There is some truth to it, but there's a little truth to everything.

I am one of who believe the power and danger of Al-Qaeda is overstated. The gang of extremists are more similar to Timothy McVeigh and the Michigan Militia, rather than a world-wide organization. If you look at a glimpse of history in the Middle East, these people attempted to kill their own people to rally their cause. It was Osama's vision to rather than attack their own, to attack the west to rally support around their vision. With his previous attacks on WTC 93, the US Embassies, and USS Cole, it inspired others to take arms against any symbolism of the west, which they decree is destablising influence of corruption to the western world. A sick idea that is taken to heart by many angry arabs living in a harsh, shitty part of the world.

Then you have the group of neoconservatives, who believe it's America's destiny to be forever, fighting evil around the world, using fear and vision of a uncertain dangerous future to acquire more power, as country protectors rather than country managers with a peaceful and prosperous future. This is why Democrats do not do much to oppose them, they want a piece of the pie. They created the fear of Al-Qaeda to make them appear more organized and dangerous than they really are. Dangerous, sick criminals they are, but not the reason to enter a country that are not on the same plateau on the terrorism they commit. All these sick individuals operate on their own accord and not of a hierarchy. Most of the persons they captured in Afghanistan and Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with the crimes they were accused of, but rather enemies of rivals in their own countries, which they used US presence to get back.

The state of this world is created by insane individuals on both sides, who the sane put blind trust in.