Perhaps at a later point important developments will be traced back to September 11. But for now we do not know which of the many scenarios will actually hold in the future.

Osama bin Laden, the person, more likely serves the function of a stand-in. Compare the new terrorists with partisans or conventional terrorists in Israel. These people often fight in a decentralized manner in small, autonomous units, too.

Partisans fight on familiar territory with professed political objectives to conquer power. This is what distinguishes them from terrorists.

Jurgen Habermas Quotes