Close Call

Once again, the United States dodged a bullet in the fight against Islamic terrorism, and the bullet came closer than in Fort Dix. A quartet of religious extremists sought to blow up a pipeline delivering jet fuel to John F. Kennedy International Airport, which would have devastated not only the airport but the Queens neighborhoods around it. Most Americans, including myself, didn't even know that pipeline, which runs from Linden,New Jersey, is an auxiliary of a larger pipeline network that stretches across several states.

In the end, it was law enforcement, not the Pentagon, on the ground commanders in Iraq, that foiled this plot earlier this week. If we want to neutralize al-Qaeda and its offshoots, we should bring all of resources to bear on law enforcement and get the hell out of Iraq. There are those who insist that Iraq will become more chaotic than it is now if we leave, but I don't see how it can become more chaotic than this.

The terrorists in Iraq don't have to follow us home. Other potential terrorists are already here.