September 11 'not as terrible as US thinks'
A British writer has reportedly claimed the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington were important but “not that terrible” when compared to attacks by the IRA in Britain.
“September 11 was terrible, but if one goes back over the history of the IRA, what happened to the Americans wasn’t that terrible,” Nobel laureate Doris Lessing said.
The 87-year-old writer, who this month won the Nobel Literature Prize, made the remarks in leading Spanish daily, El Pais, in an interview published over the weekend.
“Some Americans will think I’m crazy. Many people died, two prominent buildings fell, but it was neither as terrible nor as extraordinary as they think. They’re a very naïve people, or they pretend to be,” she told El Pais in the interview published yesterday.
“Do you know what people forget? That the IRA attacked with bombs against our government; it killed several people while a Conservative congress was being held and which the prime minister Margaret Thatcher was (attending). People forget,” she said.
About 3,000 people were killed in the 2001 September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. About 3,700 died and tens of thousands of people were maimed in more than 30 years of troubles in the North.
Ms Lessing’s agent’s office in London said the author was unavailable for comment today because she was feeling unwell.
The author of dozens of works, from short stories to science fiction, including the classic The Golden Notebook, was praised by the Nobel Literature Prize judges this month for her “scepticism, fire and visionary power” .
In the El Pais interview, Lessing had sharp words for both US President George Bush and Tony Blair.
“I always hated Tony Blair, from the beginning,” El Pais translated Lessing as saying.
“Many of us hated Tony Blair, I think he has been a disaster for Britain and we have suffered him for many years. I said it when he was elected: This man is a little showman who is going to cause us problems and he did.”
“As for Bush, he’s a world calamity,” added Lessing. “Everyone is tired of this man. Either he is stupid or he is very clever, although you have to remember he is a member of a social class which has profited from wars.”
Iran also came in for a lashing from Ms Lessing, who was born to British parents who were living in what is now Bakhtaran, Iran.
“I hate Iran, I hate the Iranian government, it’s a cruel and evil government,” she was quoted as saying.
“Look what happened to its president in New York, they called him evil and cruel in Colombia University. Marvellous! They should have said more to him! Nobody criticises him, because of oil.”
