[casey]

Couldn't their use of women as jihad fighters be seen as a sign of desperation ?

Not really. The LTTE and Chechens (Black Widows) utilize women as a matter of course. Hamas has even use women at times, to bolster more teenage males into jumping on board the shahid train.

If they can successfully recruit people from western Europe to fight for them, I'm sure they can recruit Americans, too.

Already done. Read up on the Jamaat ul-Fuqra group located in NY and VA. A huge threat today comes from US born converts and prison converts (prislims).
Much like the statement of US born convert Asan Akbar who murdered soldiers while they slept "You guys are coming into our countries and you're going to rape our women and kill our children." Break that down - you guys - coming to our countries - rape our women - kill our children. This from a pos who never left the US???? Who is our? Well of course other members of the religion of peace. Kuffar vs muslim.

I

also feel that members of anti-war/anti-military organizations and liberal extremists would be prime targets for terrorist recruitment because these groups and people are already known to have sympathies towards the terrorists.

Well we'll have to just wait for December 8th to roll around to see if them there four peace activist captured in Iraq while monitoring for US atrocities are recruited ... or beheaded. But since they are being held by followers of the religion of peace, I am sure no harm will befall them.

What? what? I'm being serious here....... c'mon, its the religion of peace....... really, why would they hurt those peace activist.....look, its the religion of peace......... islamophobes !!!!