Terrorist attempts pose questions of who, what, where of future attempts to jump when they say jump

AP reported at 2PM Eastern Time on October 29, 2010 ,separate and simultaneous terrorist scares occurred late Thursday evening calling upon FBI and officials to search multiple planes and one truck in Chicago as part of an investigation of packages originating in Yemen, but flying out of London and Dubai, respectively. Routine searches brought forth the packages, which were addressed to religious sites, including one synagogue. Based upon the nature of the equipment found--an ink cartridge with wires and powder, officials are looking at these attempts as a "dry run" for a possible real terrorist run.

They might be right on target with that assumption. But the assumption begs a more important question; Is the FBI creatively considering places "outside the box" of typical targets that still meet the goals of terrorists? How much manpower will be required of the FBI for further "dry runs" in preparation for the real thing? Remembering the history of Pearl Harbor, espionage revealed that New York was in imminent danger of attack by Japan, but while all eyes were on the East Coast, Japan struck it's closer target, Pearl Harbor, behind our backs. Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are not stupid. They know that the US will not have a blind eye for its own. And they are most likely privy to the notion that event such as attacks on U.S. soil make excellent political opportunities.

With every "dry run" terrorists learn more about the methodology and capabilities of our investigative networks. It is much like watching footage of the opposing team's games to learn patterns and game strengths and weaknesses. The more footage, the more learned. The more learned, the more counter defenses can be planned and strategies for success implemented.

But one has to wonder just how many false wolves the hunter must run after before the real one sneaks in to grab Granny while the hunter runs to all the wrong places? It is a strategy that is disconcerting. While threats are being sent to places like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, one has to wonder, as with New York in relation to Pearl Harbor, whether the real targets will be far from usual, far from expected, but far from insignificant. Houston is such a place. Port cities are vulnerable. Technology centers are vulnerable. Aerospace and science centers are vulnerable. Global market centers are vulnerable. Highly populated areas are vulnerable. Energy producing areas are vulnerable. That puts Houston conspicuously, but likely overlooked, on the list of top targets. With this in mind, it would be very intelligent for citizens everywhere, but especially in metros like Houston and Los Angeles, Corpus Christi and San Francisco, to consider whether such methods as 'virtual strip searches via x-ray machines--machines that have not been tested for their radiation safety, especially those who are at risk--or a highly intrusive physical "pat down" resembling sexual assault to some are really effective as terrorists pop from one flitting place to another in a game of cat and mouse.