Desperation? Of Omar and Osama
It is possible that we are seeing signs of desperation from these two thugs. Osama's last video tape included the statement to the U.S. that if we abandon efforts to kil him will "automaically secure (our)selves". Omar has seen his country vote for the first time in 5,000 years. But we should not celebrate too much here. The Islamo-facist MVP de jour is Zarqawi and even if he hadn't escaped Fallujah and were killed, there will continue to be crazies ready to take his place. Unfortunately for the civilized world, terrorists do not need big bucks or training or large forces. I draw some solace from the lesson of history that while terrorism is difficult if not impossible to prevent, it is equally diffucult if not impossible to succeed(for more than a short period) in achieving political goals by means of terror. You cannot establish legitimacy using illegitimate means.

Robert E. Lee understood this and commanded his officers not to melt into the mountains and continue our Civil War in geurrilla fashion. An excellent account of this is in Jay Winik's book, April 1865: A Month the Saved the Nation, if you are interested.