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One might congratulate the Russian chemists for getting rid of an Islamic cockroach - but, once a bullet leaves the barrel, it has no friends...

You know the Russians .....when they want something done they get it done. They needed Abu Wallid killed, hence they did it in the most optimal manner they could (I'm sure if they would have found a better way to do it than a poisoned letter they would have done so). Same thing with the Israelis .....I doubt any US politician with future political ambitions would ever give the greenlight to an Apache helicopter (or maybe even an F-16) strike at some terrorist leader who was being driven down some street in Michigan. Imagine an Apache HellFire strike in Dearborne (sp) Michigan that kills some terrorist honcho, but also takes 2 passerbys with it? Anathema! Would never happen here. However Israel has to do so because the danger they face is more immediate than what we face (we face the same, if not greater, peril but in our case it tends to come every so often since we are somehwat protected by the oceans, however Israel and Russia have terrorists both adjacent and within). They cannot afford to consider what perceptions may arise from their actions, as long as their actions lead to dead terrorists.

The Russians and Israelis take risks that would kill any US politician's re-election aspirations.

For example think about the Moscow theater situation. Most security organizations agree that it would have been impossible to take back the theater through a conventional approach (eg SWAT, or the SAS tactic the Brits used in the 80s). Hence the gas attack was the best option. And although over a hundred lives were lost, more were saved than lost (a conventional attack would probably have led to all the hostages being killed, and negotiations were not an option since the terrorists were waiting for peak media attention before blowing up the theater). Hence with the time restrictions and the high stakes, a gas attack was not only the only option but it was genius. The Russians had to do what they had to do, and that was that.

Had a theater being taken over in Manhattan, and the same situation present (mined doors, suicide vests, strategically-placed explosives, and terrorists waiting for peak media attention so they could bomb with maximum viewership hence optimal psychological efficacy) , I wonder what would have happened. If someone decided to save the maximum number of people then something similar to what the Russians did would have occured (and the person who authorized the rescue would have been demoted and made a pariah by the media because many people would have died, even though more would have been saved); or else nothing would happen and the terrorists would kill every person in the theater.

Basically the Russians, and Israelis, put very little currency in perception. What they look at is results. And if we faced constant terror attacks like those 2 nations face, or if another 9-11 happened (God forbid), then even we would not be as PC as we are.

And sadly i feel there will come a time when even we shall stop trying to 'win over hearts and minds' and start crushing terrorists ten-fold for everything they do. Instead of blaring loud music in places like Fallujah you shall be seeing AC-130 gunships having their cannon boom and reverberate 'til the horizon. Sadly something bad will ahve to occur before that.