[inquest]

Don't they have anyone who remembers when Japan [an actual country with an actual military] tried to demoralize the population and take away the country's will to fight?

Are you referring to Pearl Harbor? If so, that illustrates the exact point I'm making. A single strike would not demoralize us, but do the opposite. But an utterly devastating attack on all our largest cities, leaving our economy in total shambles and our air with choking fallout - well, I'd like to think that wouldn't take away our will to fight, either, but AQ might be tempted to think that it would.

[RightWhale]

Alqaida would find themselves in personal hand-to-hand combat with every American they happened to meet in the rubble-choked streets of the former cities. That would include anybody that even looked like they might be related to an Alqaida.

[cgbg]

utterly devastating attack on all our largest cities, leaving our economy in total shambles and our air with choking fallout

That could only have been accomplished by a Soviet first strike--for AQ to pull off a stunt like that is totally impossible.

They could cause havoc in a few dense areas like Manhattan but most people aren't dependent on these downtowns anymore and most people don't live there.

The initial shock is over from 911--AQ is a cornered snake that can cause a few bites here and there but will not affect most Americans.