"More specifically, organizations like the Bettinger Foundation claim to be in the business of fighting world-wide terrorism. In my opinion, however, they are, to a large degree, in the business of hypocrisy, misdirection and disinformation with respect to the issue of terrorism.

"These kinds of organization are engaged in a mammoth effort to convince the American public there is something like an international terrorist conspiracy, just as there was alleged to be an international communist conspiracy, that is intent on destroying America and democracy. They are using this program of 'educating' Americans in order to direct attention away from, and to cover up, some very dirty policies and activities.

"The effectiveness of this program of 'education' is truly remarkable. All one has to do in order to demonstrate this fact is to ask almost any person in the streets of America who she or he believes is responsible for the terrorist acts taking place in the world, and the name of the United States will never, or almost never, come up as a perpetrator of terrorism.

"The very sad truth of the matter is, however, that many aspects of government, the military and the corporate world in America are now, and have been for quite some time, major players in helping to establish and perpetuate the atmosphere and environment of terrorism in which we live with fear and trembling. Organizations like the Bettinger Foundation play a very important role in not only helping to keep these truths from the American public, but also in helping to obfuscate matters and to control the damage that may occur when such truths do happen to break through into the public consciousness.

"Institutions like Bettinger exist because some elements of government, the military, academia, business and the media do not trust the American people. These elements believe that if the American people were ever given clear, steady and unimpeded access to the truth of what is being done to people and countries around the world in the name of American democracy, then the reign of power, riches, exploitation and oppression which have been enjoyed and used to such self-serving advantage by these malignant elements might become seriously threatened.

"Consequently, not only does much of the rest of the world get forced into de facto slavery as a result of the activities of these morally-challenged individuals, but the vast majority of Americans have become unwitting accessories, both before and after the fact, through the veils of ignorance that are constantly being cast over our collective consciousness by groups such as the Bettinger Foundation. Lies, manipulation, disinformation, censorship, misdirection, propaganda, indoctrination, and duplicity are standard tools of the trade for these people.

"Much of what is seen, heard, read, and learned by the majority of Americans has come to them through a whole series of carefully constructed informational and interpretive filters. Everything is made to appear objective, balanced, scholarly, rigorous, judicious and authoritative, when, in point of fact, quite frequently, none of this is the case.

"Let me give you a variety of examples which help demonstrate the truth of these claims. Although one could go on almost indefinitely with such demonstrations, I'll try to provide you with enough detail to permit you to understand the gist of my take on things.

"Virtually everybody knows about and condemns the massacre in Munich of the eleven Israeli Olympic athletes by a group of Palestinian terrorists that took place in the summer of 1976. Almost nobody knows about the Cuban airliner which was blown up in October of 1976, killing seventy-three people, including the entire gold medal-winning Cuban fencing team.

"The bombing of the plane was organized and conducted by a leading international terrorist. However, this individual had been trained by the CIA and had very close ties with that organization, carrying out many terrorist operations throughout Latin America on its behalf.

"Many Americans also might be surprised to discover that the first hijacking and the first hostage incident in the Middle East were not committed by the PLO or any similar group or organization. In point of fact, in December of 1954, a commercial, civilian jet liner from Syria was forced down at Lydda airport by Israeli jet fighters.

"The purpose of this exercise was to provide the Israeli military with hostages who, subsequently, might be exchanged for certain Israelis being held prisoner in Damascus. Apparently, there were a number of Israeli soldiers who had been on a spying mission in Syria and had the misfortune of being caught. Consequently, the Israeli military had decided to use Syrian, civilian hostages to negotiate the release of the spies.

"Let's move forward thirty-one years to 1985. In this year, an Air India jumbo jet crashed, near Ireland, killing three hundred and twenty-nine people. The cause of the crash was a bomb explosion.

"The primary suspect in this tragedy had been trained at a camp for mercenaries being run out of Alabama. The people who operated this camp were virulently anti-communist.

"While they were primarily interested in training mercenaries to serve as surrogates for US foreign policy throughout Latin America, they also trained a variety of Sikh extremists. One of the people they trained was heavily implicated in the Air India crash.

"In the same year, 1985, in March I believe, there was a car-bombing that occurred in Beirut. This caused the death of some eighty people and wounded, with varying degrees of severity, a further two hundred individuals.

"The operation was conducted by a unit consisting of Lebanese who had been trained, financed and provided with logistical support by the CIA. The unit had been organized in order to assassinate a Shi'ite leader who was merely suspected of being connected, in some way, with attacks on various US installations in Lebanon ... so much for due process and innocent until proven guilty.

"Sticking with Lebanon for a moment, Americans were horrified when two hundred forty-one Marines were killed in that country during October, 1983. These deaths were the result of a suicide bombing operation.

"Many, if not most, Americans were led to believe that the incident was just one more example of the completely irrational, uncivilized terrorist presence which was considered to be responsible for many of the problems in the Middle East. The Marines were portrayed as just the latest victims of the senseless, wanton disease of terrorism that was stalking Americans around the world.

"Few Americans were ever informed that, among other provocations, the US battleship, New Jersey, had been regularly bombing the hills of Lebanon in order to lend support to the Christian-dominated government. Apparently, bombing defenseless civilians in violation of international law, as well as in violation of the charter of the United Nations, is rational and proper, while trying to fight against those who are illegally occupying one's home land is an act of terrorism.

"Once again, organizations like the Bettinger Foundation play a fundamental role in convincing Americans that white is black and black is white. They have helped us to invert, and, in so doing, pervert, all of the values and principles for which we believe America stands."

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