# Motives for terrorists **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 28, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666 "2004-10-28T14:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/1 "2004-10-28T14:07:50Z")
Can someone refresh my memory as to WHY Osama BinLaden attacked America in particular or why the US felt so threatened by a Sadam with nukes? I’m looking for some clear cut motives as to why there is so much hate pointed to the U.S. while places like Japan, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, etc. don’t seem to be threatened or concerned by these two guys. Possible theories: Revenge- During some of our occupations or quests to liberate countries they suffered casualties of women and children and can’t forgive us for that. Jealousy- We are a filthy rich country that takes resources from the rest of the world. They have poverty. Unjust Occupation- They are pissed that the U.S. sticks their nose into everyones affairs throughout the world and keeps troops in their countries. Religion- They are Muslim Extremists and want to exterminate everyone else. Money- They have a gang mentality and do it for money and power. Support of Israel- Lot’s of terrorists hate jews and because we are their ally they hate us also. So what is at the root of this evil? ---
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/2 "2004-10-28T14:17:25Z")
can you debate a rhetorical question ? I think maybe the only way to stop terrorism is to kill anybody who thinks violence is the way to acheive their goals… I’m starting with myself… _ties the noose_ - can someone kick my chair away for me, I can’t quite ma- _Uch_ ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/3 "2004-10-28T14:38:11Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Can someone refresh my memory as to WHY Osama BinLaden attacked America in particular or why the US felt so threatened by a Sadam with nukes? I’d advise the, um, “Blame America First” crowd to not answer this until next Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/4 "2004-10-28T14:41:18Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Possible theories: > Jealousy- We are a filthy rich country that takes resources from the rest of the world. They have poverty. Discard this reason…like you pointed out… other rich countries aren’t being targeted. > [@](#): > > Money- They have a gang mentality and do it for money and power. They are actually losing money so this is not the reason > [@](#): > > Support of Israel- Lot’s of terrorists hate jews and because we are their ally they hate us also. I’d change that to **unconditional** support of Israel… if the US weren’t so forgiving of all the stuff Israel does… the palestinian issue wouldn’t be so nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/5 "2004-10-28T17:49:10Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Can someone refresh my memory as to WHY Osama BinLaden attacked America in particular All politics, at some level, are regional. ObL’s particular area of obsession is his homeland, Saudi Arabia. His conversion from “Afghan” guerilla fighter/financier to international terrorist came about as a result of Gulf War I, when Saudi Arabia turned down his offer to supply “Afghan” fighters to defend the country and instead made the intelligent, pragmatic choice of accepting U.S. military aid. ObL, in concert with and influenced by certain hardline Saudi clerics like Salman al-Auda and Safar al-Hawali, denounced the appearance of western troops on Saudi soil as blasphemous and more or less declared war on the tainted Saudi regime and what he perceived as the corrupt force propping it ( and Israel ) up - the west in general, but the United States in particular. > [@](#): > > or why the US felt so threatened by a Sadam with nukes? This is simpler - like Kim Jong-il he was regarded by many as an unstable megalomaniac. The fear was that he would either provide such to terrorists ( very unlikely in my view ) or use them as international blackmail to get his way ( more plausible, though not vastly so ) or even attempt to strike Israel ( likely only as a last resort ). > [@](#): > > I’m looking for some clear cut motives as to why there is so much hate pointed to the U.S. while places like Japan, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, etc. don’t seem to be threatened or concerned by these two guys. Again, regionalism in part. France for example has close historical and practical ties to Algeria and as such _has_ come under attack by Algerian Islamists on at least one occasion. But the U.S. is the lone superpower, it has replaced Britain as the main influence in the Middle East and it is perceived as the neo-colonialist, “Crusader-state” defender of the corrupt regimes loathed by the Islamists. It is thus the logical target in their eyes for their ire. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/6 "2004-10-28T17:52:52Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > All politics, at some level, are regional. Uhh, that should be _local_. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/7 "2004-10-28T18:09:47Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Uhh, that should be _local_. Well, a locale is just a very small region, isn’t it? So you were right, as usual! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/8 "2004-10-28T21:19:35Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m looking for some clear cut motives as to why there is so much hate pointed to the U.S. while places like Japan, France, Germany, **Australia** , Canada, etc. don’t seem to be threatened or concerned by these two guys. Obligatory [Americans not being aware of events beyond their borders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bali_terrorist_bombing) post. ---
**Author:** ![See-ahm-bee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/see-ahm-bee/32/7282_2.png) [@See-ahm-bee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/See-ahm-bee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/9 "2004-10-29T05:26:46Z")
We were attacked on 9/11 in response to our colonization of their part of the world. The people of the middle east have been warring back and forth for 10,000 years. They never attacked North America until the 21st Century. Why? Because we antagonized them. When I read statements from Al Queda, I find them more balanced and informed about situations than what I read on this board and mainstream media. We keep thinking they are crazy, but they are not. They are just angry. And SMART. And we forget, they have been around hundreds of times longer than the United States. The United States will come and go, while the people of that region remain. Something like this, right? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-for-terrorists/271666/10 "2004-10-29T05:54:29Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Obligatory [Americans not being aware of events beyond their borders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bali_terrorist_bombing) post. Obligatory “Personally, I remember it quite well” post.