Mr. Thomsen and myself, Mr. Mertin, the owners of this website, have observed the latest political and military developments since Wednesday with the most sincere concern. In our opinion it is a tragedy that it has come so far and that all peaceful efforts were thrown aside as the U.S. have begun their attacks. No question that a dictatorship may not be the best political system to have in a country but is that really our's to decide on? And are there not other countries in the far east that should be observed with similar concern? The United Nations Security Council has been rendered ineffective by the decision George W. Bush has made. We admit though that politics would have taken a much longer time frame. Our thoughts are with the victims of this war - Soldiers and civilians on both sides of the frontiers. Worldwide acclaimed brazilian author Paul Coelho, author of ?The Alchemist?, amongst other works, and member of the Brazilian Academy of Arts & Letters, wrote the following critical open letter to the President of the United States...
A Folha de Sao Paulo
First published: http://www.folha.uol.com.br/folha/
Author: Paul Coelho
March 8, 2003
Thank you, George Bush, the Great Leader. First of all, may I thank you for showing all of us the danger which Saddam Hussein represents. Perhaps many of us might have forgotten that he used chemical weapons against his own people as well as against the people of Iran. Hussein is a blood-thirsty dictator, and certainly an embodiment of evil in the world today. However, that is not the only reason why I am thanking you. In the early months of 2003, you helped show us, sir, many important things about the world, and it is for this that you have my gratitude. I was taught as child to always say "thank you" to someone who has done me a favor, and it is in that spirit that I write these words. Thank you for showing us all that the people of Turkey and their Parliament are not for sale, not even for $26 billion dollars. Thank you for showing us clearly the enormous abyss which exists between the decisions taken by leaders of nations and the true desires of their people. Thank you for helping us see with painful clarity that whether it is José Aznar of Spain or Tony Blair of the UK, that our so called elected leaders don?t have the slightest regard or respect for the fact that over 90% of their population are against war. Thank you for allowing us to witness the ease with whichTony Blair was able to blithely ignore the largest public protest held in England in the last 30 years. Thank you, because your insistence on war forced Blair to go to Parliament with a plagiarized dossier which consisted of notes written ten years ago by an arab graduate student. As a result we were able to witness the unbelievable farce of Blair insisting that these notes represented ?proof? gathered by the British secret service. Thank you for for making Colin Powell descend to the ridiculous by showing the UN Security Council photographs, which a week later were publicly denounced by Hans Blix, the weapons inspector responsible for verifying the disarmament of Iraq Thank you, because your position on war resulted in the French Foreign Minister, Mr. Dominique de Villepin, in his speech against war on Iraq, being honored by a standing ovation. This is an honor which, if I am correct, has only happened once before in the history of the U.N., and that was during a presentation by Nelson Mandela. Thank you, because due to your strenuous push for war, for the first time the Arab nations of the Gulf, usually so divided, have found a reason to unite and have recently issued a joint resolution in Cairo condemning your proposed invasion. You have brought about a unity of opinion amongst the arab nations, that they had not achieved on their own. Thank you, because as a result of your administration?s rhetoric blasting the United Nations as ?irrelevant?, even the most undecided and reluctant nations have been inspired to take a position against your country?s attack on Iraq. Thank you for your extraordinary foreign policy. Attempts to defend your ambitions have caused British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, to attempt to argue a case for a ?moral war?, and with each attempt lose more international credibility. Thank you for attempting to divide Europe, which after a century of war and upheaval has been fighting for unity. This was a warning clearly seen by all of us, and it will not be forgotten. Thank you for finally managing to achieve what few have managed in the past century: to unite millions of people, across the continents and give them a common cause to fight for, even if that cause is the exact opposite from yours. Thank you for letting us feel that even if our words are not being heard, they are at least being repeated. This will give us strength in the future. Thank you, because without your esteemed help, we wouldn?t have known the extent to which we were capable of mobilizing. Perhaps this appears useless today...but it will serve us in the future. Thank you. So, now that the drums of war seem to beat with unstoppable ferocity, I want to add an insight, words uttered by an ancient European King to a would-be invader: ?May your morning be glorious and May the sun shine brightly on the armor of your soldiers, because in the afternoon I will defeat you.? Mr. Bush, thank you as well for visibly trying to stop a movement which has already begun. We will pay attention to the feelings of impotence, and the sensations it arouses within us. We will learn to deal with those emotions, and we will transform them. In the meantime, may you enjoy your beautiful morning, and all the glory that it may bring you. Thank you, because I know you will not listen to us, nor take us seriously. Know, however, that we have listened to you and heard you clearly, and we will not soon forget your words. Thank you, George W. Bush, the great leader! Many thanks to you. Mr. Coelho certainly has his points. We would like to point out that this is our personal opinion about this war. Please post your comments in our forums over here. Translation from portugese: Blogspot.com The War at a glance @ BBC UK
A Folha de Sao Paulo
First published: http://www.folha.uol.com.br/folha/
Author: Paul Coelho
March 8, 2003
Thank you, George Bush, the Great Leader. First of all, may I thank you for showing all of us the danger which Saddam Hussein represents. Perhaps many of us might have forgotten that he used chemical weapons against his own people as well as against the people of Iran. Hussein is a blood-thirsty dictator, and certainly an embodiment of evil in the world today. However, that is not the only reason why I am thanking you. In the early months of 2003, you helped show us, sir, many important things about the world, and it is for this that you have my gratitude. I was taught as child to always say "thank you" to someone who has done me a favor, and it is in that spirit that I write these words. Thank you for showing us all that the people of Turkey and their Parliament are not for sale, not even for $26 billion dollars. Thank you for showing us clearly the enormous abyss which exists between the decisions taken by leaders of nations and the true desires of their people. Thank you for helping us see with painful clarity that whether it is José Aznar of Spain or Tony Blair of the UK, that our so called elected leaders don?t have the slightest regard or respect for the fact that over 90% of their population are against war. Thank you for allowing us to witness the ease with whichTony Blair was able to blithely ignore the largest public protest held in England in the last 30 years. Thank you, because your insistence on war forced Blair to go to Parliament with a plagiarized dossier which consisted of notes written ten years ago by an arab graduate student. As a result we were able to witness the unbelievable farce of Blair insisting that these notes represented ?proof? gathered by the British secret service. Thank you for for making Colin Powell descend to the ridiculous by showing the UN Security Council photographs, which a week later were publicly denounced by Hans Blix, the weapons inspector responsible for verifying the disarmament of Iraq Thank you, because your position on war resulted in the French Foreign Minister, Mr. Dominique de Villepin, in his speech against war on Iraq, being honored by a standing ovation. This is an honor which, if I am correct, has only happened once before in the history of the U.N., and that was during a presentation by Nelson Mandela. Thank you, because due to your strenuous push for war, for the first time the Arab nations of the Gulf, usually so divided, have found a reason to unite and have recently issued a joint resolution in Cairo condemning your proposed invasion. You have brought about a unity of opinion amongst the arab nations, that they had not achieved on their own. Thank you, because as a result of your administration?s rhetoric blasting the United Nations as ?irrelevant?, even the most undecided and reluctant nations have been inspired to take a position against your country?s attack on Iraq. Thank you for your extraordinary foreign policy. Attempts to defend your ambitions have caused British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, to attempt to argue a case for a ?moral war?, and with each attempt lose more international credibility. Thank you for attempting to divide Europe, which after a century of war and upheaval has been fighting for unity. This was a warning clearly seen by all of us, and it will not be forgotten. Thank you for finally managing to achieve what few have managed in the past century: to unite millions of people, across the continents and give them a common cause to fight for, even if that cause is the exact opposite from yours. Thank you for letting us feel that even if our words are not being heard, they are at least being repeated. This will give us strength in the future. Thank you, because without your esteemed help, we wouldn?t have known the extent to which we were capable of mobilizing. Perhaps this appears useless today...but it will serve us in the future. Thank you. So, now that the drums of war seem to beat with unstoppable ferocity, I want to add an insight, words uttered by an ancient European King to a would-be invader: ?May your morning be glorious and May the sun shine brightly on the armor of your soldiers, because in the afternoon I will defeat you.? Mr. Bush, thank you as well for visibly trying to stop a movement which has already begun. We will pay attention to the feelings of impotence, and the sensations it arouses within us. We will learn to deal with those emotions, and we will transform them. In the meantime, may you enjoy your beautiful morning, and all the glory that it may bring you. Thank you, because I know you will not listen to us, nor take us seriously. Know, however, that we have listened to you and heard you clearly, and we will not soon forget your words. Thank you, George W. Bush, the great leader! Many thanks to you. Mr. Coelho certainly has his points. We would like to point out that this is our personal opinion about this war. Please post your comments in our forums over here. Translation from portugese: Blogspot.com The War at a glance @ BBC UK
