Many upheavals and acts of terrorism that sprouted recently in various countries in the world possessed religious connotations or affiliations. The fact that most of such violence had links to Islam makes me shiver with great apprehension of the possibility that future conflicts could be along religious lines. Furthermore, though Al-Qaeda is disowned by most Islamic countries, the startling discovery that Osama bin Laden had lived safely for many years at the heart of Pakistan, a US ally, the certainty exists that the United States can never depend completely on the loyalty and cooperation of its perceived Islamic allies. Thus, despite the killing of Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda quickly recovered from that setback and appointed Ayman al-Zawahiri as Osama's successor.
Considering that Al-Qaeda and its affiliates belong to the Sunnis branch of Islam, to which most Islamic nations profess allegiance, the war against international terrorism led by the United States and its Western allies may draw ambivalent support from its Islamic allies such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, etc. Pakistan was an unreliable ally despite massive financial assistance given by the US for many years since the era of the Cold War between the West and then Soviet Union. This cold mistrust forced the US to insure utmost secrecy cutting off Pakistan from the loop in implementing the ultra-dangerous mission of eliminating Osama Bin Laden who's apparently enjoying the protection of the Pakistani powerful military.
What could be the unblemished truth that the aforementioned circumstances impart to this observer? The penchant of the United States to cultivate close relationship with countries run by oppressive and corrupt rulers invariably earned contempt and antagonism from the people of such governments. Thus, in the event of eventual change of rulers, US ties and influence over the new rulers would weaken considerably thereby adversely affecting American interests in the long run.
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