: CIA’s Tenet Says U.S. Not at War Against Muslims

Central Intelligence Agency director George Tenet reiterated this week that the U.S. is not at war with Muslims, only terrorists. For the CIA – boogeyman of choice for the Muslim world (or second, next to the omniscient Mossad) – changing its image won’t be easy. Its very real history of subterfuge remains its albatross, inhibiting efforts at intelligence gathering (as evidenced by their embarassing post 9/11 call for Arabic speakers). From the 1953 Iran coup to the Bosnian war to the training of our own enfant terrible Osama bin Laden, Muslims and American intelligence have been at odds, both in terms of strategic goals and ways of dealing with common problems (extremism). Still, you can’t blame them for trying, since everyone (Americans and Muslims) thinks CIA life is a Tom Clancy novel.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.