Report Says War on Terror Is Fuelling Al Qaeda

Source: NYT/Reuters

Report Says War on Terror Is Fuelling Al Qaeda
By REUTERS
Published: October 7, 2007

LONDON (Reuters) - Six years after the September 11 attacks in the United States, the "war on terror" is failing and instead fuelling an increase in support for extremist Islamist movements, a British think-tank said on Monday. A report by the Oxford Research Group (ORG) said a "fundamental re-think is required" if the global terrorist network is to be rendered ineffective.

"If the al Qaeda movement is to be countered, then the roots of its support must be understood and systematically undercut," said Paul Rogers, the report's author and professor of global peace studies at Bradford University in northern England. "Combined with conventional policing and security measures, al Qaeda can be contained and minimized but this will require a change in policy at every level."

He described the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq as a "disastrous mistake" which had helped establish a "most valued jihadist combat training zone" for al Qaeda supporters. The report -- Alternatives to the War on Terror -- recommended the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq coupled with intensive diplomatic engagement in the region, including with Iran and Syria. In Afghanistan, Rogers also called for an immediate scaling down of military activities, an injection of more civil aid and negotiations with militia groups aimed at bringing them into the political process.

If such measures were adopted it would still take "at least 10 years to make up for the mistakes made since 9/11." "Failure to make the necessary changes could result in the war on terror lasting decades," the report added.

Rogers also warned of a drift toward conflict with Iran. "Going to war with Iran," he said, "will make matters far worse, playing directly into the hands of extreme elements and adding greatly to the violence across the region. Whatever the problems with Iran, war should be avoided at all costs."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-britain-iraq-afghanistan.html

The Chimp as a sock puppet of gangster Cheney will do everything to keep his pals in $$$$$$

Of course, logical arguments like this don't have any effect on Dubya.

He sees a lack of terrorist attacks as evidence that the "war on terror" is working and the existence of terrorist attacks as proof that we need to step up our efforts. It matters not that the phony "war on terror" actually fuels the attacks or that they are essentially a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Or any of the myriad repetitions of the obvious?

'British think-tank', lol. Six years of thinking and they finally produce this. I don't believe in it.

We address the root causes of terrorism, which is mostly caused by abject poverty and a huge gap in the haves and have-nots in economic opportunities.