It's actually quite easy to make most British people burn in fear. It usually involves things like table manners or bodily functions, though. You can shoot an Englishman and get away with it, but if you really want to scare him, embarrass him in front of a bunch of folks.

If the bad guys had run around yanking people's pants down around their ankles, they might have got a bigger reaction.

Brian, thanks for pointing us to Crooked Timber. There are some wonderful, very interesting and informative comments up!

For all that, I can't be the only one who doesn't think that Crooked Timber don't deserve that kind of link at this sort of time.

Re the poster who said he'd like to see these wankers appear on Celebrity Terrorist Island, I think he has just kicked off a whole new reality TV genre!

How about: "I'm A Terrorist! Get Me out of Here!" In this programme, terrorists would have to devise ways of blowing themselves up without all the traditional materials to hand! In addition, there would be three or four terrorists who feel compelled to execute other terrorists while not blowing themselves up, so, in fact, some terrorists would actually be murdered!!!

Added comedic effect and plenty of laffs come from the fact that the "director" of the island is Brian Paddick!! He cannot figure out why his charges are all dying violent deaths. He spends a lot of time on the beach looking out to sea through binoculars searching for a boat full of white people, because there is no such thing as a Muslim terrorist!

Ann Robinson kicks of a new series of "The Weakest Link", in which the podiums of the 11 contestants are wired with dynamite. As each terrorist is voted off by the others, Ann says, "You are the weakest link! Goodbye!" and pushes the plunger. (A cleaning crew comes in between the rounds.)

"Big Terrorist House", in which the public calls a premium-rate number to vote which resident terrorist should be taken out and shot. You can see terrorists preparing falafel and babaganoush. Very popular as, given their well-known hatred of women, viewers look forward to seeing the terrorists having sex with one another.

I'd like to see 'em on Celebrity Terrorist Island, the IRA'd make mincemeat of them.

I kinda doubt that - given that these fellas have inflicted more casualties on British troops in two years than the IRA has inflicted in a century. They have also killed more Brits in a single incident than in any attack ever mounted by the IRA. These guys are disciplined and implacable - everything that the IRA is not. If the IRA were as good as these guys, the UK would have done one of two things a long time ago - (1) deported all Catholics in Northern Ireland to Ireland proper or (2) ceded Northern Ireland to Ireland proper.