[alancalverd]

Civil liberties have taken some punishment

which appears to have been part of  the objective - to impose a police state on a democracy. The other objective, to start a war between civilisation and Islam, seems also to have been achieved. A brilliant plan, superbly executed, and the idiot Bush fell right into the trap. Which wouldn't matter if he hadn't dragged the rest of us in with him.   

[syhprum]

The 911 bombers were Saudi's protesting  about America's behaviour in Saudi Arabia so what was the American reaction we can't attack Saudi Arabia as it is a valuable market for our armaments and a source of fuel so we will attack Iraq instead.

[evan_au]

population of Hiroshima, and certainly none of any military significance.

I understand that Nagasaki was a military port, but the mountainous terrain limited the damage done by a single bomb.

Hiroshima was not a significant military target, but its flat terrain and large population turned it into a nuclear target.