I think some of the conspiracy thinking comes from disbelief that a person would just walk in on a wedding and blow themselves up.

But interviews with terrorists and terrorist handlers show that is exactly the kind of thing they have done repeatedly, happening to choose a particular bus or cafe on sudden whim at the time. I'm not dismissing the conspiracy, but I don't think people should dismiss the randomness of the attack either. Not that it was entirely random...

Well, we know there was *some* sort of conspiracy at work in this case - the sort that gets 3 'splodeydopes coordinated at the same time, anyhow. So the targets weren't just random.

I think Zarqawi knows his days in Iraq are numbered, and is looking to retrench and set up a new base in Gaza. Which, long-term, looks somewhat suicidal, as it essentially means adding Israel to the list of "people who want you dead," and the Israelis don't mess around.

All that said, it's certainly not the only possibility. It could be the operation's goal was as simple as "Intimidate Jordan." Which apparently didn't work, but neither does much else al Qaeda tries these days.

Of course the coordination could have ended at the timing and hotel dropoff, leaving the bombers themselves to seek whatever grouping seemed opportune to them once inside.

that seems to be Al Qaeda's whole gig

well said