Possibly. What they may have had in mind was simply revenge...retalition for various things that they feel were done to them or their people previously. After all, if you truly believe that God is on your side...and these guys definitely do...then you will not let any argument turn you aside from what another might consider a very rash and dangerous course of action...even if it leads to your own destruction.

Such was the case with the guys who flew the airplanes into the WTC and the Pentagon.

If your mind is all made up on that, then you can just fill in the rest of the blanks with whatever twisted logic you can come up with that seems to support the initial assumption.

Less religious and more pragmatic outfits are also capable of this kind of one-dimensional logic. It's based on the following type of assumptions:

1. We're the good guys. They are the bad guys.

2. We're right. They're wrong.

3. We will win in the end because we are right.

4. Their acts of violence are terrorism. Our acts of violence are a totally justified response to terrorism.

5. We are brave responsible people. They are cowards.

6. God, reason, sanity, justice, and freedom are on our side.

7. We cannot give in to weakness, but must persevere in the face of the "enemy" until final victory is achieved.

And so on...

You will find these basic assumptions woven throughout the rhetoric on both sides of any bloody conflict you could care to mention. History's winners and losers alike have repeated these statements with equal assurance. That's how crazy it gets.

This stems from a basic failure to recognize that humanity is a single family, common extensions of one Spirit. I've said that before, but I don't expect it will make much difference to say it again now.

Since I have control over my own behaviour, that's the behaviour I must take care to monitor with that understanding in mind...which means I will endeavour to harm no one, insofar as that is possible, but I will defend myself when it is required.

If I were in Bush's place, I am not quite sure what I would do at this point. I'd have to be there first, before I would know all the factors he is dealing with. And does he indeed know all the factors? I wonder...

I wonder if anybody does?

- LH