The Withnail Theory of Terrorism

The mighty Talking Points Memo has an interview with Anonymous, the spook author of Imperial Hubris, the book in which he bashes Bush's counterterrorist policy comprehensively. TPM and Anon discuss Saudi Arabia (or next month's outrage, as I've decided to call it) and establish that al-Qa'ida apparently operates on the principles laid down in Withnail and I in the scene where Withnail is reading the newspaper. Let us recap:

WITHNAIL: This vast head like a cannonball...is now considered sane. Jeff Wode is feeling better! And is now ready to step back into society and start tossing his orb about!....(pensively)Imagine the size of his balls....(suddenly)Imagine getting into a fight with the fucker!

MARWOOD(weakly): Please. I don't feel well.

WITHNAIL: That's what you'd say. But that wouldn't wash with Jeff. He'd probably like a bit of pleading. Adds spice to it! In fact, he'd probably tell you what he was gonna do to you....before he did it! Hmmm...(mimicing Wode)I'm going to pull your head off. (pleading)Please. Please, don't pull my head off. (Wode again)I'm going to pull your head off - because I don't like your head!

Compare:

"Which perhaps is the most important trademark for al-Qaeda: they tell you what they’re going to do and then they do it."

Yes, I know it's bad taste, but the chance to think of al-Qa'ida as the Jeff Wodes of today is too good to miss.