If any of the cretins that planned the 9/11 attack were killed in the missile strike, I certainly don't weep for them. However, before we pat ourselves on the back for our technical prowess at lofting assasination weapons without any risk to our own personnel, let's consider this. Were you a terrorist leader wanting to recruit young and impressionable wackos for your next mission, what better example to point at than something like this to show the "cowardise" of the United States. You could easily and convincingly state that we're this spoiled country that doesn't have the courage to face the enemy and look them in the eye in battle but choose instead to let our robots do the task for us.

Were my children in uniform I'd certainly rather they be behind some remote console controlling a Hellfire missile from a drone than walking point on a mission but I understand the consequences of our choices. It's very likely that our zeal to enter battle with little risk to our soldiers and little sacrifice back home may actually increase the death and destruction to our citizens over the decades that follow. Bombs and missiles are this feel good solution and make for great video on the 6 o'clock news but they create ripples that are never fully grasped by our leadership.

For a good soul-searching on an issue like that, I heartily recommend the movie "Munich".

Art