The kind of thing which needs to be said within 5 kilos of the front. Or at a football game. Who does he think he's kidding?

The reality is that with the box cutters at which he is sneering, 19 people and $500,000, in a brilliant, well-organized operation al-Qeada delivered a shot to the chin which has hurt us, badly. We should use case-cutters so well.

Nothing sophisticated about the operation. Put together in broad daylight, in plain view, it exacted a toll which just keeps going on. And on, and on. It will cost billions, maybe a trillion, innocent kids are suffering, and nervous people are losing sleep.

"These are the guys who are coming to get you. These are the guys who will climb into the mountains and into the darkened caves halfway around the world and look you in the eye, toe to toe, with any weapon at hand (ours or yours), to take you out. These guys have trained longer, are stronger, harder, faster, tougher, and more relentless and lethal than anything you will ever produce. And we will arm them with the best money can buy, from Spectre gunships and thermobaric bombs to knives sharper than any box cutter you can sneak on a plane. They are now on your trail. They're hunting you down. How's it feel to be a terrorist now? Never bring a box cutter to a Jihad."

The reality is they've had the technology he's touting, the gunships, the thermobaric bombs, and B-52s, and tear gas. It's been well over 8 months, one government removed and a friendly one installed, and they're still out there. The FBI issues warnings of attacks by light plane, SCUBA divers, and everything in between.

I'm assuming the best that could be done was in Afghanistan and they're still out there. OBL is still out there.

It's OK to be gung-ho. It's probably necessary. It's also necessary to be aware of your enemy, realistically. They may look funny, wear rags, walk around in sandals made of old tires, eat garbage, and they're tough, smart, and formidable.

There's no doubt in my mind that we'll get 'em. Most of 'em. Not enough of 'em, but most. And I suspect it won't be by people suggesting that the enemy not bring a box-cutter to a jihad. Especially case-cutters which worked as well as those. Smart works.

I think they will be "got" by people who can recognize a brilliant operation when they see one, and hopefully launch their own if brute force doesn't work. It will be by our own people who are smart, tough, and formidable, people who will use a case-cutter if that will do the job.

Because, apparently, brute force isn't doing it, yet. Not even when used by dedicated, brave people doing a super job at the job they're doing. Those smart, dedicated folks need some better tools. The people are great. Nothing will beat them.

Arf