If any country nuked us, we would respond. It’s a little more problematic if the nuke doesn’t arrive on the end of a missile where you can track its origin right away.
A nuke is detonated in Boston. No missile. It somehow got into the country, or was acquired within the country, or something. You don’t know.
The response is not to blow up 1/4 of the planet. Fighting terrorism is hard and the answers not easy.
The response is not to blow up 1/4 of the planet. Fighting terrorism is hard and the answers not easy."
Nor would I suggest such a thing. But you remember, bin Laden made no secret of having sponsored 9/11/01. So it's just as likely some terrorist group would claim responsibility, and that group would have state sponsors.
Also, you remember, after 9/11 (and other attacks as well), there were riots in Muslim cities, supporting bin Laden's victory over the Great Satan, and chanting "death to America."
The 9/11 attacks cost about 3,000 American lives. Suppose the next attack takes 300,000 or 3,000,000 lives. And suppose that many of those are your friends and relations.
Do you suggest the appropriate response then would be to send off a few more thousand marines to some other far-away mountains, to spend more years and years chasing chimeras?