Not entirely. And this also relates to your last question. Certainly, in many cases, religion and their holy book's insistence that they "kill infidels where they reside" play the central role. But, as you noted, there are many other factors. I absolutely agree that poverty has played a role in fostering extremism and this is why I believe it's in the U.S.'s national interest to intervene and clean up and "modernize" the Middle East. And we have. Iraq, despite what the media will have you believe, is a vastly improved country in terms of modernity and standards of living. And the violence is beggining to come down as well:
Baghdad recently announced (by General Raymond Odierno and Iraqi General Abud Qanbar) that since June, terrorist attacks have dropped by 59 percent; casualties from IEDs are down 80%, secterian violence is off by 72%, and the number of killed Iraqi civilians has dropped by 81%.
These are promising signs.
I'm getting off topic but my point is that the it is in the interest of the United States to see that conditions in Iraq improve and to see the country modernized. When we have Iraqis listening to their iPods and driving to Wal-Mart, we will have a country substantially less likely so seize on to the radical ideology espoused by the mullahs.
I agree, see my thoughts above.
