I think we have to realize just how many folks threaten the US daily. It numbers in the thousands.

Some threats are as innocuous as a posting on a BBS. Others are more credible as they are from known militants or terrorists.

I fully understand what occurs when I hear that we may have known about possible threats and did nothing.

Pre-emptive action against all threats which are even semi-credible would end up costing lots of innocent lives and result in a police state where we kick down doors of 12 year old Johnny who posted a threat against the President thinking people would think he is tough.

So many threats are hoaxes, or rhetoric, yet each is considered in light of risk assessment and context.

To second-guess the folks who daily must make life and decisions is counter-productive.

Yes, it would be easy to round up all the 'swarthy looking' folks and detain them and say we saved a whole bunch of lives...

...we could also change the immigration laws and dispel all who have lived in the middle east at any time...

...we could have commando squads on every block and use Echelon data to bust in on everyone who so much as says they don't like the IRS...

That's what the negative forces want - they want to turn the US into a police state - they want to squash the very freedoms we cherish.

As Larry Jacks so aptly put it 'Don't let the bastards win!'

Increasing internal security means living in a police state - your leaders understand that a fine balance must be drawn and maintained to preserve everyone's freedom.

Freedom has casualties. We witnessed this on September, 11 2001. But, if we turn against ourselves and start internal witchhunts - we are no better than Hitler who killed Rommel, one of his finest officers, after he talked against Hitler's policies.

Such paranoia leads to a weakening of America - not a strengthening.

This terrorist action might've been preventable - but the cost would be even more lives and freedoms than one can imagine...

Best wishes,

SDAI-Tech1