[MineralMan]

Right you are. Destroying Mecca would insure the undying hatred of every Muslim, and for now, we don't have that. Those who would take such retribution would not achieve the results they wish. Just the opposite, in fact. Imagine the rage amongst Roman Catholics around the world if someone bombed the Vatican. It's only a small place...the center of the religion, but most religionists don't live there. They live elsewhere and would attempt retribution. Nuking Mecca or any other Muslim holy place is the worst idea I've heard here.

[swarthyguy]

Secretly MineralMan, they'd all be relieved they don't have to do that damn stupid Hajj, walk around in circles in the blazing desert sun and get ripped off by the Saudis entering and exiting the country.

Hell, they could stay and home and walk around in circles around a black stone in their back yard.

Much better for everyone.

They'd all thank us. They'd be grateful to have the millstone of the kabab of their damn necks. And be happy to have their necks at the same time too.

Seriously, think of the propaganda factor. US destroys Mecca. No lightning from allah or any such crap. The US stands and Mecca is the worlds first all glass skating rink.

[GovernmentShrinker]

True. But it would be fun to see what would happen if we carted off that big black box they make pilgrimages to, and put it on top of a Swiss alp or in the middle of the Everglades. Would they go wherever we put it? Or would they keep going to its former site? Would they try to cart it back? Mischievous minds want to know.

[steveegg]

You forget that they already have undying hatred toward us and a very large portion are already attempting to kill us. For them, it doesn't matter if we nuke Mecca or sacrifice half our population in appeasement; they won't stop until they either finish us off or have the fight shocked out of them.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Destroying Mecca would insure the undying hatred of every Muslim, and for now, we don't have that.

Are you sure about that? Every Muslim I have known, when you get him talking, will tell you about all his cousins, uncles, Sheiks, Imans, etc. who have an undying hatred of the West because of the Crusades in the 1500s. (or several other reasons.) Of course the person talking doesn't feel that way -- he just articulates all of the arguments as easily as we could recite Nursery rhymes.