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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Blood is splattered 10 metres high on the wall (R) of the British Medical Association near to where a suspected terrorist bomb was exploded on a bus in Woburn Place and Tavistock Square in London 7 July 2005. Explosions ripped through three underground trains and a bus in London Thursday, killing at least 33 people and injuring more than 340 in a wave of "terrorist attacks" a day after the capital won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and as G8 leaders met in Scotland.

This is a very interesting point of view from a very insightful writer.

I think there is a lot of merit to thinking of the "war on terror" as a non-western-style blood feud with sporadic and unpredictable attacks on random civilians rather than a tradtional uniformed soldier/sailor army/navy war.

However, one point I would raise is that the islamo-fanatic terrorists probably WOULD like to make their attacks far more often and far more potent, but are being successfully deterred and prevented by improved US and worldwide security systems.

Thus I do not believe that al Quada and its cohorts "have no interest in bringing their enemy [i.e. the West] to its knees".. which is what Harris says typical blood feud participants believe. I think Osama and his band of terrorists GREATLY DESIRE to crush the west and would do so as quickly and as often and as effectively as they could if they were not actively prevented.

To them, I think it IS a war in which the object is to destroy the enemy either physically or spiritually so they give up the will to resist. The "sporadic and random" nature of the attacks so far is more a product of their inability to do more and the prevention efforts of security agencies thankfully thwarting most of their plans.

By intermittent and infrequent attacks, on the other hand, they are able to injure and wound their enemy, without the fear that they will be overwhelmed by their enemy's desperate desire to be rid of them once and for all. Even better, such sporadic violence permits the enemy to discount their own suffering, by realizing after each fresh attack that life goes on -- as indeed it does for those who chance to survive.

And in the interim between attacks, the enemy lays low, increases its numbers behind their adversaries lines, and demands protected status from their adversaries' governments in the name of tolerance.

When another attack occurs, the enemy secretly rejoices and demands increased protection.

A viscious cycle that plays the Western world like a violin.

The newest Islamic Rumor from the mill is that US or UK planned the attacks in London to harm public opinion against Muslims. This rumor originated from a group of Clerics in Pakistan. The Muslim world will continue the circle until we confront and destroy this rhetoric and ideology.

Blood feud. As good a theory of Muslim action as any. But you have to add in the religious aspect which makes this feud different from mere antipathy between clans, tribes or ethnic groups.

Because the religious blood feud can be passed on and assimilated by converts, such as the Muslims (largely black)converted in our prisons.

I completely disagree with this analysis.

First of all, it is a standard tactic of extremists to always claim they are reacting to an injustice, not initiating the action themselves. Even the Japanese had some supposed justification for Pearl Harbor. The Cole bombing was in reaction to US troops in Saudi Arabia. This is standard fare, and does not mean the enemy is orientated to the past.

In spite of 717, our real enemy is not hit and run terrorists, but suiciders and their handlers - the people that recruit them; train them; pay them; and organize them like Bin Laden, the PLA, the PA, Hamas, Syria, Iran and the like.

I believe the suiciders are primarily motivated by what they believe are the rewards of martyrdom: a heaven with 74 young virgin sex slaves and all the rest; cash for their families; respect of peers, etc. For their handlers it is most definitely a territorial war. The goal is not US out of Saudi but Sharia law in New York and London.

This is a war of conquest, not simply a war of hatred.