Reflections on the Oklahoma City Bombing

On April 19, 1995, a truck bomb exploded at a government building and killed 168 people. Most of the people killed were government workers and this was the intent of the bomber,Timothy McVeigh. The American born terrorist was retaliating against his government for its alleged brutality against Iraq during the Persian Gulf war of 1991. The Iraqi invasion and conquest of Kuwait is one of the most blatant acts of aggression in the twentieth century. Incredibly, McVeigh, a veteran of this war who helped the United States liberate Kuwait from Iraq, turned against his own government.

I will never forget this horrific day. I was working as an Army Civilian and my job was to protect American interests in the Persian Gulf and to protect the American People from all the various threats coming from the countries in this region. I was part of a great team that was very successful in this area. We had successfully deterred the dreaded Soviet invasion of Iran, stopped the Iranian Revolution in its tracks and limited this revolution to Iran itself, and protected American interests in the area during the Iran-Iraq War. Incredibly, we were not hit with any oil embargoes and the oil continued to flow from the region even though Iran and Iraq slugged it out for years. The war ended where it started with both countries basically confined to their original borders. I was not responsible for domestic threats, and like most Americans, I was astonished when one of our own turned on us.

It was just another day working for the Department of the Army and I heard about it on television at the office. As a government worker, I was a potential target of this terrorist group and I had no idea how big the organization was or if they were targeting the building where I worked. It really did not matter if my life was in danger. Accomplishing my mission was more important than my life itself.

It was just about impossible for me to understand why Timothy McVeigh turned against his own people, his own country. The late Saddam Hussein, the brutal dictator of Iraq was one of the worst tyrants who ever lived. Saddam was determined to turn Iraq into the major superpower in the Persian Gulf. He invaded Iran in an effort to split that country in half and capture its oil wealth. When this did not work, he invaded and conquered Kuwait. He would have terrorized the Kuwaiti people if the United States allowed his aggression to stand. The United States did its noble duty by liberating Kuwait, and Timothy McVeigh was part of a just cause. How in the world Timothy McVeigh got the story backwards and turned on his own people, his own country, is simply beyond me.

As with most Americans, it took a long time for me to understand the significance of the event. To this day, there are still too many Americans who believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories and are ready to turn against their own country, their own people. There are militia groups forming all over the country because of this.

In a sense, the Oklahoma City bombing is both similar and different to the recent tragedy at Fort Hood. In both cases an American soldier attacked his own people, his own country, Their motivations, however, were quite different. Overall, the world has become more dangerous since the Oklahoma City bombing.

The American People are still sensitive to acts of terrorism. They fully support the efforts of our military to stop terrorist attacks that come from foreign countries and foreign groups. I have personally formulated a strategy to win the war on terrorism and save American lives at the same time. Please read about it at the following URL: www.associatedcontent.com/article/1430924/naval_and_air_power_will_win_the_war.html.

The American People also distinguish between terrorist attacks from foreign groups and attacks from domestic groups. They are appalled when domestic groups turn on their own country and attack the American People.

Source: www.associatedcontent.com/article/1430924/naval_and_air_power_will_win_the_war.html.