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I agree that the chance they thought this (US Govt. terrorizing their own citizens) is what would happen is slim. However, their goal of wanting to hurt the US population / Government in a significant way was far more successful than they could ever imagine.

The additional intervention in the middle east was a given either way so I don't think that can be looked at as a loss for them.

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I would think they wanted more intervention in the middle east. Why? To drum up more support for their cause and to have an easy villan. I would say their attacks were fairly successful.

Agreed

Bin Laden very much wanted the US to invade Afghanistan. He wanted to draw the US into the same kind of war the Soviets were sucked into.

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