Ironically, Many Of These People, Including Osama

Speaking As A New Yorker, I Found It A Shocking And Terrifying Event [9/11], Particularly The Scale Of It. At Bottom, It Was An Implacable Desire To Do Harm To Innocent People. It Was Aimed At Symbols: The World Trade Center, The Heart Of American Capitalism, And The Pentagon, The Headquarters Of The American Military Establishment.

Note That There Was No Claim For These Attacks [on 9/11]. There Were No Demands. There Were No Statements. It Was A Silent Piece Of Terror.

In 1985, A Group Of Mujahedeen Came To Washington And Was Greeted By President Reagan, Who Called Them "freedom Fighters." These People, By The Way, Don't Represent Islam In Any Formal Sense. They're Not Imams Or Sheiks. They Are Self-appointed Warriors For Islam.

Every Single Empire In Its Official Discourse Has Said That It Is Not Like All The Others, That Its Circumstances Are Special, That It Has A Mission To Enlighten, Civilize, Bring Order And Democracy, And That It Uses Force Only As A Last Resort. And, Sadder Still, There Always Is A Chorus Of Willing Intellectuals To Say Calming Words About Benign Or Altruistic Empires.

Captain Ahab Was A Man Possessed With An Obsessional Drive To Pursue The White Whale Which Had Harmed Him - Which Had Torn His Leg Out - To The Ends Of The Earth, No Matter What Happened. In The Final Scene Of The Novel, Captain Ahab Is Being Borne Out To Sea, Wrapped Around The White Whale With The Rope Of His Own Harpoon And Going Obviously To His Death. It Was A Scene Of Almost Suicidal Finality.