Similarly, there are many factors in play in the ME as well.
For anyone to pick one reason for the attacks is silly, and Ron Paul has not expressed such a definitive position.
Our military presence and bombing the crap out of them is probably not the real reason they attacked.
Our "military presence" was a function of...what?
Fighting to re-gain Kuwait for its people...and defending Saudi Arabia (and Mecca) from a pending Iraqi invasion. Was it not?
Our "bombing the crap out of them" traced to...what?
Our UN assigned role to protect the Kurds and the Shi'ites from attack and slaughter by Saddam Hussein.
If the Islamists were offended by these worthy roles, that's their problem. And Ron Paul's. Not ours.
There were many other factors in the run-up to WWII, the scrap issue was simply their excuse.
Agreed. An excuse...not a reason. Just like the two excuses you (and Paul) cite above.