There is never a good time to contemplate the possible murder of more Americans. As the country pauses to mourn the dead in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, now may seem more than usually inapposite. It may also be necessary. September nth 2001 was an all-consuming moment. It saw the most grievous one-day massacre in America since the civil war. It is not surprising the anniversary commemorations have grabbed so much attention. But the character of the observance is revealing. Despite the fresh round of warnings this week about the possibility of another attack, many Americans―perhaps most―still seem to treat the attacks as if they were a single, dreadful event, like a natural disaster, or a random crime committed against America, with the Bush administration meting out punishment, most of it abroad. Yet the destruction of the World Trade Centre was not a one-off event. Al-Qaeda attacked America four times in the past decade, bombing the World Trade Centre for the first time, the Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia, two East African embassies and the uss Cole. Last year's atrocity was different in scale, not in kind. It was a fifth attack. Since then, al-Qaeda has been badly wounded, but it has certainly not been destroyed. It has committed some subsequent acts of terror, and failed to carry out more. Members of its inner circle are said to be regrouping in Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
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