Chimbu...
You will note that Professor Macquire refers to the Taliban as Nazi equivalents and Bin Laden as a modern day Hitler!
I also agree. But the message I got from your original post was that such people are a product of past "injustices". To me, this seemed to be making a point in favour of the "cause and effect" scenario.
Well resourced individuals such as bin Laden and, yes, even Saddam Hussein, have far loftier goals than simple revenge. IMHO they seek to create absolute chaos, to bring down all the "western" powers. They might then have a chance to rule the world. So, yes, to that extent, bin Laden and Hitler have much in common.
Perpetrating heinous crimes against innocent humanity is another trait shared by Hitler, bin Laden and Saddam. None of them are the result of past "injustices" either, though I feel sure that this is the very thing they try to hide behind. Thus, we need to separate these inhuman butchers from any discussion of "cause and effect".
I think it most curious that there isn't a lot of voluble outrage from other Muslim nations, but maybe that is just coincidence.
However, I think that some correction is needed as far as the Japanese plans to invade New Guinea are concerned. Yes, true, it all failed because their troops were pushed back on the Kokoda Track and at Milne Bay. But the fact is that this was their only throw of the dice ... the battle of the Coral Sea, while technically a Japanese victory, forced them to rethink the way to invade New Guinea.
Thus, they were well and truly on the back foot after the Cora Sea encounter in May 1942. Any further plans for direct seaborne invasion of Port Moresby ended with the Battle of Midway, in June 1942. So, if the US hadn't been in the Coral Sea, Port Moresby certainly would have fallen to seaborne invasion in May of 1942. By default then, Australia would have been next to fall.