MILNET Opinion -

For decades the Palestinian-Arab propoganda machine has attempted to promulgate a number of myths about terrorism. In the latter half of the last ten years, they have been joined by a plethora of desparate liberal bush bashers (DLBB) who cannot stand the fact that the War on Terror is not only a war for our very survival, but that the chief proponent is not among the liberal elite and is embodied by that irritating Texan George Bush.

The DLBB are not limited to the U.S. Democratic party however, and while many liberals take heart in the fact that the most socialist nations in the world becry George Bush as "a cowboy", the fact remains that the mythical fiction of terrorism, and especially that of Islamic based terrorism cannot be supported by fact or testimony, reason or logic other than "If we don't go, they will not come!". Of course 9/11 proved irrefutably that ignoring and letting others fight the war on terror is not only foolhardy, but deadly.

Below MILNET has attempted to list the most popular of the myths as well as listed a few salient facts about International Terrorism. For a full briefing on International Terrorism, see the July MILNET Briefing, Terrorism 101, a Tutorial on International Terrorism Today ¹.

The Myths and Facts For Causes of Islamic Jihadism

Item	True of False	The Facts
American Imperialism and Abuse of Power in the Middle East is the cause of anti-American attacks by Islamic Terrorists	False	While American power visa-vis "interference" in Middle Eastern affairs is certainly a factor in Islamic Terrorists hatred of the U.S., it is more likely that the U.S. exportation of freedoms such as elections, human (especially woman's rights), and anti-dictator positions that make the U.S. a threat to Jihadists. Osama bin Laden has repeatedly said the U.S. must be destroyed and replace with a government governed by his Salafiyyic/Wahhabist version of Islamic Law. See the MILNET briefing on Wahhabism for more information.
The current battle between western nations and Islam is because of western revivial of The Crusades -- Christianity vs. Islam	False	Few scholars (if any) support this view. However, many do believe that it is the very nature of the puritannical Islam beliefs of the Salafiyya that drives Islamic extremists to preach against the non-Salafiyya aligned and which eventually leads to recruits into Militant Islamic Jihadist groups that then become enamored with, and through attacks, attached to or associated with Al Qaeda.
British Imperialism and Abuse of Power in the Middle East is the cause of anti-American attacks by Islamic Terrorists	False	Britain's participation in early colonization of the Middle East certainly gave rise to opportunities for anti-colonial feelings throughout the Middle and Far East, however, that participation ended decades ago. It is more likely that, like the U.S., Britain support for basic human freedoms and refusal to appease terrorists is the real problem for Islamic Terrorists.
Britains support of coalition efforts in the Middle East led to the bombings in London	False	See the myth above. This viewpoint demonstrates a total lack of understanding of the Islamic terrorist's drive to kill infidels and those who support infidels. It is the British spirit of freedom and justice that drives the Militant Jihadist to attack the U.K. Anything else is simply rationalization or political dissent aimed at bringing down one of the few governments dedicated to eradicating terrorism.
The U.S. led Coalition has occupied Iraq and insurgents are freedom fighters attempting to eject the coalition from their country.	False	Early insurgencies included the likes of al-Sadr whose attacks killed muslims and coalition forces alike. However, as the elections in Iraq drew near, al-Sadr quickly took the advice of clerics and converted his military power into political power, remaining today as a political force in Iraq. Other insurgents, however, were not Iraqis. A huge influx of Syrian, Iranian and others from all around the world have flocked to Iraq to fight off the larger threat -- the democratization of Iraq. They are led mostly by Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian terrorist who came specifically to form the anti-coalition insurgency and is supsected of receiving huge support from those who also supported the Palestinian Fatah with weapons, recruits and funds.
The Iraqi people are demanding the exit of Coalition forces from Iraq and celebrate the activities of Terrorists in Iraq.	False	To the contrary, Iraqi police and army units believe the U.S. cannot leave for at least two years if not longer -- until the Iraqis have the strength and organization to deal with the terrorists on their own. The Iraqi people are turning on the Terrorists in greater numbers than ever before. A recent terrorist attack which killed scores of children will undoubtedly accelerate the Iraqi people's rejection of the terrorists.
The Palestinians (Palestinian-Arabs) are oppressed and victimized by the Israeli people, who are totally indifferent to the plight, making the "Fatah" against the Israelis and their supporters a just and rightous Jihad.	False	This fiction works only in the minds of Jihadists or their supporters. Israel was at one time one of the largest employers of so called Palestinians in the world, providing work that these same people could not find in the Arab world. In fact, a majority of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel were ejected from neighboring Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon, or Jordan. The refugee camps of Palestinians in Israel have always received huge funding from the Arab world yet they are indeed slums and horrible places to live. This has nothing to do with Israeli indifference, but Muslim refusal of aid from Israel including medicine, schools and funds.
A new Palestinian State will end terrorism in Israel	False	The outside influence in Israel will not end -- the Palestinian Arabs will remain the tool of Islamic Jihadists and after a certain period of euphoria after a Palestinian State is created, even harsher living conditions and lack of employement will be the seed for worse violence than the previous decades have witnessed -- violence against both Palestinians and Israelis.
Sleeper Cells of Islamic Jihadists is a myth and anti-Muslim rhetoric intended to get funding and support for the War on Terror	False	No nation is immune to Islamic radicals living amongst the more peaceful Muslims. The U.S. alone has broken up a number of cells of wold be terrorists and continues to pursue them today (see the MILNET Lodi Five ⁸ briefing).
Islamic Terrorist attacks on coalition nations are retribution for their support of the U.S.	False	While certainly a factor in any decision on whom to attack, the attacks on coalition nations is enevitable not because of their support of the U.S. but because of the more dangerous support of ideals such as freedom of choice, human (and espeically woman's) rights, and democratic governments. One only remember that the Salafiyya/Wahhabist viewpoint is rooted in 4th century puritannical Islamic believes which cannot survive in modern European and American freedoms.
If left alone, the Arab nations of the Middle East will resolve their problems on their own.	False	This is perhaps the most ridiculous falsehood of all. If left in power Saddam Hussein, for instance, would still be in power a decade from now, still torturing his people, and supplying arms, training and political support to terrorists, as well as perhaps oil-for-food proceeds as finanical incentives to attack western nations.
A purtannical interpretation of Jihad and the rule of Islamic Law has created Islamic extremists whose militant solutions demand dissolution of world governments not aligned to their warped interpreation of the Koran.	True	The Salafiyya interpretation of Islamic law and conduct goes back to the 4th century and was reawakened by the cleric Wahhabi in the 18th century and embraced by the Saud family who murdered and plundered their way into power, eventually violently coercing the formation of Saudi Arabia. Madrasah, religious training centers attached to Islamic Mosques, have been subverted by vast Saudi funding into teaching the Wahhabist virulent solutions to those who are infidels -- those who do not subscribe the Salafiyya interpretation of pure faith. These Wahhabist Madrasash teach that only through Jihad and the eradication of the infidels will the faith be purified. The Jihad includes offering one's own life as a Martyr as being the utlimate good and rewards the family of those who choose this course with aid and honor.
Al Qaeda is a worldwide network of associated and aligned terrorist groups who support the destruction of any non-pure Islamic government or person.	True	As a network, Al Qaeda is well known and capable, however, it is the local groups who may or may not have direct association with Al Qaeda that pose the most unpredictable threat. While Al Qaeda itself may not be able to marshall the resources to directly attack today, there are a number of local groups most likely trained religiously in the Militant Islamic Jihad style Madrash and physically in weapons, tactics and operational rehearsals by Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda sympathizers. Countries like Indonesia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are clearly still areas where Al Qaeda training continues. Madrash that teach the Salafiyya interpretation of Islam are everywhere, perhaps only miles from where you live (see the MILNET Lodi Five ² briefing).

Sources:

Terrorism 101, a Tutorial on International Terrorism Today, MILNET Briefing, 7/18/2005
The Lodi Five Terrorism Case, MILNET Brief, updated 7/16/2005