I found this article in my local newspaper this morning and thought it summed up fairly well my own opinions on the problem of terrorism, although I have a few reservations I'll add later if this article doesn't sink. Some might recognise Ziauddin Sardar's name from his collaborative work with Merryl Wyn Davies, Why Do People Hate America? but to those of you who don't, I recommend looking into some of the stuff he writes. It can be quite interesting and possibly enlightening.
My favourite quote would have to be:
...such monumental efforts - and they are monumental - can bear fruit only if global powers stop creating more Muslim victims, more revenge-seeking bombers and potential martyrs. The use of military power as the sole means of addressing complex issues can lead only to increasing instability. The creation of politcal space to produce peaceful engagement and hope is, and will remain, the only true antidote to terrorism.
Check it out - Link