rvg, some couple of years later?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

So, we're back to "not enough people are dying to warrant a proper response."

No, we're back to "I'm not afraid of terrorists." Nastier men have tried to destroy my country by causing havoc - they failed.

As to a "proper response", the things you are proposing don't work - if they did the British Empire would still have its boot upon your neck.

The 7/7 victims weren't in a war zone, but they are still dead.

Irrelevant.

Who is everyone?

Terrorists require a level of tacit support, at least ten percent of their community, or they can't function and carry out attacks. Therefore, regular successful attacks demonstrate a high level of support, more than ten percent, in more than one community.

In this case though - this would be all the Afghans, where in some communities everybody does want to kill ISAF. Think about it.

If you do nothing, they also win.

We're doing plenty - there has been no second attacks in the US or UK, and lots of WWII-level wacky plans have been foiled.

You are putting the lives of the guilty above the lives of the innocent.

I'm putting long term strategic goals above short term tactical ones - saving a few lives isn't any good if it gets more people killed down the way.

And the more they kill, the scarier the result.

Well, the IRA weren't scary because they killed people - they were scary because they were smart enough to plant a bomb between floors in the hotel used for the Conservative Party Conference several weeks later.

When Islamists can plant a bomb at the Republican Convention and blow Mitt Rommy's trousers off they will receive from me something like the respect I accord the IRA.

Nah, you'll be too worried about violating my rights. At worst, you will send me a strongly worded letter.

You represent a threat to my country - in extremis your elimination might be necessary, if you were (say) President of the US.

I'm not talking repealing American laws, that's beyond your reach. I'm talking about British laws.

I was talking, mostly, about the UK.

We have had trouble prosecuting Islamists here because of the manner in which they were detained and the way evidence was acquired - mostly because torture in Gitmo makes it inadmissible.

I'd also repeal out extradition treaty with the US