How many soldiers killed on the Cole. How many civilians killed in the Embassies in Africa. How many marines killed in Saudi and Beirut.
We've seen it. And up until now we have reacted, in their eyes, with >weakness<.
And the current direction of amassing large amount of troops in the Mid-East, that's exactly the kind of actions "expected" from the US.
I completely disagree.
Osama Bin Laden declared his jihad because there are US troops on Saudi soil. It has fuck all to do with all of those other things that you've listed. He pushed once...got limited response, pushed again and got a couple of cruise missiles...he pushed again and now he will pay dearly (hopefully). The Taliban would not accept ANY proof...and if you think they would you are kidding yourself. Many have claimed we put them in power....and again you are kidding yourself. Bin Laden was expecting us to lob a cruise missile or 2 at a couple of camps. He was not expecting us to turn the free world against him. To freeze his assets. To declare war on the Taliban for supporting him. He was expecting us to react with weakness. I believe he was wrong. I hope I am right.
What are we, the US, to do in this region. If we act...we are being the "big bully imperialist power"...and if we don't we are "evil capitalists that have no compassion for those in need".
Damned if we do, damned if we don't.
The only way to solve this now is to grind them to dust....and to force those who assist them (the Taliban, Khadafi, Hussein) to pay dearly for that support.