Acts of Cowardice
By Jonathan Elendu 

 Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com

America woke up on the morning of Tuesday, September 11 to an unprecedented terrorist attack on its soil. It was the worst case of man's inhumanity to man perpetrated on 
American soil. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan were struck, on two separate but synchronized attacks, by airplanes. This was part of a larger terrorist 
attack on the United States of America. The Pentagon was also struck by an airplane. An explosion was also reported at the US Capitol. All together, four commercial airliners were hijacked for these 
attacks. While three struck their targets, one of the planes crashed at a corn field near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There were over two hundred passengers and at least thirty-three crew members 
aboard these airliners.

Nearly a year ago, just after the bombing of the USS Cole, I wrote an article chronicling the various tragedies 
that had taken place last October, starting with the violence on the streets of Gaza. I was heartbroken by 
the violence that claimed the lives of innocent men, women, and children. These people became victims of a war they had little knowledge of, 
and could hardly influence. These recent attacks on America is as cowardly as the attacks on 
the USS Cole.

There is a saying by my people: "Sane people don't throw stones into a 
crowded area." The commonsensical reason for this is that when you throw stones into a crowd, 
there is a chance it may fall on the head of your family member or friend. Obviously those who 
carried out these attacks did not care whether they hit their kith and kin. There is also an old 
cliche that says: "One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter." No one, who was involved in 
these cowardly attacks, can be called anybody's freedom fighter; these were cowards who hid 
behind women and children.

I have always associated the act of fighting with soldiers. Soldiers fight 
wars. The men and women behind these attacks are not soldiers; either for their faith, beliefs, 
or ideals. Hijacking planes with innocent men, women and children aboard, and smashing those 
airplanes into buildings where civilians work cannot be considered acts of bravery. What 
faith, what ideals, what freedom can benefit from the loss of lives of women, children and 
harmless men?

The whole world must come together, shout from their rooftops in condemnation 
of these dastardly acts. The entire world must show its outrage. We must unite against 
whoever is behind these acts. The men and women connected, in anyway, to the planning and 
execution of these attacks must find no succor or comfort anywhere on the face of this planet. 
There must be no hiding place for these cowards.

Sometimes I wonder how God would rate some of his creations. Would he be smiling down on us in pride or would his tears flood the world as he regrets that his highest 
creation is the most destructive in the nature family? Man is the only member of the nature family 
that attacks without provocation and with extreme brutality. 

Some have claimed that these attacks may have been motivated by America's policies. This is argument is unbelievable. Some of us have disagreed with American policies 
from time to time but that in no way justifies the killing of innocent men, women and children. 
These people were no policy makers and therefore could not be held culpable. I thought that 
visiting a father's sin on his children was limited to the Old Testament.

It is easy to see that this is somehow linked to the Middle East. While it  could be argued that this would not have happened if the Clinton Administration had achieved peace in 
the Middle East, I posit that the perpetrators of these acts are the same people who have worked 
against any form of peace in the Middle East. They do not want peace. Their very existence is 
dependent on the suffering, maiming and killing of the innocent.

This attack on America is an attack on all lovers of freedom and indeed the  entire human race.
No member of the human community should condone these outrageous acts carried 
out by the lowest of the human race; scum of the earth. The men and women involved in 
these cowardly acts, whoever they are, wherever they are, have murdered sleep. There must be 
no resting place for them, they shall not know peace. Never!

I was shocked to read in a Nigerian newspaper that some people in the northern state of Zamfara, 
Nigeria took to the streets to celebrate these acts of terrorism on American 
cities. I have refrained from commenting on the Sharia matter in Northern Nigeria for the 
simple reason that I believe religion is a personal affair. If those idiots on the streets of 
Zamfara represent the face of Sharia, I regret that I come from the same country with them. The government 
and people of Nigeria must condemn these acts of cowardice. The governor of Zamfara State 
should hide his head in shame. 

On a personal note: Readers of my commentries in USAfricaonline.com, especially my writings on the 
Chandra Levy and Gary Condit saga, would be familiar with the name Barbara Olsen. She is the 
conservative commentator and lawyer whom I have criticized from time to time. I disagreed 
with her positions on the Chandra Levy-Gary Condit affair. I was shocked beyond words 
when CNN reported that she was killed in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Ms. 
Olsen, it was, that brought to the knowledge of the world, the weapons used by the cowards who 
attacked America.
As her plane was hijacked, Ms. Olsen called her husband, Ted Olsen, the 
Solicitor General of America, and told him what was going on and asked for instructions for the 
pilots and the crew.
Her courage, in the face of fire, was an act of heroism. 

I have received emails from Nigeria and Europe telling me of Ms. Olsen's 
demise. I never met Barbara Olsen. I disagreed with her position on many issues. My heart goes 
out to her husband, Ted, their children and indeed the entire Olsen family. I grieve with all the 
families whose lives have been touched by these acts of cowardice. I feel like I lost a part of my 
family. Barbara, wherever you are, I doff my hat to you. You were one great lady. I wish I had 
known you. God be with you always.    
Elendu is a contributing editor of USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com