"It's high time, in fact perilously late, that the U.S. and the rest of the western world call a conference to explore reasons and solutions for the present-day terroristic environment".

Sometimes though, there should *be* no "negotiation". I do not negotiate with my 9 year old daughter when she throws a tantrum, and neither do I feel that that any country should negotiate with terrorists.

There simply is no excuse for killing innocents, no matter who is doing the killing.

I have to agree with another sentiment in this thread...

For living on the backs of others in the world, we surely dole out a hell of a lot of cash.

We are not the great evil we are painted to be, nor are we saints. We're human. But this culture and its justice system is still a hell of a lot better than some of the cultures which are now casting stones our way.

When Islamic fundamentalists treat their women as something other than chattel, I may be willing to listen to their complaints about the US and all the evil we do.

They are still oppressing their *own* people, not just killing ours for oppressing their people. I find this hypocritical in the extreme, and as a woman, am insensed that the world is not more outraged at the treatment women suffer under many Islamic regimes.