Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 11:43:21 -0400
From: carol@carolmoore.net (Carol Moore)
Subject: [libs4peace] Cato: Does U.S. Intervention Overseas Breed Terrorism?

This 1998 article debunks many of the claims made today  to "obfuscate
the link between U.S. foreign policy and terrorism" vs. Americans at
home and abroad.  It criticizes those who argue that it is the nature
of Islam, and not US intervntion in Muslim nations, that is the
problem. It includes a long list of pre-1998 attacks and the
interventions they were related to.

http://cato.org/pubs/fpbriefs/fpb-050es.html

Does U.S. Intervention Overseas Breed Terrorism?
 The Historical Record (1998)
 by Ivan Eland
 Ivan Eland is director of defense policy studies at the Cato
Institute.

 Executive Summary

According to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, terrorism is the
most important threat the United States and the world face as the
21st century begins. High-level U.S. officials have acknowledged that
terrorists are now more likely to be able to obtain and use nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons than ever before.

Yet most attention has been focused on combating terrorism by
deterring and disrupting it beforehand and retaliating against it
after
the fact. Less attention has been paid to what motivates terrorists to

launch attacks. According to the Pentagon's Defense Science Board,
a strong correlation exists between U.S. involvement in international
situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United
States. President Clinton has also acknowledged that link. The board,
however, has provided no empirical data to support its conclusion.
This paper fills that gap by citing many examples of terrorist attacks

on the United States in retaliation for U.S. intervention overseas.
The
numerous incidents cataloged suggest that the United States could
reduce the chances of such devastating--and potentially
catastrophic--terrorist attacks by adopting a policy of military
restraint
overseas.

Link to PDF File.