It has been a little over 10 years now since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, but our nation got an ugly recent reminder that the terrorist threat is far from over.
Federal authorities arrested a U.S. citizen on charges of plotting to blow up the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon. How did he plan to do that? By using three small, remote-controlled airplanes laden with explosives!
The plot also reportedly was to involve two teams of people armed with automatic weapons, authorities said.
The 26-year-old suspect, Rezwan Ferdaus, of Massachusetts, apparently had some scientific know-how: He has a degree in physics.
Ferdaus, who is Muslim, allegedly told undercover federal agents that he wanted to attack the "enemies of Allah." He called for the death of nonbelievers.
Authorities charged him with trying to destroy federal buildings and with providing support to the al-Qaida terrorist network.
It is, of course, extremely fortunate that this alleged plot never came to fruition.
But it is disturbing that our country faces terrorist danger not only from avowed foreign enemies, but possibly even from some of our own citizens.