Muslim attitude towards terrorism against the US: A case study of Lebanon

Abstract

Following the invasion of Afghanistan in 2002 and in the midst of the US-led war on Iraq, radical Islamists waged several attacks on US interests in Lebanon. Americans living in Beirut continue to receive warnings from extremist Lebanese Islamic groups and in fact some have fled the country after a terrorist network of Islamist militants, that was responsible for most of the crimes, was unearthed. The group confessed planning attacks against the US embassy and other US interests in Lebanon. Although Lebanese authorities explicitly deplored terrorist attacks against US interests in the strongest possible terms, Lebanese Muslims have a different perception of these acts. In this study, we examine the extent of Lebanese approval of the terrorist attacks against the US. The study was based on the results of a public opinion poll conducted in November and December 2002 in which 309 Lebanese Muslims participated.