The Taliban

I think that Hanle y himself would blow up countries for less, but I digress :-p

If you consider that the Taliban are genuine religious fanatics, are relatively inexperienced in international politics (outside of whipping up other religious fanatics in places like Pakistan), are blissfully ignorant of just about anything except their demented take on Islam, and are overly cocky (because they kicked Russian ass twenty years ago) then their motives for telling the U.S. to get out of the Persian Gulf are clear. That is, they expect that the U.S. will blow them up, they declare a jihad, and they get their (not-so-)little war against us infidels. Additional evidence of their ignorance of international politics comes from the fact that (a) they've pissed off the Iranians (which is at least partly why they haven't been overjoyed in the attacks); (b) by getting Pakistani fanatics worked up (ostensibly to set up an Islamically-correct regime [at least in the Taliban's view]) they're begging the Indians and possibly even the Chinese to get involved. I also think that one can't rule out the possibility that they're being used by someone more intelligent and ruthless to get at the United States and/or the West (Saddam Hussein, maybe?)

I just think they're goofs at this point. Dangerous goofs, mind. But Saudi Arabia broke off contact, reducing everything down to one, count 'em, one country still talking to them.

Amazing Mullah Omar fact: he has only twice in his life ever met a non-Muslim. (read in The Guardian at some point)

This not true Tom! I have met plenty of non-Muslims! ;) Sorry I just could not resist. Proceed.

'Demented take on Islam'? What if one starts from the position that ALL religion is demented?

Then you get yelled at Dave. Of course I won't do the yelling. I do suspect religion plays a strong role in the history of conflict however.

I think killing people in the name of religion is demented.

Killing in the name of religion - here's where it gets knotty. See, if somebody is religious, they believe there's eternal afterlife, which makes death not only inconsequential but sometimes desireable. I.E. the very idea of 'religion' itself makes this sort of thinking possible, therefore religious homicide is NOT demented in the context of religion itself.

am i wrong or do not most religions decree "Thou shalt not kill"?

h a ha ha ha