Has Iraq War Has Played Into Bin Laden's Hands?

Author and Middle East Analyst Fawaz Gerges in his new book "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global" says that the jihadi movement had nearly sputter in the late 1990's. The movement took their battle to what he calls the "near enemy" Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt but had almost played out when Al Qaeda decided to take its fight to the West, "the far enemy".

This caused rifts in the movement and could have broken the momentum, however the war in Iraq has reinvigorated not Al Qaeda, but the global juhadi movement. In an interview with Aljazeera, Geres says, "I think the American war in Iraq has played into the hands of al-Qaeda's trans-national ideology on global jihad. In many respects, Iraq is slowly and gradually replacing Afghanistan as a recruiting tool and ground for jihadi action. "

The interview on the Aljazeera website is though provoking and gives us a glimpse into the forces behind the jihadi movement. Gerges, holds the Christian Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at New York's Sarah Lawrence University. I strongly suggest reading his new book.