You know, Steve, I still have that caveat about geography . I would argue that what we are seeing, in the broader scope of the GWOT is really a global insurgency against the particular weltanscauung established by the Treaty of Westphalia. I would certainly agree that they are using terrorist tactics, but I would classify the MB and its intellectual children as insurgents.

In Iraq, I would tend to agree with you that it is a variety of insurgency. On that note, however, I think that we need to create a new term to cover what we have been calling "criminal enterprises". The main reason for creating a new term is that calling something "criminal" means that there must be a generally accepted legal code, and that isn't the case in many failed or failing states. I would further suggest that a "criminal enterprise" is, in actuality, a tactical option in the same way as terrorism is a tactical option. So, if we are going to "build a better mousetrap" (model), then we should clearly distinguish betwen tactics and group motivations.

Marc