Earlier today, a disruptive passenger with hand cream and matches -- a 59-year-old American woman -- caused officials to call for an emergency landing of a Washington-bound United Airlines flight.

This statement is somewhat misleading, because it conjures up the image of a woman getting frustrated after furtively (and unsuccessfully) attempting to ignite her hand cream with pocket matches. In fact, neither the matches nor the cream -- or, "a gelatin-like substance", according to Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney -- were found until after the crew had made the decision to divert.

Two Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15 fighter jets scrambled today to escort the aircraft to Boston's Logan National Airport.

NYT coverage is here. Note in the photo that the aircraft did not pull up to a gate to let passengers disembark. Instead they were unloaded on the tarmac and bussed to the terminal.

"The pilot of flight 923 requested to divert to Boston Logan to make an emergency landing."

Lest anyone conclude this was an overreaction on the pilot's part, let it be known:

"This isn't just an 'I want another drink' kind of thing."

No, sir. This was an "I want another motherf***ing drink on this motherf***ing plane!" kind of thing.

By all indications, there were no snakes.

Fighter Jets Intercept Inbound Airline Flight; Flight Diverted After On-Board Disturbance

Friends, we are on a losing trajectory in Iraq, and, as the latest London plot underscores, the wider war with radical Islam is only getting wider.

We need to reassess everything we are doing in this "war on terrorism" and figure out what is worth continuing, what needs changing and what sacrifice we need to demand from every American to match our means with our ends.

Yes, the Democrats could help by presenting a serious alternative. But unless the party in power for the next two and half years shakes free of its denial, we are in really, really big trouble.

Big Talk, Little Will | Thomas Friedman | NYT

We're taking some additional specific steps. In light of the nature of the liquid explosive devices which were designed by the plotters, we are temporarily banning all liquids as carry-ons in aircraft cabins. That means no liquids or gels will be allowed in carry-on baggage. Any liquids or gels have to be checked as part of baggage to go into the hold. There will be exceptions for baby formula and medicines, but travelers must be prepared to present these items for inspection at the checkpoint, and that will allow us to take a look at them and make sure that they're safe to fly. We are taking the step of preventing liquids from getting into the cabin to give us time to make adjustments in our current screening tactics, based upon what we learned from this investigation concerning the nature of the devices that these individuals were constructing.

This is temporary, folks ... Temporary. (Think Iraq War.)

These changes sound complicated, but it is very, very simple. The major change is that passengers are no longer allowed to bring liquids through the checkpoint and onto the plane.

That is the big change. Other than that, it is getting used to the new process, and we're very confident that as time goes on that will occur.

Hrm. That doesn't sound so temporary.

Beverly?

Q Mr. Secretary, there's so much emphasis here on liquids. Was the fear that they were planning actually to assemble a bomb on board the aircraft by mixing liquids?

CHERTOFF: I would say certainly one of the considerations or one of the concerns we had is the possibility of bringing on board a number of different components of a bomb that -- each one of which would be benign but when mixed together would create a bomb. And as we assess exactly what the design of these devices was or the planned design was, I think it'll give us a better ability to tailor our countermeasures in order to pick up what appears to be a quite sophisticated conception of how to execute a terrorist bombing plot.

...

Obviously, we're always assessing and examining the challenge posed by different kinds of improvised explosive devices. We do use various kinds of techniques for different kinds of bomb-making. But when we do see a sophisticated design, we want to make sure that we properly engineer our countermeasures to be able to detect it. And so while we're in the process of assessing that -- and, you know, honestly, some of these are pretty difficult -- we want to, frankly, take the most protective stance. And that's why we have, for the time being, excluded liquids from the cabin.

Sounds like this is semi-permanent until devices capable of detecting the suspect chemicals have been installed at all domestic airports. Then this rule will only apply to international flights. But I suspect this is a long-term rule change for international flights.

Homeland Security Chief's News Conference

Presumably you've already seen this ...

The war between Israel and Hizbullah has revealed profound disagreement in the Arab world concerning the legitimacy of Hizbullah's activities against Israel. Two major camps have emerged. The first camp, led by Saudi Arabia, opposed Hizbullah's activities and called them "uncalculated adventures," not "resistance," and said that in order for a group to be considered a resistance organization it must meet certain criteria that Hizbullah does not meet. The second camp, headed by Syria, has supported Hizbullah and has considered it a true resistance organization that is conducting "glorious national resistance" that brings honor to the Arabs. They contend that resistance is always legitimate, and that its legitimacy is not dependent on any particular conditions.(1)

In a speech at the emergency summit of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, on July 15, 2006, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh observed that there was a shift in Arab perceptions: "There has been a development in the concepts and criteria employed in the international arena. [These concepts] are crystallizing in a manner that is contrary to the Arab interest. [According to these criteria,] resistance is terrorism, but [Israel is seen as employing] self-defense, which gives it a free hand to destroy and kill without any limitation."(2)

The following are excerpts from statements by Saudi and Syrian officials and media, as well as the Egyptian press.

Debate in the Arab Countries – Is Hizbullah a 'Resistance' Organization or Not?

"pasting feathers together, hoping for a duck"

Oh, oh, Michiko!

'Fiasco', by Thomas E. Ricks

It's not a scene! It's not, I tell you. Not not not!

The tribute videos appear to be part of an attempt by al-Qaida's leadership to tout their connection to al-Zarqawi, who emerged as a hero among Islamic extremists with his dramatic attacks in Iraq and even stole the spotlight from bin Laden and al-Zawahri.

Bin Laden's mention of "instructions" to al-Zarqawi could be aimed to show the al-Qaida in Iraq leader was under his command.

Bin Laden Hails Slain Al-Zarqawi As 'Lion'

On the surface, this article is ostensibly about al-Z, but it's really about Egypt.

The extremist is never alone; the terrorist on the fringe of political life always works with the winks and nods of the society that gives him cover.

The Egyptian regime, merciless in the way it deals with challenges to its power at home, has never owned up to the darkness of Egyptian terrorists operating the world over. No one in Egypt has accepted responsibility for Mohammed Atta; nothing has been said in official life about the culture that shaped Ayman al-Zawahiri, who took out on other lands the wrath bred in him by the violent struggle between the Egyptian Islamists and the military autocracy.

Egypt has been reduced to a terrible standoff between a plundering autocracy and a vengeful Islamist opposition. The regime in Cairo has nothing to offer the young. Embittered Islamists take to the road bereft of mercy, for none has been shown to them on their own soil. A cynical ruler winks at the chaos, and in his silence about his country's breed of radicals, he speaks volumes about the terrible bargain America has struck with his regime. He picks our pockets and sends our way -- and the way of the Iraqis -- the angry outcasts of his domain.

We should be under no illusions about Iraq's Arab neighbors: They are content to see America bleed, and they see this great struggle as a contest between American power and the region's laws of gravity.

The Extremist Is Never Alone | WSJ

He was fastidious about his appearance in prison—his beard and moustache were always cosmetically groomed—and he wore only Afghan dress: the shalwar kameez and a rolled-brim, woolen Pashtun cap. One former inmate who served time with him told me that al-Zarqawi sauntered through the prison ward like a "peacock." Islamists flocked to him. He attracted recruits; some joined him out of fascination, others out of curiosity, and still others out of fear. In a short time, he had organized prison life at Swaqa like a gang leader.

"He decided who would cook, who would do the laundry, who would lead the readings of the Koran."

During my time in Jordan, I asked a number of officials what they considered to be the most curious aspect of the relationship between the US and al-Zarqawi, other than the fact that the Bush administration had inflated him.

One of them said, "The six times you could have killed Zarqawi, and you didn't."

"Osama bin Laden is like Karl Marx. Both created an ideology. Marxism still flourished well after Marx’s death. And whether bin Laden is killed, or simply dies of natural causes, al-Qaedaism will survive him."

The Short, Violent Life of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

The Scene Meme hits the mainstream.

Zarqawi had grown into a strategic headache for al-Qaeda's founders by demonstrating an independent streak ...

"It was quite clear with Zarqawi that as far as the al-Qaeda core leadership goes, they couldn't control the way in which their network affiliates operated."

Whoever succeeds him will be hard-pressed to ... unite the foreign fighters in Iraq under a single command.

"It's very decentralized. He was the only person in Iraq who could provide the glue."

More and more, Islamic radical groups are becoming splintered and are only loosely affiliated.

"[Units led by Egyptian, Saudi and Algerian commanders] are completely autonomous organizations. They're more powerful than Zarqawi was and have more weaponry and money at their disposal. They all have their own networks, their own fundraising abilities and their own way of bringing in fighters."

In the long term, does al-Z's death help them more than it helps us? It sounds like his Ego was keeping the other crews down. In al-Z's absence, there may be a scramble for power. But this is not the Mafia; the scramble will not cause them to kill each other. Instead, the competition could manifest itself as jihadist peacocking, with each crew trying to outdo the others through a show of force in which their constituents (including prospective recruits) are the primary audience.

Do you think there is a military/intelligence version of killer's remorse?

He also describes the killer's remorse between killings and his frequent promises that this would be the last one.

If killing one thing you know produces three things you don't, are you really making progress?

It also must be remembered that, controversial ideologies aside, many of these people are highly intelligent and well educated. Some are bound to study and learn from the mistakes made by their predecessors -- and evolve into smarter fish.

But what is the alternative? Over the long term, the scene must be co-opted such that it ceases to be an attractive proposition.

Death Could Shake Al-Qaeda In Iraq and Around the World

Earlier this month, the Council re-established for six months the mandate of the Monitoring Group on Somalia, set up to investigate any embargo violations. A report to the Council from the Monitoring Group said then, in part: “Arms, military materiel and financial support continue to flow like a river to various actors.”

UN Security Council condemns renewed fighting in Somalia