THE HORROR, AGAIN. The wires are reporting that American hostage Paul Johnson has been executed by the terrorists who were holding him, presumably in Saudi Arabia. The early word is that he was decapitated, just like Nicholas Berg and Daniel Pearl before him. You could see this coming, but that doesn't make it any less sickening.

Although this particular group of terrorists has been demanding the release of prisoners in Saudi Arabia, the focus of terrorism in that country in recent weeks has been to get Western workers - especially Americans - to leave.

I'd say it's going to work, wouldn't you?

This is terrible, terrible news, and further evidence - as if we needed any - that our enemies are intent on dragging the entire world back to the eighth century.