New future for America

After the revelation about the plot by Al-Qaeda to bomb as many as 10 planes from London to the U.S., there are some new constants that Americans are going to have to accept for the foreseeable future:

1) Al-Qaeda will not quit. It does not care about anything but death.

2) It has far more support and appeal than anyone in this country wishes to acknowledge.

3) Members are not idiots; in fact, quite intelligent. They plan; they don't act recklessly.

4) Anyone and anything is a target. You cannot protect every single individual.

5) We have no idea who they are and have no idea who exactly we are fighting. A war is best fought when you can identify the enemy. The ability to remain invisible is Al-Qaeda's biggest advantage,

6) Too many governments have turned a blind eye to this menace and, in some cases, we are protecting them.

7) No one in our government appears to have a clue as to produce effective counter measures. We need to be proactive, not reactive as we seem to clumsibly be.

8) This is a parallel but separate action in any war of terror. Iraq is a side show - no one there has yet to produce the panic that happens when you stop airline traffic across the world.

9) Go after the head and see how the body follows. We haven't done that in 3-4 years. It's about time ... unless we don't have that capability anymore.

10) Talk is cheap; action is needed from Washington.