To the terrorists who undertook the attack on the WTC recently what they were doing did'nt constitute a crime. In their minds what they were doing was attacking the United States of America. The people in the WTC were not innocent civilians but the enemy, the economic machines powering the might of the US. That was their view I would imagine. I don't believe they were evil at all, I think they simply live in a world so culturally different from the people of the US and most of the rest of the world that for us to understand them or their acts is impossible. I'm sure in their world they will be regarded as hero's, not madmen.
However, the US and the rest of the world need and expect, due again to our culture and beliefs, revenge and self-protection and this can only be acheived by retaliating against these types of actions. I don't believe that we will ever be able to make these people feel apologetic or sorry for what they have done, just as they will never be able to make us understand why what they did was necessary.
I don't believe there is a solution to this problem at all. However I do feel that retaliation will bring some closure and a feeling of justice done for the American people.
Just my opinion, btw Urchin I agree totally with your initial post.