Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor of Al Quds al Arabi newspaper, told journalist Peter Bergen in June 2005: ” ‘I believe Osama bin Laden is the one who actually opened the American eyes to their mistake to support rotten, corrupt dictatorships [in the Arab world]. Before, they were happy to deal with these rotten dictatorships. They were happy to keep the region as it is. But after 11 September [2001], the Americans awakened to the fact that they are siding with these regimes which create a huge frustration and radicalism and are actually fueling Islamic fundamentalism against the West.’ ” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Peter Bergen, The Osama bin Laden I Know, Page 385