surely being 'only a mediocre terrorist' is better than being a really good one. not as good a neighbour as 'not being a terrorist at all', but definitely a step in the right direction.

I'm not sure I'd agree with your assessment though. Our local MP went to plead with Sands when he was killing himself. The kind of resolve he showed scared me - a bit like these suicide bombers, and 9/11. To know that there was someone who hated your country so much and was indifferent to the murders that would come in the wake of what he was doing.

That sort of moral certainty is scary.