Is that this "war" is very close to spreading like wildfire, and could engulf the whole Middle East, just by ONE poor mistake, or poorly timed threat of retaliation.

Amnesty International makes a specific point of singling out the Bush administration's role in using the "war on terror" to justify widespread human rights abuses and "treating the world as one big battlefield".

>"Through short-sighted, fear-mongering and divisive policies, governments are undermining the rule of law and human rights, feeding racisms and xenophobia, dividing communities, intensifying inequalities and sowing the seeds for more violence and conflict."

This bleak and damning report also cites:
"Violence between Muslims and non-Muslims, including incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, increased over the past year, largely fueled by discriminatory counter-terrorism strategies in Western countries. Increasing polarisation has strengthened the hands of extremists at both ends of the spectrum, reducing the space for tolerance and dissent.

No <kidding.>