A Real Ohio-Based Terrorist

My goodness, Al-Qaeda here in the Buckeye State. Who knew?

Admittedly this dude looks more like an assistant librarian than some wild-eyed bomber from the caves. But still. Shouldn't Ohio get some credit for being more cosmopolitan than the Blue Staters suggest? London, Madrid, Bali - they've all got home-grown AQ franchises. Now add Columbus to that list of exotic, international locales!

Are the terrorist cells in the Midwest generally friendlier? Do they kick back on the weekend with their buddies and talk sports, going on for hours about the infidel-head soccer league? And do they get uncomfortable around fast-talking, coastal jihadis?

We will hopefully discover what drove Mr. Christopher Paul into the arms of bin Laden. With all of the choices available to the modern-day malcontent, he might have just as easily become a Green, or a survivalist, or an adjunct professor of post-structural criticism at a small Midwest college. From a competitive marketing standpoint I wonder what gave Al-Qaeda the edge to a young lad on the make from the old town of Columbus.

Take that, East Coast sophisticates.

We're also finally getting an Ikea.