More Lines of Enquiry.

1. Official response from nation or quasi- nation or bloc defeated or attacked or humiliated by US during last [x] years [insert list here]
2. Unofficial response by group claiming to represent or defend honour of n or qn or b [see above] defeated or attacked or humiliated by US during last [x] years [insert list here]
3. Provocateur attack by officially sanctioned (but secret) group pretending to be 1. or 2., variety of purposes possible [list by defn unavailable]
4. Prov-Attack by rogue splinter gp pretending to be 1. or 2, who despise weakness of their local "official line" [list unavailable]
5. Plot by political "idealists" excluded from all current mainstream political discussion [list can started, but it's long] < br> 6. Complex combo of above
7. Other.

Question: is this a continuation of a known war, or a first shot intended to start a new one? Has the first shot been fired by one of the presumed sides in said war, or by unrelated persons unknown hoping to start said war, for reasons currently unknown. Imagine what YOU think will be the long- term outcome of this situation; assume the perpetrators have had exactly your thoughts: now consider who would most BENEFIT from such an outcome. Bear in mind that your concept of "benefit" may not square with theirs.

As DG wisely says somewhere, just because an explanation's simple and much discussed, doesn't mean it's not the true explanation. But I see expressions on politicians' faces which still say to me: WE HAVE NO IDEA AT ALL WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE.

Maybe this. Maybe that. Maybe one disguised as the other. No explanation I have so far heard makes much political sense to me. That may simply mean this crime was enacted by people who had NO coherent political aims, whatever their other skills.

It's true. You can't jump to any conclusions. One of the best things about UK terrorist attacks, I guess (if "best" is the right term) is the fact that the group responsible usually owns up soon after the attack. Until there's concrete evidence no-one should be pointing any fingers.

Mark S is absolutely right in his reading of the politicians' faces. Did anyone see Bush at the Pentagon ruins - VERY long pauses, no idea what to say, and a look of utter fear in his eyes.

The knee-jerk blame of Bin-Laden is worrying me greatly. I imagine the real situation is far, far more complex than that.

it seems to me that the second wave of this attack will commence Monday when the NYSE opens again. any and all of the listed possibles have been hit two fold, physical loss of life and economic wreckage, i fear we have only experienced the first punch. Love to you all

Have South Americans ever been involved in suicide bombings? From both cultural and religious angles it would seem quite incongruous.