Decius wrote:
]
] (U:) Probably the point of this is not to influence the
] west, but to demonstrate to gullible people in the middle east
] that they terrorists have influenced the west.

Because the ultimate aim of the terrorist is just not to expunge westerners and western values but to take over and rule the land of Mohammad per their evil and warped sense of Islam once the west is no longer significant obstacle to their aims. While we usually tend to side with Israel, w/o us, the more moderate middle eastern states like UAE, Quatar, Egypt and even the less progressive Saudi Arabia would be extremely vulnerable. Nobody seems to see just how much we have historically protected their interests.

RE: CNN.com - Protest 'or Italian hostages die' - Apr 26, 2004