The Atlantic has a hilarious if perhaps over-optimistic essay about Osama bin Laden & Co: "Our terrorist enemies trade on the perception that they’re well trained and religiously devout, but in fact, many are fools and perverts who are far less organized and sophisticated than we imagine." It's not just the homegrown variety, the hapless Underwear Bomber and his soulmate in farce, the Times Square Bomber. Routinely, argue the authors, jihadists blow themselves and their friends up when they perform the ritual group hug before setting out to off the infidel. And those aren't the only rituals they perform! Read it and snicker.
The authors also have a serious point to make: we should "work to undermine some of the myths built up around our enemies by highlighting their incompetence, their moral failings, and their embarrassing antics. Beyond changing how the Muslim world perceives terrorists, we can help ourselves make smarter counterterrorism choices by being more realistic about the profile and aptitude of would-be attackers."
The first part at least could have been written by John Boyd. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
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