the inequality argument doesnt wash. Ie. lets stamp out economic inequality, and the terrorists wont have a leg to stand on. Saudi Arabia is very wealthy, the per capita income is higher than the US. hell, they buy fancy suvs just so they can trash them in street races. And yet there are supporters of Al Qaeda in Saudi. Certainly there are poor populations all over the middle east - and many of them are uneducated and easily swayed by propaganda. The US is a target because it is the last remaining superpower, because it is the most prominent exporter of WESTERN culture. That is the root of the problem. THe terror attacks were not just an attack on the US but and attack on WESTERN civilization. WHich, like it or not, is the dominant civilization on the planet. A 1000 years ago it was the other way around, the Islamic world was the most advanced civilization- and much of the enlightenment in Cordoba (and the preservation of Greek writings was in the Islamic world) Mathematics (Algebra, Algorithm, the concept of zero), chemistry Alcohol (ironically) all came from this region and were picked up by the west (as well as the Latine sail - which was key along with gunpowder and the compass (chinese inventions) in dominating the world. The third most important development (printing) along with paper (another chinese) invention was key in spreading knowledge and information in the west. Even the Renaissance was kickstarted by the influx of books and scholars who came to Italy and other parts of Europe as refugees from Constantinople. The other (ironic) effect of that was to shut off trade from the east and encourage Europeans in exploration and colonialization. Yes the past was full of injustice, but the slaves that were sold in Africa were also captured by other Africans and slavery continues to this day there. Ironically, much of Africa is worse economically and more repressive as well as politically unstable 40years after the EUropeans pulled out. The US has certainly made shortsighted judgements in the cold war in supporting dictatorshipS (hes a bastard but hes our bastard) but ask an Iranian if hes better off now than under the shah. (I had some Iranian roommates when I lived in Japan, they said most young people dont care about fanatical Islam, they just want to live as in the west, party, drink etc - according to him - they represent the greatest danger to the Revolutionary guard) Most of those countries are police states anyway including Saudi Arabia, Syria, certainly not made that way by the US, and why should it be the place of the US or other western countries to install democracies around the world. Pakistan started off as a democracy, and is now a dictatorship with those that dwell on the US past conveniently ignore the US overthrowing a corrupt regime in Haiti, or getting involved in the Balkans and ultimately setting up conditions where the people overthrew the junta in Yugoslavia. THis is not even to mention the US involvement in the second world war. If the Nazis had won the Islamic world probably wouldnt even exist.

SOme of the past US actions may have encouraged the ISlamist extremists in the past - they perceive the US as being weak in many ways, (Clinton whom I admire was shortsighted in much of his foreign policy in this region) He wanted to have a lasting legacy by trying to encourage an Arab Israeli peace, by encouraging improved relations with Iran (a state which just recently hosted a meeting with Hamas and Hizbollah, in order to iron out their differences.) This ultimately made the US look weak. The US did not respond to the Attack on the USS Cole because they thought it would lead to more revenge attacks, as after the East African embassy bombings, Clinton lobbed a few missiles into Afghanistan and into SUdan because a commando raid to capture Bin Laden would have been too many casualties (both collateral and US) They should and probably will take a lesson from Mossad that knows how to fight terrorism on its own ground.