This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
It's over-simplistic to apply bumper-sticker labels to complex international problems. Nonetheless, the great divide between the Judeo-Christian world and the Islamic realm always hovers in the background, affecting opponents.
Some militant mullahs base their entire careers on denouncing "enemies of God", meaning Westerners. And everyone knows that wealthy Osama bin Laden financed an international terror network to utilize this hate. Repeatedly, he has proclaimed that his jihad (holy war) is against "Jews and Crusaders". In his mind, at least, the East-West battlefront was quite clear.
World events can be seen from many perspectives, each correct in its own way. Was President Bush accurate in saying his blitz has nothing to do with Islam? Looking at the 14 centuries of mayhem, I'm not so sure.
(from The Charleston Gazette-Mail, Feb. 12, 2003, syndicated nationally)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).