[Texasforever]

Circles within circles. This was a great piece but reminds me of the "puzzle rings" I brought back from Saudi Arabia in the 80's. There is no "understanding" the Middle Eastern mind. The only thing that is sure is that what you see is a distraction and the "message” is never what you think it is.

[moni kerr]

I've never seen puzzle rings before, but that seems an apt analogy to the mid-east mind. Prof Ajami wrote an earlier piece describing the failed civilization of the Arab world in the 20th century as giving rise to the intense hatred felt by Islamic extremists towards us infidels. I would note that our leftist intellectuals have helped nourish this anti-Americanism by giving it an rational veneer. It is interesting to watch the left tear itself apart. Witness the Chomky-Hitchens debate for instance.