Wretchard it is quite likely that the next step for AQ would be nuclear attacks on US cities with “borrowed” Pakistani nukes. Trusting that US legalism and particularly Democratic leaders particularly Obama would not respond.

Thus they could kill and intimidate their way as they always do, with the US forces in Iraq, hamstrung and far away, and the “soft target” in the US unable to respond.

The advantage of this is that little training would be required. Merely smuggling of various contraband to test routes and methods, and a few technical people sent to meet the shipment (likely through Mexico, in a cargo container). Or perhaps Canada.

From AQ’s perspective, a Nuclear attack on the US does many advantageous things. It shows they, not Iran, are Muslim leaders because they, not Iran, nuke the US first. Second, it makes Americans surrender to Islam (in their view) and puts Islam and Muslims in command positions. Recall their goals are to fly the flag of Islam over the White House. Third, they believe they will get a general surrender and retreat from the ME and Afghanistan, to allow the re-establishment of the Caliphate. This is the Wonder Weapon move, with the caveat that they have the ability to borrow-steal actual existing wonder weapons from Pakistan.

Obama’s weakness and Muslim-friendly tones, deeds, words, background only make an attack more likely. They’ll know what a McCain would respond with, but with Obama it is easy to persuade themselves (and also highly likely in reality) that a US city lost to a Muslim nuke attack would result in groveling apologies by President Obama.