between small bands of left wing kooks in Europe and the sophisticated international network of deadly, determined Islamic fundamentalists terrorists known as Al Queda, and the thousands of deaths they're already responsible for, in numerous countries.

We're off to a very good start in destroying Al Queda, there's been great progress in Afghanistan, and meaningful cooperation with many Muslim and non-Muslim countries in fighting these terrorists bastards elsewhere in the world.

Mr. Pfaff's silly charges of McCarthyism might have more credibility if the homeland security measures were in response to a lesser threat, such as the Unabomber or the crazy right-wing militias, perhaps someone not capable of wiping out 3,000 people in America on a single day, and threaten far worse with chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.