I think the real target population for the jihadis is the U.S. electorate. They seek to break our will, and force us to submit. And they have almost succeeded.
No its not sorry but the jihads are not that sophisticated. During the Vietnam war the Vietnamese did not strike at America proper because they were targeting your home population with propaganda wanting to win your home peoples hearts and minds.
Nothing I ever have seen about the Arab or Muslim population has ever made me think that they have a strategic outlook, everything they do is for short term gain. Terror not Hearts and Minds is there creed
The target population is the population they are blowing up there own people.
They are going for Iraqis who are prepared to work with the allies. Police recruits, Markets where allied soldiers have patrolled and talked to the locals, Iraqi soldiers, and even children who accept sweets from Alliance soldiers
They hope that by using fear they would cower the population into accepting them.
This has always been the Arab way name one Arab country that does not use state repression to rule there people.
But as I stated earlier this is having a negative effect on there campaign as the people turn against them which explains the huge influx of street intelligence.