Yesterday I had some discussion of al-Qaida excuses. A reader now draws my attention to this piece by Raymond Ibrahim on the striking contrast between Islamist self-justifications directed at the West and untranslated al-Qaida treatises directed to supporters. Ibrahim concludes:
Whatever one's position in regard to the "war on terror," understanding the ideas of our enemy is both a practical necessity in wartime and a fundamental liberal value. It is my hope that both sides in this bitter debate will profit from a deeper acquaintance with these works.(Thanks: TH.)