I think there's a lot of room for discussion about US policy in Iraq. The matter raised by the beheading of Paul Johnson is not US policy, but rather the war which is being fought against Western Civilization.
The beheading of Paul Johnson does not stand alone. You will recall Daniel Pearl, Nick Johnson, the Burnhams (Christian Missionaries beheaded in the Phillipines by Abu Sayeff), Daniel Arad, 'Princess' Leila, a member of the 'royal house' of Saud, beheaded for "loose morals," the 3 Buddhists beheaded in Thailand recently, a Hindu family of 5 beheaded in Kashmir, the wild eyed delight in the crowd in Faluja celebrating the burned and mutilated bodies of 4 Americans, Dan Arad, and thousands in Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria. What do you think is happening here?
Does your world view permit the possibility that not only is a religious war being waged against non Muslims by Muslims but that nothing is required of you other than your religion and being in the wrong place at the wrong time for you to be a player here?
If you don't think that beheading is a practice embraced by the normative values of Islam have you considered that cognitive dissonance is a possible explanation?
