Of course Ron Paul was correct. He just restated what every US intelligence expert has stated many times...that AQ exploits widespread Muslim dislike of US policies in the middle east. There is zero evidence for Rudy's position that we were attacked because Muslims "hate our freedom."
That is not to say the AQ's onjections to US policies mean we must abandon them...but we need to know that the threat of terrorism is a cost of those policies. This ridiculous "they hate our freedoms" line seems designed to try to convince Americans that there is no cost to foreign interventionism
As part of its global power position, the United States is called upon frequently to respond to international causes and and deploy forces around the world. America's position in the world invites attack simply because of its presence. Historical data show a strong correlation between U.S. involvement in international situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United States
--The Defense Science Board 1997 Summer Study Task Force on DoD Responses to Transnational Threats
Of course Ron Paul was correct. He just restated what every US intelligence expert has stated many times...that AQ exploits widespread Muslim dislike of US policies in the middle east.
You've made an important, and contradictory, point. It demonstrates precisely why Ron Paul is wrong.
You can't exploit your own reasons. You don't need to. If the reason UBL attacked the U.S. was our policies in the Middle East, then in theory, if we cut all aid to Isreal, pulled out of the ME entire, and went home, we would cease to be al-Qa'idas' enemy.
But then we get back to that word. Exploited.
In truth, UBL capitalizes on public opinion and current events for his own purposes. He uses the bitter grievances of others like pick up lines at a bar. AQ's brand of apocalyptic/terrorist Salafism is utterly distasteful to most Muslims. But resistance sells. Resistance to America. Resistance to local tyrants. Resistance to *insert non-Muslim group here*. Resistance to whoever's got a boot on your neck.
Al-Qa'ida plucks Muslim tragedy from the news, and uses it as fuel for their propaganda machine.
That's not a "reason for 9/11". That's exploitation of the easily manipulated.
Based on what I know about this moron, I strongly suspect I'd hate his notion of "our freedoms," too.
“Historical data show a strong correlation between U.S. involvement in international situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United States”
Aw, geez, you must be kidding...American interventionism causes people to want to attack us? It can’t be! We have to protect Americans everywhere, no matter what, no matter what laws they break in foreign countries, no matter how foolish their presence there, no matter how corrupt the American company has shown the foreign government to be! We must simply have a military presence so huge and strong that if an American sneezes and the government of the soil he’s on fails to present him with a ‘bless you’ and a hanky, we can impose our national will on those anti-nose-wiping heathens.
/bitter sarcasm
What you are saying then is that the Moozies hate us because we did not ascribe to their original goal of genocide against the Jews of Palestine? That was the goal of the Arabs states who first invaded Palestine in 1948 and it is the goal of the Jihadists now, and most Muslims would be delighted to see that fulfilled. So it is irrelevant that Muslims dislike our policies, since the prevention of genocide ought to be applauded by everyone. I don’t care to “understand” Muslim rage at this point. Their rage is as irrational as the Quranic ravings of the Mad Prophet himself, and I am not referring to Balaam, if you get my drift.