With the Iraqi campaign of 2003, America has once again become the focus of world debate. Since 9/11, there has been a heated debate in Germany over its relationship with the leading power in the West— the United States. Though much has already been said against U.S. policies, the question now is whether there is a new anti-Americanism, one that has intensified since 1989 in the aftermath of the collapse of the Cold War's bipolar world order. Is this even anti-Americanism at all? This question cannot be answered if the situation in Germany is viewed in isolation. Like the devil and holy water, most participants in this discussion shy away from a more precise definition of anti-Americanism, the reason being that a closer examination would force the public parlor game of mutual accusation to give way to a serious analysis of the current global situation. Even those who argue in favor of the anti-American side do not want to be considered anti-American, at least not in the West anyway. While the manifest anti-Americanism preached by the group that surrounds bin Laden cannot be denied, it must be remembered that it is only since the 1980s—when Afghanistan's war with the Soviet Union ended—that this group's ideology turned against America. During the Cold War, bin Laden, like a magician's apprentice to the field of politics, fought with American support against the unbelievers of the Soviet Union.