Dudley Henriques wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

Did we get all of them? No. But we did pretty well. And last time I
checked there hasn't been a terrorist attack on US soil since.


One thing I've always found interesting when someone puts out the "we
haven't been attacked since" card is that no one in the national media
to my knowledge anyway, has even come close to suggesting something so
basic to common sense that it defies explanation.

Anyone with half a strategic brain has to at least consider the fact
that the reason could very well be that they don't WANT to attack us
again...at least not yet.

They may simply lack the capability to do anything credible, so rather
than do something anemic, they don't try.

I believe Osama et al have been pretty clear on their motivation for the
9/11 attacks and I believe many people have not bothered to read their
alleged grievances because they are considered the rantings of "crazy
terrorists." For the record, here are the main points and what I think
can be concluded from them:

(From the "Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America'"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver

"As for the second question that we want to answer: What are we calling
you to, and what do we want from you?
....
(1) The first thing that we are calling you to is Islam.
....
(2) The second thing we call you to, is to stop your oppression, lies,
immorality and debauchery that has spread among you.
....
(3) What we call you to thirdly is to take an honest stance with
yourselves - and I doubt you will do so - to discover that you are a
nation without principles or manners, and that the values and principles
to you are something which you merely demand from others, not that which
you yourself must adhere to.

(4) We also advise you to stop supporting Israel, and to end your
support of the Indians in Kashmir, the Russians against the Chechens and
to also cease supporting the Manila Government against the Muslims in
Southern Philippines.

(5) We also advise you to pack your luggage and get out of our lands. We
desire for your goodness, guidance, and righteousness, so do not force
us to send you back as cargo in coffins.

(6) Sixthly, we call upon you to end your support of the corrupt leaders
in our countries. Do not interfere in our politics and method of
education. Leave us alone, or else expect us in New York and Washington.

(7) We also call you to deal with us and interact with us on the basis
of mutual interests and benefits, rather than the policies of sub dual,
theft and occupation, and not to continue your policy of supporting the
Jews because this will result in more disasters for you.

If you fail to respond to all these conditions, then prepare for fight
with the Islamic Nation.
...."

See that "get out of our lands," "leave us alone," and the desire for
respect buried in (5), (6), and (7)?

Now contrast those 7 conditions with their lack of attacks on anything
in South America, Australia, Japan, and a lot of other countries (which
would seem to fail to meet their conditions of (1) through (3)). So the
important "trigger" points seem to be buried in the last three: don't
mess with them and they don't mess with you. A good basis for thuggery,
to be sure, but the U.S. often deals with unpleasant countries by
adopting the "don't mess with us and we wont mess with you."

So in my very humble opinion, everything seems to suggest that
disengaging from the region will have no negative affects on our
security (except oil I suppose) and has a reasonable chance to improve
it, based on the motivations Al Qaeda appears to have exhibited.

Here are some maps showing pre and post Al Qaeda attacks around the
world:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...3&source=embed
(Corresponding article:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issu...qaeda_map.html )

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...cksAlQaeda.png