This ruling just makes common sense. There have always been acknowledged limits on free speech rights, the yelling “fire” in a crowded theater the most dramatic example. However, when Congress has ruled that a group engages in terrorism, the bane of the modern age, it makes sense to impose limitations on their support. Groups such as Hamas, for example, operate a broad-based charity organization to gain support, and money, for their more nefarious goals.

Sometimes civil libertarians, theoreticians and philosophers would like to deal with the world the way it should be rather than the world that exists. It would be nice if we could draw all these legal distinctions, but people can die as a result. A common tactic of evil is to masquerade as good, and exposing these organizations for what they truly are, and then cutting them off, is more than common sense. It may be crucial for our survival.

The order seemingly bypasses the C.I.A., traditionally in charge of clandestine activities, despite the attempts by sources in the article to vow cooperation and stating that “there’s enough work to go around.” More significantly, this expansion of Pentagon activities is largely shielded from oversight by the Congress and impacts relations among traditionally friendly countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia.

The directive still seems largely mysterious, and it largely seems to give the Pentagon a free hand to do whatever it wants, wherever it wants. Military sources seem to be cloaking it in the context of 9/11 and the need to combat militants around the globe, but the article reflects on a possible boomerang effect on the safety of U.S. soldiers.

The idea seems to be that spies are not shielded by the Geneva Convention, and if American military forces are blended with spies, their protection will evaporate also. It certainly does not do wonders in combating the image of an American empire promulgated by our adversaries.

This story has legs, and I expect to see follow up articles in the future.

One factor that seems to clinch the connection regards the financiing of the attack. Investigators are currently looking at how the attacker, a naturalized American citizen, was able to purchase the Nissan Pathfinder he used as a car bomb, as well as purchase a ticket to Dubai with $800 in cash. As usual, “follow the money” will prove to be an effective investigatory technique.

Authorities are also scrambling to fix holes in the U.S. security apparatus. The requirement to update the no-fly list every 24 hours nearly let Faisal Shahzad escape, as he was only placed on the list two hours before the flight’ s departure. Other suggested changes would involve increased security checks for those who purchase airline tickets in cash. And Mayor Bloomberg suggested a prohibiton on the sale of fireworks and explosives to those on the terrorist watch list.

The article finally describes the major break in the case, one I didn’t previously understand — how did the police trace a pre-paid cell phone back to the suspect? The response is buried towards the end of the article. A phone number that the terrorist provided when he last entered the United States matched a number he called on the cell phone.

The arrest came quickly just 53 hours after the incident, thanks to some crackerjack work by the F.B.I. This included finding a hidden vehicle identification number, tracing the woman who sold the Pathfinder to the suspect, with no paperwork, and catching the terrorist as he sat on a plane bound for Dubai at JFK airport.

Yes, there were some minor snafus — the suspect should not have been allowed on the plane in the first place, especially since he was put on the no-fly list on Monday afternoon, and the fact that he paid for a $800 ticket with cash should have raised some eyebrows, but one can’t quibble with success. His arrest and admission of complicity were followed by about eight arrests in Pakistan, supposedly of his trainers.

The right wing is making a big deal about reading him his Miranda rights, but reportedly Glenn Beck said he deserved the same as a U.S. citizen. Apparently, Mr. Beck is not a total hypocrite. Of course, John McCain and the usual cast of characters tried to protest, but apparently Mr. Shahzad is still talking, and the F.B.I. knows what it’s doing.

The authorities have continued to try to downplay the seriousness of the event, perhaps out of a wish to avoid public panic, but new facts continue to emerge. The article in today’s Times lists several of them: 1) the vehicle was a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder; 2) the owner was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan; 3) he just returned from a trip there; 4) the vehicle was bought with cash with no accompanying paperwork.

As a result of these factors, the investigation was turned over to Joint Terrorism Task Force, a federal unit specially formed to react to these cases.

One has to wonder why, with international experience, the man did such a poor job in constructing the bomb. This is similar to the Christmas Day bomber who also seemed to lack any basic knowledge of chemistry. I mean even someone like Timothy McVeigh was able to destroy an entire building.

Perhaps, this is a vulnerability of Al Qaeda we can exploit in some way. They are relying more and more on “lone wolves” who do not have any background in explosives. Perhaps, we can plant some false information on how to make them at key points on the Internet, if we haven’t done so already.

Apparently, one of the surveillance cameras in the area caught the perpetrator leaving the scene and changing clothes to avoid detection. The police also traced the S.U.V. involved through the vehicle identification number on its parts, even though the outside identification had been filed off.

It seems like a matter of time before the guy is caught, but the question remains how did he get so close to carrying out his deadly scheme? There were propane tanks, firecrackers and fertilizer in his car, and he managed to deliver it right to the scene of the crime.  The plot failed, not because of superior police protection but because of poor chemical knowledge.

Meanwhile, it seems like police initially downplayed the seriousness of the crime. They now admit that if the bomb were properly constructed, it could have caused significant damage, including casualties, in a fireball that would have shattered glass throughout the region, even if it didn’t cause a building collapse.

Police investigations continue as they trace the vehicle and its illegally transferred license plates.

Russia’s terrorism problem, centered primarily in Chechnya and other Islamic regions in the south of the country, had been relatively dormant in major population areas, and the attack poses the question of whether the country will take security measures that will limit personal freedoms. The last time Russia was confronted with a major series of terrorism attacks, in 2004, Vladimir Putin used them as an excuse to centralize government, stop the direct election of governors, and clamp down on political opposition.

Dmitri Medvedev has pursued a more liberal approach, and Russia’s reaction may give some indication of who is really in charge. One wonders how different the effect would be if bombs went off in the New York subway. Would we clamp down on freedom of movement? How about curfews and the use of identification for nearly any activity?

We kid ourselves when we think these things can only happen in Russia. As the saying goes, when the people are given a choice between liberty and security, they will choose security nearly every time.

One other issue to consider: these were female suicide bombers. Does this represent a new tactic of Islamic radical groups, or is it an exception to the rule? What does the Koran say about? Not that these people truly follow the Koran, but it may still have some effect on their actions.

The change in decision came after Mayor Bloomberg changed his mind about the event, in turn influenced by the  plans presented by the New York City police commissioner, Raymond Kelly. Kelly had described a plan with multiple checkpoints, snipers on the roofs, etc., at a cost of up to $1 billion.

But, reading between the lines, the real problem came down to another form of money; the real estate agents for downtown had become extremely concerned about the fate of their businesses and the ability to lease downtown during the course of the trial, which could take years. It was their complaints and pressure that seemed to start the anti-trial ball rolling.

Of course, this just represents another form of NIMBY politics — not in my backyard. Many of these people are all for a non-military trial, just so long as they don’t have to deal with any of the repercussions. Trial at a military base may represent a possible alternative instead of the heart of Manhattan.

In any case, these terrorist trials and Guantanamo seem easy to resolve in terms of our values; it’s just the details that are slowing things down.

The ability of the Taliban to attack at will in such a secure urban area was designed to strike fear among the residents of Kabul. Generally, the Taliban is perceived as strong in rural areas, the area where the majority of American troops are located. That’s why this situation is so troubling.

The Americans are currently undertaking a program to attract Taliban militia to their side by portraying the Taliban as inevitable losers in the struggle. Such a brazen attack by the Taliban brings them favorable publicity and makes any U.S. recruitment efforts less likely to succeed.

In my opinion, the entire Afghanistan situation could easily result in a quagmire, if it hasn’t already. We are not familiar with the terrain; the local customs are foreign to us; and our increased military footprint is sure to increase resentment.

As Vice President Biden noted, the Taliban do not represent a threat to our homeland, and we would be better off just targeting Al Qaeda, located primarily in Pakistan.

The article describes how the Jordanian spy service, the General Intelligence Directorate, provided the individual to infiltrate Al Jaeda and how the man was purportedly going to provide information about the location of Al Qaeda’s number two leader, the Egyptian doctor,  Ayman al-Zawahri. As a result, the double agent was never screened for explosives, and Al Qaeda gained a major tactical victory.

Well, I don’t have to be a C.I.A. agent to know that one of the first major rules of espionage is that you can’t trust anyone. But to not even take the most elementary precautions speaks very poorly of our intelligence service. It’s one thing to have airline security people make a glaring error, quite another one for our own operatives professionally trained in the field.

The C.I.A. bombing also creates a major internal division in our ranks. The government of Jordan and the C.I.A. have cooperated closely in the past, even though this is distinctly unpopular with the Jordanian people, especially in light of the Palestinian situation. One can only hope that cooperation will resume, even if in a more guarded manner.