Guernica to the World Trade Center (WTC)

The moral outrage and indignation evidenced by every politician and media outlet in the United States focused on how the Islamic terrorists targeted "civilians" in their attack on the World Trade Center towers. Commentaries such as "September 11 cruelly ushered in a new trend of warfare in which civilians not soldiers, were thrust into terrorists' sights" are typical. Many people believe that targeting civilians is a new phenomena perpetrated by hideous Islamic fundamentalists. Dehumanizing Muslims in general and Arabs in particular based on this myth of how they've ushered in a new era in the history of warfare in which defenseless civilians are attacked has become a popular fiction so the United States Government can have "just cause" to wage a war against terrorists. However targeting civilians is not a new concept, and has been espoused by military strategists of the Western world and actualized by Christian soldiers in the service of the countries.

Guernica, Spain is the nominal capital of the Basque people. During the Spanish Civil War the Spanish dictator and fascist General Francisco Franco wanted to subjugate the Basque population. Franco solicited the involvement of the German government. In return for Spanish natural resources the Germans agreed to bomb the civilian population in Guernica.

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) series on Guernica states "In 1935, German General Erich Ludendorff published Die Totale Krieg (The Total War) in which he presented the view that in war, no one is innocent; everyone is a combatant and everyone a target, soldier and civilian alike. Italian General Giulio Douhet further suggested an enemy's morale could be crushed by air-delivered terror. On April 26, 1937 for over three hours, Germany bombers and Messerschmitt and Fiat Fighters, dumped one hundred thousand pounds of high explosive and incendiary bombs on the Guernica, slowly and systematically pounding it to rubble. Fighter planes strafed persons attempting to flee the attack and machine-gunned them down. The city burned for three days after the attack. Guernica had served as the testing ground for a new Nazi military tactic: blanket-bombing a civilian population to demoralize the enemy. It was wanton, man-made holocaust." http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/guernica_nav/main_guerfrm.html

Guernica is Pablo Picasso's powerful anti-war statement that graphically depicts in human terms the cost of war. The bombing of Guernica not only targeted civilians, the attack was conducted in the afternoon on the town's market day when all the farmers and their families from the outlying communities were in town to ensure the maximum number of people were victimized in the massacre. Sixteen hundred people were either killed or wounded. Terrorist attacks are defined by human carnage since people are the target. The disembodied body parts in the Guernica mural are Picasso's somber reminder of the tragedy that is war.

Man's inhumanity to his fellow men, women and children continues unabated throughout human history. The targeting of innocent civilians is not a new tactic or strategy conceived by radical fundamentalist Islamics. Contenders willing to make any sacrifice in lives to obtain a victory, or make a political or policy statement typify conflicts between ethnic groups and nations. Targeting civilians is the tragic heritage of every country and religious denomination.