THAT'S THE PROBLEM when you let terrorist know that they can succeed if they strike before an election; the bomb in Jakarta today happened just about two weeks before presidential elections in Indonesia, and the attack was against the embassy of Australia, a country that will have a general election next month.

That's the gist of it.

Free advice to Zapatero: at least for a few days, don't pick up the phone if caller ID shows a country code of some place around the Pacific.