I've read with some interest opinions that bi Ladin is stupid, and a few other comments of like sort.
He is not stupid, insane by any normal definition, yes, but not stupid.

He has built an organization so well secured that not one single intelligence agency in the world has managed to penetrate it. Those agents who have tried have been executed summarily.

The organization is not tightly controlled by anyone. It is a loose group of individual cells, each isolated from one another to the point they have no idea who else belongs to any cell other then their own. One handler may control several cells. Those handlers are the keys to the organization. But whenever one is cornered he either is killed in the ensuing fight, or attacks in a suicidal manner.

He is also extremely wealthy, where and how he hides his finances is a mystery to date. With a coordinated effort worldwide the methods he uses may be discovered, and his cash flow cut off. This will inhibit his ability to finance terrorists in his group, but will not stop the attacks on targets selected before then.

The single most dangerous attribute of bin Ladin is his fanaticism, he has a single minded purpose in life, destroy the United States of America and convert the rest of the planet to His version of religion.

We (Americans) are the great evil, the great Satan in his narrow view. How and why he believes this is an almost impossibly complex mixture of facts, fictions and religious conviction. But the fact remains, he is dedicated to it unto death, ours or his, it matters little to him.

I have begun to wonder, how many countries have aided him, knowingly or by accident. In every region of the world there are those who hold such fanatical religious beliefs and skewed world view that are more than willing to assist any such group in a myriad of ways. That includes countries in every hemisphere.

Also, there are some countries in the chaotic region of the middle east that hate us so much they would cheerfully extend any support they were able. Iraq is a prime example. Not the Iraqi people but the government. Though the fact that one group is Sunni, the other Shite (sp?) would complicate matters. Hussein has a large bone to pick with us, and several other nations England for example.

Algerian Islamic Jihad rebels are a rich source of recruitment for his group. The fighting in Algeria has been some of the most bloody and gruesome in history.
The death toll mounts by the second there, and it has been mostly ignored by the world at large for far to long.

Cause and effect

The worst section of this whole horrible affair is this, a lot of the hatred could have been averted if the 'leadership' of this and other countries had not made so many mistakes in the past dealing with many of these nations.
I am not pointing fingers at either party, they share the blame equally. The continued past support of dictators and repressive regimes in the region has made us many enemies, the actions of US and British companies in the past also contributed to the mix.

I am not making excuses for the horror, I am exploring the root causes. After we deal with the organizations that revel in the killing of innocent civilians in such a way as to leave a lasting impression. We must deal with the causes, for if we do not, the evil will simply move to the next twisted mind and continue.

Military might will not stop the growth of another like bin Ladin. Dealing with the issues intelligently will slow it down.