That governments devote their primary energies to enforcement rather than relying on political co-optation or deterrence is key. Whether old or new, terrorist groups are not necessarily susceptible to state suasion or threats. Neither political success nor political frustration necessarily means that they will stop doing what they do best. November 17 has never come close to its goal of radicalizing Greece, but kept right on killing and bombing. Those who are moved to terrorism usually lack majority support anyway, and relish the role of the underdog.
Terrorists seek mainly to shock, disgust and bewilder their audience.
Saunders' tragic death conjured images of Munich in 1972, when eight Palestine Liberation Organization terrorists trapped eleven Israeli athletes in their living quarters and shot them dead during a standoff with security forces. This difference merely updates the picture to one of, say, a busload of British or American athletes asphyxiated by sarin gas enroute from the Olympic Village to a field or stadium. Or, hearkening back to the old days, November 17 might just use a machine-gun instead. Either way, the premium must be on detection, enforcement and prevention. And Europe may finally be getting the message.