From the literal content and context of editor Steve Bouser's Sept. 6 column on the five-year anniversary of 9/11, it can be seen that he is bewildered and perhaps even depressed.

He referred to the 9/11 attack as if we left ourselves open for this attack. Not fair in his opinion, the terrorists should have stood out in the open in large numbers when they attacked the World Trade Center.

That is not the way it works. Terrorists have years of time to plan their attacks, require few resources, work in small numbers, seek no attention, and are well-financed by wealthy individuals and rogue states. They have safe havens because they are celebrated by a significant number of Muslims.

Mr. Bouser wonders why it is taking longer to defeat the terrorists than it did to defeat the Axis powers in Europe and Asia. The war on terror is going to last a very long time because we cannot obliterate host countries as the Allies obliterated Germany and Japan.

I talk to people frequently who still say we just do not understand the culture, religion, and needs of Muslim countries. If we did, Muslims would not do those things to us.

These people are misguided and passive and will be saying the same thing when the next attack comes. Terrorists do not yearn for understanding, sympathy or good will. They are not jealous of our standard of living or wasteful energy practices.

They want to force on us their standard of living, culture, religion, leadership, and lack of freedom. They are ruthless. We are infidels in a secular and religious sense, and they are jihadists. Most importantly, terrorists cannot operate without the aid and assistance of Muslim states.

Tom Snead

Seven Lakes