Ruth, "they had it coming" is definitely wrong.

But after 60 years of US overseas intervention and manipulation through the Cold War and beyond, I think the general feeling from non-US people is that it's amazing that it took so long for the first terrorist attack on the mainland US. No-one hates Americans the people, but they may well hate America the political entity - and they may well be justified in that hate (in the same way the Irish certainly were justified in their hate of the British government in the 70s and 80s.) Not that any of this justifies the killing of innocent people in any way, but it explains attitudes to it. It's all too easy for "I hate your government" to be equated to "I hate your country". And then "I hate you" even though they've never met you.

The point is that there didn't seem to be any awareness from the US government that what they were doing abroad could have any effect back home - it was all a game somewhere else in the world, and they couldn't envisage the fight being taken to them. Most of Europe learnt that the hard way in the 60s and 70s, but the US government didn't learn.

And then they had to face the question of "why did it happen, and how can we stop it?". Perhaps by not buggering up every country they touch, and trying to restore people's faith in your government's good nature? Nah - let's send in the troops to make an example of someone Muslim, and crack down on civil liberties. So they've *still* not learnt the lesson.

That's where I hope the American people like you can make themselves heard. Whilst the civil service and the CIA and all the other unelected lot keep on keeping on, I truly hope that the American people will elect people who'll turn it around. They missed one chance, but the recent Congress looks like things might have turned the corner.

Graham.