Failed New York subway attack reflects tireless counterterrorism by US

A terrorist set off a bomb in New York’s subway Monday morning, and the worst thing he did was blow up his own crotch. That may be why you don’t see the cries and arguments that you usually see in the wake of terrorist attacks. There have been no loud calls for new security measures, no angry attacks on the intelligence community, no bills proposing more surveillance, no new legislation to curb immigration, and no new country we're supposed to invade.

This relative silence doesn’t reflect a lack of vigilance, in our mind. It reflects a proper proportion of vigilance.

The New York subway pipe bomb attack reflects the happy news that our country’s tireless counterterrorism efforts here and abroad are largely working.

A suicide bomber, or anyone who would set off a bomb in the New York City subway, was probably aspiring to something grander than a pipe bomb. He was certainly hoping to damage more than his own nether regions. It’s important to consider for a moment why he couldn’t do more.

The terrorist bomber couldn’t plan anything bigger, in all likelihood. If he knew anything about U.S. counterterrorism he would know that reaching out to other jihadis is fraught with peril. The FBI has roped in dozens of would-be terrorists with sting operations.