Your points indicate a dedicated terrorist. What else could it be except a sympathiser. The writing appears disjointed etc. The demands have been other things besides money. (political?)
He has not shot any cops! Wonder why?
This is pure and simple terrorism.
I would say that the odds are better than 50% that this guy is foreign born. He has no apparent prejudices. He has no apparent reason.
The thing he is doing is impossible to defend against and was anticipated by analysts at the beginning of the war on terror.
He hasn't shot any cops because he knows they are armed and one might get a shot at him. Most citizens don't walk around with a gun on their hip. If they do carry they conceal it. He knows that he can get them before they can even think about it. It is alot easier to kill a citizen than it is to kill a cop.
Sorry still don't think it is terrorists. Just a gut feeling this guy is a psycho and not foreign born. He knows the area too well. He probably is not that educated enough to write that well. He has an agenda and thinks he is GOD!! That is enough to convince me his is not AL-QAEDA. Plus the ransom is another thing that convinces me.