It could be coincidence. It’s an extraordinarily short turnaround it’s impossible to say at this point.

Al-Qaeda’s obituary has been written countless times over the decade. Each iteration has proved to be ephemeral, as the moment has continually shown itself to have a deeper bench than we imagine.

With the exception of weapons of mass destruction, there is no other type of attack that is more effective than suicide terrorism. The perception is that it’s impossible to guard against.

And that becomes the justification or the rationale for violence. Often attached to that or married to that is the catharsis of violence, in other words, the satisfaction they feel of the David against a Goliath, the weak striking out against the powerful.

These kidnappings represent a significant gap in the country's security and undermine public confidence in the ability of both Iraqi government and coalition forces to maintain order and protect Iraqi citizens from violence - whether insurgent or criminal.

Because we still lack a clear picture of the insurgency, we can't assess the full import of this development.

They are the terrorists' trump card -- and our Achilles' heel.

It's like Sun Tzu, the Chinese strategist, said years ago. Only if you know your enemy can you win the battle.

It's enormously tempting to speculate ... without knowing where he is, it's impossible to say.

There's absolutely no doubt that executing him would turn him into a martyr.