Too Much Fretting

After September 11, the European governments have completely failed.
They are incapable of seeing beyond their own national scope of interests
--Jurgen Habermas

It started back in 1963
His momma wouldn't buy him that new red Harmony
He settled for a sunburst with a crack
But he's still trying to break his momma's back
--Perfectly Good Guitar, John Hiatt

This is a crime against the state
This is the verdict they reach:
Never listen to electric guitar
--Electric Guitar, Talking Heads
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From an article in Acoustic Guitar magazine:

"It all began when Jay Bonner, a specialist in Islamic ornamentation, wanted to design a guitar for his boss and friend in Stuttgart, Germany, Dr. Bodo Rasch. Several years ago Rasch hired Bonner to help design 27 domes in an expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad."

"The domes, where thousands of pilgrims gather to pray during the hajj, feature ornate carvings in rare old-growth cedar (provided by the King of Morocco) from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. Bonner knew there was a small amount of this rare cedar leftover after the project was completed, and since the wood is often used for the soundboards of ouds, he thought it would make it an excellent choice for a guitar top. Rasch owns several classical guitars but few steel-strings, so Bonner planned a presentation instrument to fill the gap in his friend’s collection."

The inlay work is an "intricate web of repeating scrolls and curls echoing the carvings adorning the pillars and domes in Medina." Why does Ranger find this relevant to the Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©)? Consider the implications:

A German architect hired an American to help him design 27 domes in an expansion of the Prophet Mohammed's burial mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia -- the most holy site for Muslims. This suggests the Saudis are incapable of fronting the expertise for this project, since they require Western assistance to build upon even their most sacred religious site, the gathering site for the hajj pilgrimage. Keeping in mind the goal of al Qaeda is to block Western presence in their kingdom, this foreign building team would seem to present a paradox.

This project also indicates that al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia are totally dependent upon the West for money, arms and various levels of internal support and development. What else do the Saudis have beyond their stranglehold on the black gold? They cannot eat oil, nor can it build their minarets for them.

In light of such stories, how can the U.S. even begin to believe that an existential threat could emanate from a country built on the sands of an oasis that cannot even construct its holy of holies?