Thanks, oD, for linking to one of John C. Hulsman's previous errors ("The violations of Gerhard Schröder") where he terribly misread the German position so sadly proven wise by the events of the war. But for this time, there is another quote that strikes me in John's "Atocha" reflections: "...nations simply can’t buy revolutionaries off (for example, among al-Qaida’s recent ‘demands’ is the return of Andalucía)." Well, John, if it only were so. Speaking as a historian, the return of Andalucia with its flavour of tolerance and conviviality, added to a flourishing cultural, scientific and philosophical life would be the final blow to all "Djihadists" of this world. Nothing could be more dangerous to the bin Ladens than Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd and Maimonides. And well, maybe that's the example we should have in mind: The best way to fight terrorism is highlighting a life of freedom, tolerance and education. We'll need police and a lot of good intelligence for a long time to go. But, against that cruel "longing for death", the power to live a life in dignity is, after all, the sharpest sword.