What I saw on the news was that they are going to get us. Period. Not taht we're winning anything. The only questions are when and how. There will be bombing, or something.

Heck, I remember, I'm sure I do, reports a while back that al-Quaada was a force which was no longer mission effective. Still existed, but was on the run, couldn't conduct operations.

Now apparently is it operational.

As far as how it's going, I'm not hopeful. I'm aware OBL is still out there, and the person who mailed the anthrax is loose. If anyone is looking for an anti-US role model, there's a couple we haven't taught a lesson.

I for one do not feel a bit safer after all that's happened since 9-11, except that the FBI and others are looking more closely at tell-tale signs. (I also know that I'm more likely to win two lotteries in a row before being the victim of a terrorist. I'm not important, any terrorist who got me would be seriously lost and in trouble.)

I'm also aware that Israel and Palestine have been doing this for years, the Irish have, the Chechnyans are at it with the Russians. It just takes one nut doing one locally and personally devasting but inconsequential act to elicit a response which is politically satisfying and counter-productive. Over and over and over and over.

I read where the WTC operation cost OBL $500,000. It's cost the US untold billions, and if you count lost time, airport security, etc, it will be, I'm sure, a trillion dollars before it's done.

And now that we're here, we won't be able to get out. Heck, neither LBJ nor Richard Nixon could get out of Vietnam not because they didn't want to, not because they knew they weren't going to win it, not because they believed the domino theory, but for political reasons.

Neither of them wanted to be branded as the first US President to lose a war. So, they spent thousands and thousands of lives, like dollar bills, and billions and billions of dollars just trying to look good politically long after the war was decided, except for the timetable. Without altering the outcome one whit.

And we'll do the same thing with terrorism, responding as if the world is coming to an end, trying to kill everyone who doesn't say they love the US, for the same reasons, making more enemies than we get rid of. Sort of an enemy breeder reactor. (And, at least 50% of the cause is the US support of the Israeli settlements. Whooda thunk?)

There should be a better way, no one will look for it. In the meantime, watch your neighbor, and if you see anything suspicious call the authorities. I, for one, never, ever, in my wildest dreams, thought the US would come to that. (I'm not saying you shouldn't watch your neighbors. I just didn't think that would happen.)

Arf