Buried deep in the U.S. Pentagon somewhere is an official in charge of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As he goes about his daily chores — organizing the floor shackles, bully guards, illegal confinements, arbitrary trials and occasional torture sessions — he no doubt thinks he is doing his bit in the "war on terror."

In fact, al-Qaida and other Islamic militant groups owe him a medal for helping their recruitment efforts. His activities have encouraged even more Middle Eastern and other Islamists to want to take even more violent action against the United States and its allies.

The British are said to puzzle over why middle-class, educated Muslims in their midst end up bombing subways, buses and airports. Someone should point out that they do this precisely because they are middle class and educated. These are the people most likely to feel keenly the wrongs and injustices in Guantanamo, Iraq and elsewhere. They see so-called terror as the only answer.