Hi Sam,

Please see below...

>Alex.
>There are several things that could "them" off.
>Like critizing their culture, religion, country, law etc.... Even if the critisim was constructive......

The "Danish cartoons" fiasco was, as best I can tell, a contrived bit of "theatre" that got way out of hand. Similar with the Pope's recent statement that caused resentment, at least in my opinion (though this Pope's previous "Defender of the Faith" position may have been 'calculated' in his remarks). As I see it a few overly sensitive and intolerant Muslim "leaders" use barely significant incidents to show/grow their own stature. And when there's a general belief that Islam is under seige from several quarters then it is much easier to get their believers' attention and incite them to bad actions.

And I really have to point out that, of late, there are some very over-sensitive Americans venting right here on UT.

>
>There's always a reason to be angry at something.
>
>Iran with all it's oil, why aren't helping the poor Muslims more. They seem to be more interested in arming other militans groups.

That may be an excellent question, or it may be a silly one. I don't know, myself, but I have noted that there seems no great love between Persians and Arabs (Sunni and Shia?). Is Iran really arming militant groups, or is that what we're told? I'm afraid I've lost trust in our (western) leaders' word and the media they manipulate so well.



>
>
>>>Can you provide an example of where honey worked with terrorists? Where the country is not a target of terrorism now because of that tactic? Where the country did not basically placate the terrorists (give in to them) and that country is not now an immediate target because another larger target is more important?
>>
>>Maybe not honey in the short term but the long one. The west antagonizes these people and does little to help them overcome their problems. Thomas Friedman gives examples (in his books and in a TV interview he did with T. Russert) about the situation of the poor in Pakistan.
>>
>>He proposed that if we helped these people out of their poor economic situation, by providing investments and jobs, they become middle-class. The middle-class in Pakistan, in his example, wants to better their kid's education. As always, public education is sub-par, so they prefer to send their kids to private school. What decent private schools exist inthe area are religious schools (madrassas), run by an Islamic Fundamentalist mafia that instills hatred of the west and the 'infidels' into their young minds.
>>
>>When a country gets out of poverty and people reach middle-class, it's in their interest to maintain order and reject fundamentalism, and the terrorists in their midst. They want peace, security and stability. It's the only way to do business and aspire to maintain a decent standard of life.
>>
>>Unfortunately, for many decades now, the USA and the west has not cultivated their friendship; has not - by and large - provided investments and jobs for these people. Contrast these examples with India, or Indonesia, Morocco or even Egypt. They get loans, they get tourism and trade, and they are more-or-less stable.