hiredgun

Several reasons.

1) The idea that we're "creating" terrorists. Namely, a destructive war and now a lengthy and unpopular occupation have naturally produced resistance. Various notions about a Zionist-Crusader conspiracy or simple oil politics are compelling to some Iraqis, who at any rate are not inclined to believe that the Americans are there out of altruism for their sake. None of this should be hard to understand; in principle, suspicion of those who wield power is a deeply American value.

2) Security vacuum. With the fall of the sovereign Iraqi state, armed groups have emerged to fill the vacuum. They have appeared largely along sectarian lines, as these identities were always strongest, although they were mostly subsumed under the thumb of the pre-2003 state. Naturally, they now vie for power with each other, and with coalition occupation forces.

3) Foreign influence. A post-Saddam Iraq has had far weaker borders, and is far more vulnerable to Iran, which finances and backs Shi'a militias in an attempt to exert some control over the country. The agreement that was forged between Zarqawi and al-Qaeda is a similar case. In each case, 'terror' was able to come to Iraq because of conditions created by the invasion.

4) Global anti-Americanism. The US-led invasion has inflamed anti-American sentiments worldwide. Muslims in particular do not find any of the justifications cited by the administration as plausible. 9/11 was invoked but was unrelated. WMDs were invoked but never found. Democracy is actually something most Arabs want in some form, but they do not see the US as a serious advocate of democracy, given not only the experience of the Hamas government but also in light of the historical record (the coup of 1953; US support for Saudi Arabia and other autocratic states; a general preference for stability over democracy). Rather, they see the US as interested only in friendly governments that will forestall popular pressures and deliver American-Israeli security guarantees while demanding nothing in return. The delegitimization of the US (via a moral discourse of its own creation) has radicalized some populations and fueled support for those who wish us harm.

As an additional issue, do you see how your conflation of a variety of phenomena under the banner of 'terrorist activity' has clouded your understanding of the issues?