"A terrible resolve".

Since 9/11, there has been Bali, and attacks in the UK and Spain. Each the work of Islamic terrorists.

Those same groups look for 'the big one'. Another 9/11 scale attack. They seek to hurt those they hate.

I wonder if they have really looked at history. 20th century history, or even that of the last 20 years. For example, in 1980-88, Iraq and Iran battered each other to a stalemate, and a horrendous death toll. Arguably, that meant the armed forces of the 2 were reasonable similar in capability, it is telling that the Iraqi army lasted but 100 hours against the Americans and their allies in Desert Storm.

Likewise, Afghanistan tested the British in the 19th century, bested the Soviets in the 1980s. The Taliban lasted 3 months against 'the coalition'.

Iran is doing a lot of posturing lately, it's leaders have much to say about The West, and the USA in particular. They have a particular view of westerners, Iran obviously thinks it's dealing with softies. They would be wrong.

9/11 precipitated the 'War on Terror'. But it is a relatively low level conflict (so far), a background war, the West has made nothing like the level of commitment of WW2, or even of Vietnam.

So, if Al Quaeda, and others are looking for a 'big hit', one like or stronger than 9/11, they should perhaps look at history and think on things a little. Perhaps a quote will put some things in context, and on the table, so to speak;

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."
Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Germany and Japan were allowed, encouraged even, to rebuild after WW2 by benevolent victors. It could be noted that each country was totally devastated by that war, and that the wartime leaders of those countries did not fare so well. Moreover, the culture and society of each was remade in a quite different image to those that originally made war on the allies.