1. We have two enemies in the war on terror: al Qaeda and complacency.
The “Long War” is clearly far from over.
2. The fact that the London group may have had “some” ties to al Qaeda proves that al Qaeda is as much–if not more–a virulent, vicious ideology as a terror group.
3. Good, actionable intelligence–both foreign, like tracking financial transactions, and domestic, like the terrorist surveillance program –is still our first line of defense.
4. Al Qaeda–and its acolytes–are continually evolving (e.g. the use of liquid explosives to bring down planes), meaning we have to be as imaginative and nimble in our defense as they are in their offense. Of course, taking the fight to the terrorists is our best defense.
5. International cooperation–as exemplified by US-UK cooperation this time–is a force multiplier in the war on terror.
6. This may not be the last of terror plots meant to occur on or near the fifth anniversary of 9/11…