Normally, people look quite impressive in uniforms, especially the military uniform. One notable exception is the US Admiral, Mike Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee who, in white naval uniform with a peaked cap, looks more like a bandmaster than a senior naval official. What is worse, he talks like one as well. As reported in The Nation (November 13) during a speech at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution, Mike Mullen said uneducated mullahs and their followers are the new challenge the US faces today. Like most, if not all, of the American leaders, he ignored the real causes of anger and hatred against the US in the Muslim world, which are its anti-Muslim policies and actions and active, unjust, immoral support of anti-Muslim forces and states. American leaders extreme cowardice in standing up to Israeli leaders, their unqualified support for Israel on all fronts, huge economic and military aid, uninterrupted supply of lethal arms, even at times when Israel is bombarding Muslim civilians in Palestine and elsewhere and unjust, illegal invasion and destruction of Iraq are things which have really created anti-US feeling that some time results in terrorist action abroad and at home. Even 9/11 was a result of undue US support for Israel and anti-Arab policy. It is not that I am justifying the tragedy. Even now, the US is busy killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and has guns already trained at Iran and other Muslim States. At the same time, the US President Barack Obama has supported Indias case for a permanent seat at the Security Council, knowing fully well that India refuses to implement UN resolution on Kashmir where it has already killed thousands of innocent Kashmiri Muslims through state repression. While uneducated Mullahs and their followers are indeed a nuisance for everyone, including Muslims, the real enemies of America are its own leaders, civilian and military who, through anti-Muslim policies are creating ever-rising tides of hatred against the US in the Muslim world and are also giving ammunition to the uneducated Mullahs to use against the US. SRH Hashmi, Karachi