Your turn for the month of February Gervase - go through your "incidents" and strike off those where there is a clearer cause for the violence.

It was you that introduced "militant Islam" to the debate, so perhaps you might research the following terms "Jihad"; "Fatwa" & "Takfir".

Militant Islam is promotion of the faith through force, or defence of the faith through force. I'd point out that the "faith" is not under attack in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Where violence is directed against fellow muslims over differing interpretations of Islam that is in fact "Takfir".

Al-Qaeda is in Jihad with the "West", primarily the USA. The Taleban as an organisation in Afghanistan are not. Abu Sayyaf in the Philipines will provide examples of militant Islam their principle targets being the RCC in that country, they are promoting their religion by force.

In Somalia all you have going on is a "turf" war it has nothing to do with religion, merely a squabble for power.

In Iraq you have the dying throws of an insurgency and sectarian attacks, both aimless and both going nowhere.