The Iraq War and jihadism

Daniel Bejamin and Steven Simon, two of the US' actual experts on jihadist terrorism, discuss the effect of the Iraq War on the international jihadist movement in their 2005 book The Next Attack. They point out that although the number of foreign fighters in Iraq is small, with Iraqis making up the bulk of the insurgency, the Iraq War has proved to be a very important training ground for jihadists:

The United States moved rapidly after September 11 to eliminate the sanctuary al Qaeda had enjoyed for so long in Afghanistan. In "phase two" of the global war on terror, however, the jihadist movement recovered many of its losses. The new battlefield that is Iraq has given the radicals a place to train, experiment with tactics, and select the most capable fighters. They have acquired access to almost limitless caches of arms, and in the ungovernable regions of the country they have gained a new sanctuary in which to plan attacks. As valuable to them as all this, they have also been able to advance their story, first by illustrating the perfidy of their infidel enemy and, second, by demonstrating their own bravery and determination. This chance to show their dedication at arms - it smacks almost of medieval chivalry — is invaluable to the jihadists, and, making use of modern communications technology, they are ensuring that their feats are known. The new heroes of jihad and those who are won over by their story are, the movement knows, the means to get beyond Baghdad, perhaps even to reach again as far as New York. (my emphasis)

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