emphasize that the Israelis first stop all settlement activity?
Answer
The issue is that there is an occupation. The occupation needs to be ended. People have a human right to resist occupation and that is the issue.
Name
Salma
- United States
Profession
Question
The CIA, specifically Tenet, have remarked and spoken out against "terrorist" attacks against Israel stating that Israel is indeed threatened by such attacks. Why then were they even considered to take over a mediation role if they from the start seem to disregard the uprising as a legitimate resistance to occupation?
Answer
This question was answered in the beginning. The CIA and the administration are not suitable to play the role of an honest broker.
Name
Fanza
-
Profession
Question
Why do the Americans support Israel, when they could recvive much more if they supported the Arabs in the cause.
Answer
I think there is a very deep seated historical bias that started in Europe in the medieval times and it trickled down to form this mentality of not treating Muslims as equal partners.
Name
Mustapha Farooqi
-
Profession
Question
Do you think there will ever be peace in the region? Do Jews have any legitimate claim to the area?
Answer
All the progeny of Abraham have claim to the area. The problem with Zionism is that they want a monopoly over the area. Peace will be achieved when this attitude will change.
Name
'aishah
-
Profession
Question
If the CIA's presence has only been that of an arm of the pro-Israeli American governments, then do the Palestinians have any chance for justice AND peace while working through tenet's/Mitchell's proposals, or must they make other plans? What are their options for a just solution, and will those options have to be with or without the plans made by CIA intervention?
Answer
We are in no position to tell the Palestinians what to do. All what we can say is that we should defend the rights of Palestinians to resist occupation. How? They decide that, not us.
Name
Daud
-
Profession
Question
Is there any government in the Muslim World that you would consider in true support of the Muslims? If not then why is this?
Answer
I would say that up till know I don’t see a government that is fully representing its people. There is a promising situation in Iran, but it is still too soon to test.
Name
Dina Kadouse
-
Profession
Question
How would you estimate the capabilities of the CIA in the Middle East? Is there a way Islamic groups operate without getting noticed by the CIA, in a peaceful way of course. Why does the CIA take so much interest in folloing Muslim groups?
Answer
Let me break this question into two categories. How capable are they? They have very capable. It is assumed that they have a great penetrating power and that they know more than what we think they do. They are working with other security agencies like the Mossad. I hope that Muslim groups have nothing to hide. They should have nothing to hide and should not be afraid. They should work in the daylight. This is a legitimate cause.
Name
Concerned Muslim
-
Profession
Question
Salaam a'laikum Br Maher,
With all due respect, I see your answers to questions here, but unfortunately, aside from saying that this situation needs to change, or that govts do not represent the people, or until they understand this, I see no substantive solution you are offering, or even counter suggestions? Is this helping anything?
Answer
I think people in each location are more knowledgeable about their situation. It is very hard for someone in America to tell someone outside America how to solve their problems. I am preoccupied by problems Muslims are facing in America. I don’t expect people from out side America to tell me how to solve them and the oppisite is also true.
