West's Folly Led to ISIL's Creation, Idea That Terror Could Be Contained

In an op-ed for Al-Ahram, Egyptian journalist Dr. Ibrahim Bahi suggested that in the face of the Paris terror attacks, the West has paid a bitter price for the rise of Daesh (ISIL), a terrorist group whose arrival, according to the journalist, many Western countries actually facilitated.

In his op-ed, recently translated by the online news portal Whattheysayaboutusa.com, Bahi suggested that "it's no secret that ISIL grew with [the] funding and support of the West," noting that only following the deadly attacks in Paris earlier this month have many Western countries begun to realize the folly of thinking that they could simultaneously provide covert support for the terrorists, while containing the threat to the Middle East.

Emphasizing that to the Arab people, the radical jihadists were in fact "mercenary organizations…that fight against Islam and want no good for Arab nations," the journalist suggested only after the Paris attacks, "which took the lives of 130 innocent people," did the leaders of Western countries decide to seriously commit to their previously "sluggish" and duplicitous war against ISIL terror.

Before the attack, Bahi suggested, "Western nations were convinced that they were far from any terrorist threats, believing that terror will be contained within the Middle East. Suddenly, terrorism directed itself towards those who helped ISIL and similar groups. It is very painful to see such a catastrophe in Paris." 

For their part, the journalist noted, the Egyptians "really wish that such atrocities will come to an end, and look for a real cooperation among all countries in the world to eradicate all forms of terrorism."

In this regard, Bahi suggested, the "statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Turkey were really serious. He emphasized that some Western countries who are members of the G20 supported and financed ISIL and other terrorist organizations…At the same time, US President Barack Obama's remarks during the summit were shocking, with the president saying that the US will have to alter its strategy in the fight against ISIL."

Ultimately, the journalist hinted that he hopes that the Paris attacks will force the West and their allies to end all forms of support for the radicals, and to begin to seriously cooperate with those countries, including Egypt, which have taken the struggle against jihadist extremism seriously.