MMario, I had second thoughts about including Great Britain in my list, but retained it because despite the Falkland Islands and the ongoing troubles in Northern Ireland, I did not have the feeling that war would be the immediate first response to the event. Maybe overly optomistic.

However to me, it seemed certain that America would respond like a large wounded animal, looking around for anyone or anything to take out its fear, outrage and frustrations upon. And for good or ill that was my response as the mouse sitting next to the elephant.