Also, as the child of someone killed by anti-American terrorists, I prefer to reserve the term Murder for attacks against individuals. If the carbombers had been gunning for Dad individually, then I would say that he had been murdered. As the attack was against Americans in general, I do not consider that my father was murdered, but that he was killed in an act of war, or bad luck for being at the Embassy when it was bombed. The fact that Dad wasn't at war with anyone doesn't change that. I also don't feel you can blame individual people for media effects - had there been a photographer at this other attack, things might be different. Think about Elian, for instance. Without the media frenzy it would have been a simple case.

I am personally almost to despair over the Israel/Palistine issue. I don't believe that either government wants peace, nor am I so sure about the populaces. Reminds me of the Kosovo and other Yugoslav conflicts - these race/ethnic/you-name-the-bundary issues arise from hatreds stemming back almost to prehistoric times. That makes them very hard to counter with reason, which is the only true weapon of a peacemaker. In the Yugoslav case, I have despaired. I still have some hope for the area around Jerusalem, but it is fading fast.

Note also that in both these areas, the underlying argument is religious, so faith is involved, making it even HARDER for reason to take root. Were it not for religious conflict, my father would likely still be alive, or at least he wouldn't have been killed by (Islamic) terrorists.

There, I hope that I have now spoken volumes.