I think there are a variety of reasons for the difficulties. One, the attacks are tough to pull off. Takes coordination - people handing off explosives to other people, transport, and so on. A whole lot of people would be in the chain.

Two, the people available to do that sort of stuff, the one's in the chain, ain't particularly "The Right Stuff". Look at Richard Reid, who was apparently the point guy on blowing up an airplane. Don't know that he was wrapped tightly enough to tie his shoes, let alone blow them up. Look at Padilla, a pathetic creature if there ever was one. Would you want to count on him for anything?

Or recall the amateurish mistakes of the first WTC bombing. The truck was parked in an area which wouldn't do as much damage as was possible, for one thing. And as I recall someone went back to retreive the deposit on the rented van they used. Not swift.

While the image is one of tough guys, determined, smart, infallible, trained to the hilt, etc., etc., they ain't. (Exception - WTC. Those folks were at least good enough, but only because US law enforcement and intelligence had their eyes and ears closed.)

Three, I suspect the US has done a pretty good job of rewarding anyone in the chain with valid information. While that may not be all that directly effective, knowing that anyone in the chain could profitably inform would throw a damper on extensive operations.

I think that's why they could pull off the Cole, for instance, or the embassy bombings. The closer to the US these folks get the harder it is to maintain security.

How did they pull off the last WTC attack, then? I think ALL the hijackers knew it was a suicide mission, at least by the time they were on the planes - otherwise they would not have left the passengers alone to make cell-phone calls, organize resistance. The security of it had to be pretty tight, no one knew exactly what was up until very late. And then it had a life of it's own.

They lived together, interacted only with themselves, were well taken care of, and must have had very good leadership. At least 4 good leaders, really. And a lot of luck, which hopefully wouldn't happen now.

So, to sum up, I think it's harder to do than it might seem - transporting explosives, training people, maintain security. The drug people can do it because everyone is well-rewarded or dead. No in-between. And they lose a lot. WTC was a freak, and it took the FBI, CIA and National Security Advisor NOT doing their jobs for it to happen.

Some guesses, anyway. And the Administration is hyping the danger for political purposes, and did it well in November, 2002. See if they can make it work for two entire more years.

Arf