Changes

[[Image:Features_ayers1.jpg|thumb|William Ayers as he appeared in ''Chicago Magazine''.]] '''William Charles "Bill" Ayers''' (born 1944) is currently a professor at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] at [[Chicago]] and former Chicago community organizer. He is best known as a founder of the [[Soviet]] sponsored {{citation needed}}, [[peace terrorism|peace terrorist]] [[Weather Underground|Weather Underground Organization]] (WUO), and friend of U.S President [[Barack Obama]].  The WUO has often mistakenly been labeled as a Vietnam era protest organization, however many of the organizations activities continued well past the end of American involvement in [[Vietnam]],<ref>''Ambush:The Brinks Robbery of 1981'', [http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/brinks/2.html  truTV - Crime Library: Terrorists, The Weather Underground & Black Liberation Army]</ref> the fall of [[South Vietnam]], and the victory of the [[Communist]] regime of [[North Vietnam]], which was the groups oft stated goals.

[[Image:Features_ayers1.jpg|thumb|William Ayers as he appeared in ''Chicago Magazine''.]] '''William Charles "Bill" Ayers''' (born 1944) is currently a professor at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] at [[Chicago]] and former Chicago community organizer. He is best known as a founder of the [[Soviet]] sponsored {{citation needed}}, [[terrorist]] [[Weather Underground|Weather Underground Organization]] (WUO), and friend of U.S President [[Barack Obama]].  The WUO has often mistakenly been labeled as a Vietnam era protest organization, however many of the organizations activities continued well past the end of American involvement in [[Vietnam]],<ref>''Ambush:The Brinks Robbery of 1981'', [http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/brinks/2.html  truTV - Crime Library: Terrorists, The Weather Underground & Black Liberation Army]</ref> the fall of [[South Vietnam]], and the victory of the [[Communist]] regime of [[North Vietnam]], which was the groups oft stated goals.

Ayers is the husband of fellow peace terrorist [[Bernardine Dohrn]].

Ayers is the husband of terrorist [[Bernardine Dohrn]].

<br><br>

<br><br>

==Early Life and Upbringing==

==Early Life and Upbringing==

Today, Ayers and his wife -- fellow former Weather Underground fugitive [[Bernardine Dohrn]] -- live in Hyde Park, where they moved after surrendering in 1980.

Today, Ayers and his wife -- fellow former Weather Underground fugitive [[Bernardine Dohrn]] -- live in Hyde Park, where they moved after surrendering in 1980.

In a 2001 interview with the [[New York Times]], an unrepentant Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough." Ayers later claimed that he was quoted out of context, and that he meant that he felt that he had not done enough to oppose the war in Vietnam, which he defined as ''"[an] illegal, murderous, imperial war."'' <ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref>

In a 2001 interview with the [[New York Times]], Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough." Ayers later claimed that he was quoted out of context, and that he meant that he felt that he had not done enough to oppose the war in Vietnam, which he defined as ''"[an] illegal, murderous, imperial war."'' <ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref>

Ayers has claimed that his actions were not terrorist acts.<ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref> He has stated that according to the official definition of both the U.S. and the U.N., terrorism consists of violent acts intended to intimidate or coerce a populace into a political end, and that his actions were intended to draw attention to and combat the state terrorism of the U.S. in the Vietnam War. In his autobiography, Fugitive Days, Ayers claimed that his bombing of the [[Pentagon]] prevented aerial bombardments in Vietnam for several days, which he defined as terrorism. In this regard, Ayers has implied that he ''prevented'' terrorism rather than caused it.

Ayers has claimed that his actions were not terrorist acts.<ref>Bill Ayers' blog, Episodic Notoriety–Fact and Fantasy, by Bill Ayers, 4/06/2008[http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/episodic-notoriety-fact-and-fantasy/]</ref> He has stated that according to the official definition of both the U.S. and the U.N., terrorism consists of violent acts intended to intimidate or coerce a populace into a political end, and that his actions were intended to draw attention to and combat the state terrorism of the U.S. in the Vietnam War. In his autobiography, Fugitive Days, Ayers claimed that his bombing of the [[Pentagon]] prevented aerial bombardments in Vietnam for several days, which he defined as terrorism. In this regard, Ayers has implied that he ''prevented'' terrorism rather than caused it.

==See Also==

==See Also==

*[[Mystery:Who Ghostwrote Obama's Books?]]

*[[Mystery:Who Ghostwrote Obama's Books?]]

==References==

==References==