The paper examines the genesis of Al Qaida and, subsequently, ISIL in a rational way. However, missing from the conclusion is the simple fact that, were it not for the US often misguided meddling in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, which created the conditions for the rise of extremists groups in specific circumstances, Al Qaida and ISIL are ultimately responsible for their crimes, not some western cabal, as some would like to accredit in the Arab world, trying to accuse the victims, as usual.
The responsibility of who fomented the rise of the Islamic State therefore falls on the shoulders of many actors, both American and Middle Eastern.