The real war on terror

Juan Cole explains the origins of Islamic fundamentalism. Let's not forget, he says, that the Reagan administration funded numerous terrorist organisations - "freedom fighters" in his deluded mindset - and helped sustain a global network of US-supported fanatics. Christian fundamentalists loved the Mujahideen as alleged fighters against Soviet communism.

Reaganites loved the concept of creating a new world order led by US-backed militias in various corners of the world. The Saudi government was central in this thinking, working closely with the Americans to facilitate weapons training for the once anti-Soviet Islamic forces. Unfortunately, most of these individuals and groups are now the very same people fighting America in Iraq, Afghanistan et al.

Nobody says it better than Cole:

"The American Right, having created the Mujahideen and having mightily contributed to the creation of al-Qaeda, abruptly announced that there was something deeply wrong with Islam, that it kept producing terrorists."