Why do "Islamic radicals"-including the partisans of al-Qaeda and other followers of Osama bin Laden--enjoy so much sympathy in the Middle East and the wider Muslim world? This Global Policy Brief explores four socioeconomic roots of Islamic radicalism: - The multidimensional crisis of the Muslim world - The rage of the young, a majority of the population in the Middle East, are faced with poor livelihood prospects - Increasing poverty and collapsing cities - Failures of government.