13813: (Chamberlain) re 13804: Pina comments on Bin Laden chant (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

> Pina writes:


> Bin Laden be damned, I have never known a Lavalasien to have any sympathy
> for attacks against the United States

I remember running into a group of young Lavalassiens manning a polling
station in the second round of the parliamentary elections in PauP on 20
January 1991.  The Gulf War was a month away and these lads were wildly in
favour of Saddam Hussein because he was against the US and was going to be
attacked.  They hated the US and its policies.  Nothing unexpected about
that reaction in any small, poor country. Or indeed in plenty of big, rich
ones these days.

I have little doubt that despite Pina's ineffectual attempts to whitewash
the government and its paid or unpaid supporters (after the manner of such
servants of other regimes, often foreigners), pro-Ben Laden shouts were
heard from some in the crowd.  There is currently enough pro-Bin Laden
graffiti around PauP (and even "Alla est Dieu") to make this perfectly
likely.  But we must expect to be told that these slogans were put there at
the dead of night by people from The Embassy as part of "manipulation."  As
ever, anything to fit the facts to one's fantasies.


        Greg Chamberlain