Sobering Conclusions on Why Jihad Has Spread

Statisticians caution that correlations don’t necessarily prove cause and effect. After the leak of a US intelligence document that bleakly points out the war in Iraq has rallied extremists globally, the US president did not argue with the consensus document from 16 intelligence agencies. Instead, he quickly declassified a few sections and insisted that the findings demonstrate US progress in making Al Qaeda “more diffuse and independent.” Without doubt, the US military has substantially weakened Al Qaeda with its operations in Afghanistan, but the NIE also suggests that the war in Iraq, combined with corrupt governments throughout the Middle East and pervasive anti-US sentiment, will continue to “inspire” extremism for at least another five years. The troubling assessment quickly prompted political arguments in the US, as a future course in Iraq becomes the top topic for many candidates prior to mid-term congressional elections set for Nov. 7. As more US voters question the original need for the war, the president criticized the document’s leak before the election, for creating “confusion in the minds of the American people.” – YaleGlobal