Great American Heroes: Ho Chi Minh, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden

(SALEM, Ore.) - I'd wager that many people looked at the title to this story and assumed this is some tongue-in-cheek notion I came up with for shock value; after all those guys - being American heroes? You would be fair to think I've been out in the sun a little too long.

This might be my most offbeat tribute ever. 'Uncle Ho', Hussein and bin Laden; all men who ended up on America's most hated list before their time was through, but the title is true to form and is really unfortunate, and uncomfortable. Each of these high profile leaders, at one time or another, was an ally of the United States, US missions and interests overseas.

I recognize that some people can't absorb simple facts if you beat them over the head with an Encyclopedia, but those trying to make sense of the US military, past costly wars and their overall relationship to a history of racism, will find this interesting.

America has an intense record of encouraging indigenous people to side with the US military machine, with large promises, and then failing these allies generally long before the final hour.

I cite these as recent crucial examples of the United States' historic refusal to help nations whose people are not white, or Christian or Jewish, unless a whole lot of oil or natural resource revenue is on the line. With total hypocrisy, American politicians periodically embrace and enlist the help of the same men they brand as sub-human when the time is right.

Hồ Chí Minh (Vietnamese pronunciation: [hô̤ tɕǐmɪŋ] had a working relationship with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Second World War; he fought the Japanese on behalf of, and at the request of, the United States of America. It was certainly a mixed up and complicated matter that didn't sit well with some political leaders like Winston Churchill. Ho Chi Minh represented the Communist Viet Minh.

According to Wikipedia: "When the Chinese selected the Viet Minh to lead the Vietnamese against Japan in 1943, the league automatically received the support of the U.S. mission in China, which bankrolled virtually the entire Chinese war effort. U.S. policy makers, already concerned about postwar plans for Indochina, found themselves tied to Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh." ^[6]

The alliance with the Americans was a matter the Communists prided themselves on. Soon stories about meetings between Viet Minh guerillas and American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, began circulating throughout northern Viet Nam.

Wikipedia states: "When U.S. policy makers finally decided after World War II that Ho Chi Minh was an enemy, the extent of OSS assistance became a matter of controversy. OSS officials, perhaps fearful of accusations that they had aided Communists, insisted that only a few side arms had been given." Tragically, it was another case in a pattern of national politics versus human integrity.

In the immediate years following World War II, Ho Chi Minh went so far as to offer Vietnam as a US territory in exchange for not reestablishing the French government that had colonized and ruled Vietnam without giving a proper or adequate voice to the indigenous population.

If Roosevelt had lived, he never would have funded the return of colonial French forces to Vietnam, which launched the French Vietnam or "Indochina" War". He also would not have allowed the murder and displacement of the Palestinians for the establishment of Israel, as his successor did.

Ho Chi Minh repeatedly wrote to President Harry Truman, seeking to build positive relations with the US. Vietnam had not been autonomous in so many years; Ho Chi Minh wrote about how he believed Americans of all people would respect their quest for independence. None of the communiques to Truman were ever returned.

These were Truman's very costly political mistakes and millions have died as a result of that US president.

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic:صدام حسين التكريتي) was a puppet leader for American politicians until a US led Coalition turned on him in 1990. Hussein launched the Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War (جنگ تحمیلی, Jang-e-tahmīlī) and Holy Defense (دفاع مقدس, Defā'-e-moghaddas) in Iran, which was covertly funded, not very secretly at all as it turned out, by the US government^[7].

Uncle Sam was sore and had a severely damaged ego after the US hostage crisis that took place during the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah in Tehran in 1979.

Saddam Hussein and his military, always traditionally at odds with the neighboring Persians in Iran, were willing to launch an unprecedented modern style war that involved the use of chemical weapons, and was an act of punishment against Iran's new leadership. The war was fought locally, but outside western influences were the benefactors^[8].

This U.S. funded effort led to the loss of over half a million Iranian and Iraqi lives, with a large number of civilians among them. The war was another loser for Uncle Sam, as Iran sent the Iraqi forces packing in defeat in 1989.

An art professor in Tehran, Roya Barette, tells Salem-News that hundreds of thousands of people who were civilians during the war, suffer from often extreme cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) today, along with Iran's military veterans.

After fighting Iran for nine straight years on behalf of America's interest in destabilizing the Middle east, Iraq invaded Kuwait the following year, after being told by a US diplomat that American forces would not interfere.

The invasion of Kuwait incited the Gulf War; a quick US led defeat of Iraq's military with a large coalition of other nations.

The PTSD problem in the Iraqi Army was treated by US forces who attacked the men as they tried to retreat to Baghdad. Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops who only one year before were fighting and losing a war on behalf of the US, funded with US money, were trapped and slaughtered like ants on a child's playground.

Even today some of the buses and cars and military equipment of the Iraqi Army in 1991, remains strewn along the "Highway of death" which served as a US Air Force killing field. If you look at the photos carefully you will see things like a machine gun sticking out of the sand, buses, twisted pieces of cars, and what appear to be bleached white human bones. I was told the area was "very dirty", meaning that Depleted Uranium ordinance had been used, and as a result the place was dangerous.

Iraq's PTSD problem was quickly resolved; by the decimation of its military in retreat.

After the close of the Cold War, the US wasted no time in launching a massive military operation against Iraq and Saddam Hussein, faithful friend of the US who was told he could invade Kuwait without reprisal from the Bush government. Along with Iraqi government officials, he said Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil, that is what people in the Mideast believe. I have met several eastern Europeans who know the same story and also tend to believe it.

Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (with numerous variations; Arabic: (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن), like Saddam Hussein and Ho Chi Minh, led a fight funded by American money that involved the loss of life on a large scale.

Saddam Hussein fought a war of aggression and revenge against Iran that was totally needless.

World War Two was a must-win effort and Ho Chi Minh's forces were extremely useful in fighting the Japanese.

It is Osama bin Laden's war however, that stands out like no other. Right or wrong, even though Russia and China were both on the American side during WWII, the west turned bitterly against Communism following WWII and vice versa, and the "Cold War" was on.

This protracted conflict was the stage setting for a Third World War that never quite started; it kept Russia and the US in a military standoff and weapons buildup that threatened the entire earth and spanned over 40 years.

Osama bin Laden was a key player in the Afghanistan resistance movement that was launched in chaos after Soviet forces invaded the country with the intent of squashing dissent and restoring Communist order to Afghanistan. The resistance, known as the Mujahideen, consisted of jihadist fighters serving under regional warlords^[9].

According to Wikipedia: "One of the CIA's longest and most expensive covert operations was the supplying of billions of dollars in arms to the Afghan mujahideen militants. The arms included Stinger missiles, shoulder-fired, antiaircraft weapons that they used against Soviet helicopters and that later were in circulation among terrorists who have fired such weapons at commercial airliners. Osama bin Laden was among the recipients of U.S. arms." ^[10]

By 1989 the Soviet military in Afghanistan was in disarray; taking unacceptable losses and suffering from Hepatitis tied to the consumption of unsanitary food. They were defeated and retreated to Russia with broken spirits. The Soviets left thousands of tanks and trucks and rows and rows of jet fighters, abandoned on Afghan military airfields. Many left their hearts and minds behind as well. Many were killed.

Osama bin Laden, funded as part of a group created by the CIA that everyone has heard of a thousand times; al Qaeda, and his fellow warlords like the late Ahmad Massoud, a truly great individual and tactical military leader, defeated the Russians and set the collapse of the Soviet Union into motion. That was one of the century's most extraordinarily military achievements^[11].

At the end of the day the answer is simple. The United States of America is a nation that, as much as we hate to admit, was formed by people who were such hardcore racists that they actually owned other human beings.

The slavery of African-Americans was accompanied, but mostly followed by the genocidal war to wipe the Native American tribes off the map.

This was eventually followed by the First World War in 1917, where the US insisted that France implement racial discrimination for blacks in their Army, before agreeing to add the American component to the allied war effort.

Then the US entered WWII with total racial segregation for blacks, while Japanese-American families were rounded up and imprisoned in internment camps.

In 1947 the US military was finally desegregated, though that launched a number of other racial problems that continue to this day as an extremely significant problem in varying segments of American armed forces.

I believe the three "notorious" men referenced in this article all made substantial contributions toward goals consistent with those of the US government. Having said that, each has a long list of accusations of wrongdoing that will never go away.

Osama bin Laden is the only one who lives, if he does at all. It is interesting to note that his FBI wanted poster does not list any involvement with the tragedy of Sept. 11 2001^[12].

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross.

Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu

In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005. Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tense of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide. You can write to Tim at this address: tim@salem-news.com. Visit Tim's Facebook page (facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter)

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January 13, 2011 8:26 am (Pacific time)

Eff off

Ellen Hammond August 3, 2010 9:10 am (Pacific time)

Thanks so very,very much for putting out this information about our country. All my adult life I have been trying to put honest people in power but where my mistake was is that I did'nt follow and watch what they were doing. I just trusted them which I'm sorry for now.They were'nt honest like I thought they were.I'm 83 so the rest of the time I have left on this earth I'll be trying to make up for my past mistakes. Our country is worth fighting for. It's ours and we have to try to make sure the people we put in power do as the people want and not do as they want. Right now we have bases almost in every country but the only base we have in this country is our own.So now we can become a "school yard bully" and bully other countrys into doing as we want.We don't need this great military complex IMO as this makes other countrys fear us. IMO thats why they don't like us s Our leaders lie to our people about why we are going to war just to make our people get behind them and our problem has been is we believe our leaders and not keep an eye on what their doing. This makes other countrys not like us or trust us. I don't know what you think about WikiLeakss but I believe this young man is trying to get the truth out to the people what our county is doing to other places as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their making our soldiers do horrible things to innocent people and IMO thats why so many of our soldiers are committing suicide. We not only need to get behind this soldier thats letting us know the truth in whats happening over there but also help him get out of prison. If you believe this can you write an article bout him and the great work he is doing? In my heart he is a hero. Thanks again for ALL you do.We need more like you. grammaellen

Scott August 3, 2010 8:49 am (Pacific time)

Editor what are you really trying to imply about Osama? That someone else was behind the 9/11 attacks? I have read many of the different conpiracy theories on this matter, and if you go with the flow of evidence, then why did Sandy Berger and others in the Clinton Administration fail to kill Osama on at least two occasions that they had him in their sights? Considering that the formulation of the plan to attack us on 9/11 took place during the Clinton Administration, because those who flew the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were here training for those infamous acts during the late 90's, maybe we need to put some of the Clinton personnel under the microscope? So what did Sandy Berger really steal from the archives? I agree that the 9/11 Commission Report should be questioned, especially when you had Jamie Gorelick on that commission. She was the one who created the walls between our different intelligent gathering organizations and had all intelligence flow through her office at the Attorney General office, where she was second in command. Yes many question need to be addressed.

Editor: Scott, we have gone far down this road and we do have our theories. Many articles of this nature are published on Salem-News.com. Clinton wanted to kill bin Laden and Bush essentially ignored the warnings. Sadly, it is entirely possible that bin Laden had very little to do with 911. Of course people would have to believe him, and the news anchors and politicians have been playing the 'bin Laden tapes' for years, always with timing that seems to address certain goals.

George Young August 2, 2010 5:48 pm (Pacific time)

Editor: The evidence is pretty hard to dismiss that Osama was behind the 9/11 attacks, and of course, many other terrorists attacks. The 9/11 Commission Report clearly implicates Osama, as well as the following report done shortly after the attacks. "Summary of evidence against Osama bin Laden in 9/11 terror attacks...RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TERRORIST ATROCITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 (this is the full text of the document released by the British government on Thursday October 4, 2001. Paragraphs #1 through #69 at below link. CONCLUSION #70. The attacks of the 11 September 2001 were planned and carried out by al-Qaida, an organization whose head is Osama bin Laden. That organization has the will, and the resources, to execute further attacks of similar scale. Both the United States and its close allies are targets for such attacks. The attack could not have occurred without the alliance between the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, which allowed bin Laden to operate freely in Afghanistan, promoting, planning and executing terrorist activity. http://everything2.com/title/Summary+of+evidence+against+Osama+bin+Laden+in+9%252F11+terror+attacks

Editor: George, look, I know what the US media and politicians have told us and I appreciate that you went and dug up some material and brought it to the table. Let me say first that there are major questions and issues related to the 911 Commission. Our writers have covered this in great detail. I think it is fair to say that their report is controversial; in fact I don't know where to begin, but I digress.

This is what the FBI states about Usama bin Laden:

"USAMA BIN LADEN IS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE AUGUST 7, 1998, BOMBINGS OF THE UNITED STATES EMBASSIES IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, AND NAIROBI, KENYA. THESE ATTACKS KILLED OVER 200 PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, BIN LADEN IS A SUSPECT IN OTHER TERRORIST ATTACKS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD."

Beyond the fact that the Sept. 11th attacks aren't mentioned first, is the fact that they are not referenced at all. Don't you think the greatest attack on US mainland soil in modern history deserves the headline? Again, there is no mention of it. I would appreciate it if you would go over the document in person: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm. You can find the same address simply by Googling 'FBI Top Ten Most Wanted' and it is all from them.

Please understand that I am no fan of Osam bin Laden, I hope that is obvious. I just want people to understand the complex maze of betrayal that underscores a large part of American history. I do believe with all my heart that racism is a component in almost all of it. I also believe that bin Laden was a bona fide terrorist, but if you read the following story, you will discover more about this specific history. One interesting aspect is that bin Laden was no 'black sheep' as he is so frequently described, at least on one hand, because he was a jihadist hero who defeated the Soviets and drove them from Afghanistan. Please read the article below:

Jun-18-2010: A Colorado Ex-Con's Quest to Kill bin Laden - Tim King Salem-News.com

George Young August 2, 2010 10:11 am (Pacific time)

Had I during my university years, make that even high school, handed in a research paper that provided any source that was not of a primary nature it would have been rejected. There is so much inaccurate information out there that gets passed as fact, that a steady stream of disinformation is having a very negative impact on our people, of all ages. Several years ago in Portland, Oregon, some people were trying to get the African Baseline studies to be part of the school curriculum. They were quickly ripped apart for not just being unscholarly, but so full of unsupported material that they were quickly dismissed as propaganda, and very poor propaganda at that, but they are being taught in other parts of the country, unfortunately. I on occasion look at the info on Wikipedia, but as stated earlier, they would be rejected as a source in a formal research paper. Regarding WWI, before Wilson sent our people there, Germany was ready to sue for peace, but France wanted to literally destroy them. Then many deals were made to get us involved, and any deal concerning blacks would have to be looked at as pretty small in scope, and suspiciously elevated as maybe not factual, and/or of any real consequence. Certainly I agree that many people, including blacks, have not gotten appropriate recognition for their contributions, but putting things in factual perspective as to their role in history is how things generally work out. As we know now, bringing Germany to it's knees, after so many thousands of Americans needlessly died because of Wilson's criminal incompetence, allowed Hitler to rise to power. France only survived because of our intervention, and now they undergoing a serious problem that is causing considerable unrest because of their immigration policies, something we are also experiencing. It's unfortunate that segregation is in our history, but that has been going on all over the world, even in areas that appear to be racially homogeneous, for example in Asia...segregation is major in that part of the world, and bigotry is prevalent on a global scale. In terms of misinformation that impacted a friend who is still teaching in the public school system dealt with a student's claim that blacks were disproportionately killed in Vietnam and in our current conflicts. Of course just the opposite is true, but many African-American parents were outraged, and even when presented with the facts they still will not accept them. Suffice, when our minds become wired with certain inaccurate info it can be very difficult to correct with actual facts. Myths die. Also didn't Osama and his top leadership take responsibility for the 9/11 attacks?

Editor: George, the only thing Osama bin Laden did regarding 9/11 was deny involvement. I know that is hard to swallow but you can look at this in many places online. You can also quickly verify the fact that there is not a single reference to the Sept. 11th attacks on the FBI wanted poster. I'm afraid we've been had to a degree, though I strongly disagree with bin Laden's Wahabiest religious sect. Like zionists, their faith is radical and extreme. Like and women are denied all rights. But remember that this is from his Saudi upbringing. Religious extremism is the root of some of the world's biggest problems, right up there with greed and a desire to dominate others.

Anonymous August 2, 2010 9:51 am (Pacific time)

I liked the article Tim. That there might be a typo here and there, the point came across loud an clear. How the U.S. seems to start the chaos. What is missing in this story, is that the elite/zionists/bankers set this all up. Including, in their own writings, to plan a demonization of the U.S., and their citizens, to hide their corruption and thievery. That is why Daniel posts an article by Mohmmad Hanif, who was bought and paid for by both the corporate/government controlled and owned washington post and the BBC. The best way for the MSM to lie and make it real is to hire people with brown skin with a mid eastern accent, spreading their lies.

August 1, 2010 11:17 am (Pacific time)

Tim, Although not to argue against slavery, it should be noted that the original slaves in America were actually white and that even during the period of "black" slavery, blacks owned black not only in the U.S. but in Africa, where black on black slavery exists even today. Even in Haiti, a country made from freed slaves, slavery exists today. This is not about racism. Black slaves were a result of "international trade" where the lowest price reigns supreme. Finally, I do not think there is actual proof of Bin Laden's involvement in the 2001 attack, is there?

Justin Hopker August 1, 2010 6:48 pm (Pacific time)

This artcle presents a very disturbing view of American history. You referenced racism quite a bit, so I assume that is the major theme you are trying to promote. Your reference to blacks in France during WWI sure sounds like some urban myth that conspiracy theorists like to promote, among many other things that are devoid of any real evidence. Take a look at the characters who were the decison-makers along your timeline, including those that allowed for racial seperation in the military and in many other civilian areas. Wilson during WWI, FDR and Truman during WWII and the Korean War, and LBJ during the Vietnam War and practically all of S.E. Asia that he pulled us into via a treaty that the democratic congress orchestrated, then quit funding. I am especially proud of America, for we have done more for freedom in the last 100 years than all other countries combined. As they said back during my military service about America: Love it or leave it! The south has gotten a lot of grief by some who call it a racial cesspool that whites control. Well what's the background of the Louisiana Governor, the soon to be elected governor of South Carolina, and many other elected officials within the republican/conservative party. Who is in ethical jeopardy now? Rangel the head of the tax writing committee for not paying some taxes for over 8 years, Maxine Waters of the Banking committee, for banking problems, and on and on. Now if you consider mentioning their ethical and maybe criminal problems as an act of racism, then the path you're on is a very lightly traveled one young man. Expect racism to get even worse as time goes on, for the incredibly high school drop out rates for minorities will make a large and growing percentage of them a permanent underclass, and easy to manipulate by the real racists out there. Violence is coming and I know how it will end, for there is a real clear history what will happen. This could all be avoided by getting "all" people to take responsibility for their individual behaior rather than blaming the crap mythmakers spew.

Tim King: You're barking in the wrong territory Justin, don't let your ignorance cause you to sound obnoxious, please. The story about WWI is absolutely factual, I didn't go into immense detail because I didn't want the article to be a mile long. I would bet money that you didn't Google it before stating your opinion, true? Do you know who Eugene Bullard was? Have you ever been to Paris? Do you know there was a single black pilot in WWI? Do you care? The answers all should be known before you write a comment like this.

Learn about Eugene Bullard: Sep-22-2006: Book Review: Eugene Bullard - Black Expatriate in Jazz-Age Paris - Book Review by Tim King Salem-News.com

I do not write from bad sources, that is some kind of line, and people reading this can easily figure that out for themselves. Or do you think Wikipedia is all made up? Sort of like your allegations are? You also infer that the south is not racist and that makes you lose far more credibility.

Larry August 1, 2010 2:50 pm (Pacific time)

The Hmong's were sent to Laos, not Cambodia. Also, many Hmong's are still being killed in the jungle of laos. Here is a link to their stories. American media has also shy away from this tragedy. www.factfinding.org

Tim King: Yikes, I regret that error and thank you for setting that straight. I will correct it but let this exist for a couple of days to acknowledge the error. Once again, I was on an all night writing binge and tired the whole time, but unable to stop. Thank you for this.

Daniel Johnson August 1, 2010 2:36 pm (Pacific time)

Check out Mohammed Hanif's piece in today's NYT: "In Pakistan, Echoes of American Betrayal" at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/opinion/01hanif.html

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Great American Heroes: Ho Chi Minh, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden

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