Sure, we could get cute and argue that turning hijacked planes into missiles on 9/11 count as an Improvised Explosive Device. Or we can argue that the IRA terrorist bombings of London in the 1980s represent a concerted proto-IED campaign launched in a major western city. But can’t we say that Faisal Shahzad’s doofy failed car bomb in Times Square represents the hometown arrival of the new, cheap, easily-exportable signature battlefield weapon of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? (I guess you could also say that Timothy McVeigh already did this.)

Paul McLeary attended a talk given by Lt. Gen. Michael Oates, commander of the military’s counter-IED organization. But it appears from Paul’s coverage that Oates spent his talk discussing IED threats on the battlefields overseas. And that’s important. But we’ve just experienced an exportation of that threat in a major American city. It failed, thankfully, but Oates is in a situation to see clearly that extremist organizations are learning organizations. The next IED attempt here probably won’t be so idiotically inept.

Introducing Oates’ talk was Marine Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis, who colorfully observed, “IEDs are coming to a city near you.” Bet on that.