Where Do Terrorists Come From?

The Weekly Standard ^ | November 1, 2004 | Jonathan V. Last

[quidnunc]

Pundits keep maintaining that George W. Bush's policies are creating more terrorists than John Kerry would. How's that?

By now, you have no doubt heard that President Bush is "creating more terrorists" with his neoimperialist wars on terror, Iraq, Arab nationalism, etc. The meme has gotten so out of control that even mostly sensible people such as Mickey Kaus are spouting it. Sayeth Kaus:

In the larger war on terror, however, it's no contest. Both candidates will hunt down and kill existing terrorists. The issue is how many new terrorists are we creating… . Let's say that n is the number of net new terrorists who'll come online in the next four years. Isn't it obvious that n is a lot lower if Kerry is president than if Bush is president?

Obvious how? The creation of terrorists is one of those perfect little Rorschach tests since, as Reuel March Gerecht recently pointed out, there is (a) no data on how many terrorists there are today; (b) no data on how many terrorists there were yesterday; and (c) no foreseeable way to collect data on how many terrorists there will be tomorrow. In other words: You can take whatever position you want with utter confidence because nobody will ever be able to prove you wrong.

Kaus theorizes that terrorists are like the brooms in Fantasia — and he may be right. But he has no evidence — statistical or anecdotal — to support him and his conclusion is far from obvious.

What do we know?

-snip-

[Texasforever]

It only takes 19 and a half a million bucks.

[opinionator]

Where Do Terrorists Come From?

First a daddy terrorist kisses a mommy terrorist then...ah, go ask your mother!

[GeronL]

where do terrorist come from??

little green eggs with purple spots?

[Brett66]

If you kill them faster than creating them, then there won't be as many terrorists.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

their mommies and daddies . . .

[Blzbba]

"Where Do Terrorists Come From?"


Spontaneous generation from camel turds?

[bitt]

bttt

[opinionator]

Pundits keep maintaining that George W. Bush's policies are creating more terrorists than John Kerry would

Don't forget, it was the actions of the Jews that created the Nazis.

[Hotdog]

"First a daddy terrorist kisses a mommy terrorist then...ah, go ask your mother!"

Terrorist don't kiss...they rape!

[oldbrowser]

Bush is not creating them he is just exposing them.
The terrorist are created in the medrasas by nuts reading a book from the sixth century.

[endthematrix]

Talk to the Russians...they are doing just that!

Q: They were always there. I have a Muslim coworker who says it's never going to end. "you kill a family member...retaliation" Yeah, You don't breed what was already there. They were all anti-American. It may come down to kill 'em all - hut that's a choice America can;t make.

[endthematrix]

And you'll not even vote...just kidding.

[lbmorris11]

We know some new terrorrists will be made no matter what we do. If we don't kill terrorists their numbers will have to grow. The only thing you can deduce is the best bet is to kill all you can.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Creating more terrorists? The very idea illustrates how liberals automatically assume everything bad is somehow America's fault and how they're motivated by fear.

Terrorists come from Saudi Arabian-financed Islamic schools called madras located primarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan, though similar institutions can be found wherever Islamic rule enslaves people. The students are subjected to strict anti-American/anti-Israel doctrine and the most virulent version of Islam (which isn't a big stretch). After this Moonie-type brainwashing many go on to military training camps in charming locales like the Bekka Valley where they pick up skills in improvised munitions, baby-stabbing and running like scalded dogs when confronted by our heroic armed forces.

[Jaysun]

Where Do Terrorists Come From?

Mosque.

[Right Angler]

Ummm, a festering boil in Mohammed's lower intestine?

[Robert Lomax]

Terrorists are no different then bullies. If you let them bully they'll keep doing it. If you kick the arses then they'll stop.

[fortheDeclaration]

Where do terrorist come from? Islam