Pete: I can comfort you with that we and the danes are probably the next big-time targets. Seems like two of our smaller (5000copys a day) newspapers has pissed off the united muslim world by printing some caricatures of Mohammed. Count is now up to three burned embassies and they are making flags to burn like it was toiletpaper.

I agree with you that you should think more domestic. You are about to be passed by China and India if you dont get your economy and politics together.
When you take a high-profile, you will also get the attention that comes with it. Especially so when you let your military visit other lands "in force". Doing humanitarian aid is a far cry from pre-emptive invasions. If you did not strike out on your own, but went trough the UN instead, you would not be in the position you are today. But your political leadership obviously can not accept that.
As for taking the gloves off, the US has had gauntlets on for a good while now.

If you are getting tired of hearing about muslims killing americans, how tired do you think muslims are of having their family members killed by americans? What do you belive the body count is on both sides since the 70s? I dont know for sure, but I think you have ended a couple of more muslim lives than they have killed americans. From an outside viewpoint, it is your heavy handed and rough shoed dealings with the arab world that have brought you in the position you are today.
You have had one muslim terrorist attack in the US (am I wrong?), and a terrible one at that. It was executed by extremists, the same ones that are just now whipping the muslim world into beliveing that danes and norwegians hates muslims. You have lots of muslims in the US, even Mike Tyson converted to Islam while in prison, and they dont bother you much, do they? It's the extremists you need to watch and catch, but not muslims in general. Whats happing today is the extremists dream come true.
If Martin Luther had not started the reformation within the church, and we had missed the renaissance, we could be where the muslim world is today. Just look at muslim women and how they strive for change every day. Historically, christians and jews could find a safe haven in muslim countries (not today). The muslim world missed both reformation and the renaissance, two outmost important parts of our history. Then their leaders became more fundamental and their interpretation of Islam change for the worse. Effectively, they never left the middle age.
I wonder if they are so angry becouse they see how we westernes live, and they dont understand why they dont have the same rights and opportunities (beeing f*ked over by europeans and others for the last 200 years dont help). Instead they are beaten around the head by their mullahs if they dare to think different. Working for a reformation or renaissance would probably get the average muslim killed.

Sorry for rambling on and being long winded. I see for myself here in little Norway how many muslim immigrants fail to integrate with us ethnic norwegians. Instead they gather in what I would call ghettos and try to change everything around them to be similar to what they left when they escaped their countries. That is really a problem, and who do I blame? Our government who failed to demand from them that they learnt our language and customs so they at least had a chance to integrate. Now they are going after our freedom of speech and free press..
Feeling victimized when getting critique for your own foreign policy is turning things on its head and really should make a lot of questions come to mind. Besides, if you go abroad you will experience that you are welcome most places on the globe. Just leave the weaponry at home and do business instead (or dont do business if you dont like the guys).

A question. How is it possible for a guy who need daily dialysis to run around the mountains in Pakistan/Afghanistan and escape the collective special forces community, intelligence community, satelittes and the military with a large reward on his head? Why have you not caught bin Laden and let him meet justice yet? I supported the invasion of Afghanistan fully, and would like to see him in front of a court in Haag or even Nurnberg.

Pete: What tank did you drive in Germany. M48 or something earlier? I have two years on the upgraded Leopard I (bet you saw it while in Germany) with gyro stabilized fire-control. Always cool to meet a fellow cavaleryman