powerclown

I'm convinced that the islamic fundamentalist terrorists' motivations don't stem from any perceived injustices in the external world - this is a smokescreen and a copout. These things are used by cynical religious leaders to fuel and perpetuate their agendas, but the real reason for their actions stem from religious intolerance. Does anyone really think that if Israel disappeared from the face of the earth tomorrow, terrorism would stop? Does anyone really think that if the coalition left Iraq tomorrow, terrorism would stop?

For example, the Saudi Islamicists in Saudi Arabia have wanted the Saudi Royal family dead for decades. Same story in Egypt. Same story in Jordan. They think that trade, mutually beneficial relations, and technological collaboration with the West is apostasy (abandonement of religious belief). Foreign countries don't want to deal with religious extremists. So, within these religiously schizophrenic countries, there is an ongoing struggle between the rule of secular law, and the rule of the koran. We saw how Saddam Hussein dealt with such division. Governments of moderation are the exception to the rule in these troubled areas.

Nothing gets under the skin of the islamic fundamentalists more than seeing their own governments involved in relations with "infidels". Then, on top of this, when these governments don't adequately provide for their own people, the economy languishes, unemployment rises, tensions are inflamed, fingers start to point, and eventually the pressure builds to breaking point. The problem of islamic fundamentalist terrorism is rooted primarily in the foreign and domestic policies of their own governments.