A Terror Video Double Feature

For the price of just just two blank VHS videotapes, terrorists were able to get more than their money's worth value in raising fear and anxiety in the U.S.

Al Qaeda's number two, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri was able to taunt the U.S., especially the Bush Administration in one video. And while most of the threats are no doubt an attempt to frighten the U.S. and use psychological games and perceptional illusions to raise a fear level far greater than the actual capability of Al Qaeda, still the uncertainty of whether al-Zawahiri may be able to plan some revenge attack in the U.S. in response to the failed Predator drone attack on his life is unclear. It is always this uncertainty about terrorism that leads to a state of anxiety.

But the angry content from al-Zawahiri may not have been from that of a hunted or defeated man, it could always be that from someone bent on revenge against the U.S. Time will tell whether Al Qaeda has been busted down to just a defeated organization where only a few videotape threats is the best this organization can now muster or not.

And a second and very disturbing tape of Christian Science Monitor journalist, Jill Caroll who looked very distraught and tearful was gut wrenching.

It is not known whether these tapes are the worst that terrorists can now do or not. But these tapes were indeed disturbing and both cast a long shadow over tonight's State Of The Union Address.