Was Ronald Reagan responsible for al-Qaeda?

Al Qaeda, in the sense of a Sunni mercenary group, existed during Reagan's time, but "Death to America" was not yet part of their lexicon. read more

It was probably a mistake for Reagan to give more support to Hekmatyar than to more moderate and militarily talented leaders like Ahmad Shah Massoud, but trying to blame him for the rise of al-Qaeda is a bad rap. read more

Rather than promoting religious integration and unity, American policy in Iraq exacerbated sectarian divisions and created a fertile breading ground for Sunni discontent, from which Al Qaeda in Iraq took root. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) used to have a different name: Al Qaeda in Iraq. read more