http://www.thecitrusreport.com/wp-co...g.w560h384.jpg
That is a natural reaction, and it was the intended reaction which the madmen that perpetrated this horrible crime wanted. The countries they were from didn't want a war with the US.
It's important to keep in mind that the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia (15), UAE (2) Egypt (1) and Lebanon (1).
We haven't attacked any of those countries.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure the Al Qaeda terrorists had a similar mindset about the U.S., as you have towards them, when they lashed out indiscriminately at civilian targets.
The human cost has been enormous in terms of injuries and deaths among combatants and non-combatants (civilians) alike, for all involved (both allies and enemies).
The money we have spent in avenging 9/11 over nearly 10 years now, has been crippling to the US economy as well. When you add up all of the costs - spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, creation of the massive new Dept of Homeland Security, etc, all while cutting taxes on the wealthy, it's not hard to see where much of the federal budget deficit came from.
Not everyone in the Middle East is a terrorist or even anti-USA. I would venture to say that most people in the Middle East still do not wish to have a war with the USA, even though we have been conducting combat operations in the Middle East for nearly a decade (and let's not forget Abu Ghraib, no WMDs, Rendition, Torture/Water Boarding, Guantanamo, Blackwater, and the list goes on and on).
I think it's time to move forward with beginning to stand down, and to get most of our troops home as expeditiously as possible. Many of our troops have been on multiple tours. One of my longtime neighbors has done half a dozen tours in the Middle East now, and he tells me that the troops are pretty much sick of the whole business, and they don't get much more patriotic then my neighbor - he actually volunteered for most of his tours.
We can debate about the size and composition of the troops going forward, but the important thing is to move forward smarter.
Among the primary reasons the Soviet Union collapsed is due to the huge amount of military spending on the arms race, and in fighting a decades long protracted guerilla war in Afghanistan. Let's not make that same mistake.
Give peace a chance... :)
ADG (US Navy Veteran, 6 years)
