Contemporary Islamic Terrorism The roots of international Islamic terrorism can be found at first glance in the war in Afghanistan in the 1980's, a proxy war fought during the height of the Cold War. The Afghan mujahideen fought their holy war — jihad — with the help of the Wahhabi regime in Saudi Arabia and with the help of Pakistan. U.S. support was crucial during the war where the American services and most importantly the C.I.A. managed to promote the fighting capabilities of the "holy warriors" by transferring via Pakistan the necessary logistical and armament support. Over 40,000 mujahideen, gathered from Muslim states around the globe, fought in this war and some of them ultimately provided the human resources base for the terrorist organizations of the 1990's. World Press Org

Iraq 'Fatally Weakened': Report Iraq today is "hollowed out and fatally weakened" and "prey to armed militias, sectarian forces and a [self-serving] political class," according to a study released this week by the Brussels-based independent think-tank the International Crisis Group (I.C.G.). World Press Org