phew! that was a close one. turns out that al-quaeda correctly surmised that smashing planes into the world trade center and killing thousands of people wouldn't have terrorized americans enough - they might have also been plotting to kidnap russell crowe as part of a plan to "culturally destabilize" the united states:

The Australia-based Crowe told GQ magazine in an interview that he received FBI protection throughout the filming of "A Beautiful Mind" and for part of "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." He also was flanked by undercover agents at the Golden Globe awards ceremony in 2001.

When asked who might have been targeting him, Crowe replied: "Um ... well, that was the first conversation in my life that I'd heard the phrase al Qaeda."

..."I don't think that I was the only person (targeted). But it was about -- and here's another little touch of irony -- it was about taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural-destabilization plan," he said.

wow. close call, that one. let's just hope the terrorists don't go after brad pitt - my world would be turned upside down.