[headsplice]

An answer for UT: a 3. Regional (which until recently is all it was) militant Islamism is just that, regional. The militants didn't really give a rat's ass about us until the mid-1990's. With that in mind, we have to realize that al-Qaeda is still basically that regional organization. We have folks that are just as dangerous that we grow locally (check out the bombing ring that just got busted in Dallas a couple of weeks ago). Now that they have the spotlight, more people know about them (shades of Fox News v. Franken) and more people are suddenly examining the US guvmint's actions and how well we treat other countries (which is a pretty abysmal track record).
Possibly a more important question is: what is the correct response to said extremism as it is now a global problem? Force WILL NOT work. We're seeing force in action right now in Afghanistan and Iraq. If you believe fighting against guerillas (the technical term, not the political one) who have the support of the populace is effective, I have a big granite memorial to show you in Washington, D.C.
Further, can anyone argue that the militants aren't getting their way? Traditional American (or, Western, to be more inclusive) civil liberties have been curtailed; a police state is past its infancy and is well into toddler-dom; record deficits are leadind us down the road to financial ruin. We can do it to ourselves just as well as someone else can.
But maybe I'm just being paranoid.