"But the world isn't like that"

[jbor]

cj hurtt wrote:

> ok i may be a little ignorant so feel free to correct me if i am wrong, but
> is bin laden's attack really a grave error? didn't he want a huge u.s.
> retaliation to help polorize the world along musilm/non-muslim lines? it is
> like the u.s. played into his hands by sending troops all over the place.
> wasn't the point to spark a jihad or did i swollow some bait?
> 

Yes, the original attack went exactly as planned, except for the plane which
nose-dived into the Pennsylvania meadow. But bin Laden miscalculated what
the US response would be. Bush waited. He got unanimous (except for the
Taliban, of course) international support to proceed. And he targeted the
terrorists. So, there was no Muslim/non-Muslim polarisation, and there was
no pan-Arab Jihad, and there was no ultimate destruction of the "evil" West,
which is what bin Laden wanted and expected to happen.

best