great deal of flexibility. in fact, karzai's government does not want this letter. this is about karzai himself. by the way, karzai is not particularly concerned about winning over public opinion. karzai has said he's not going to run in the next elections, which are just in april. so this is more about his legacy. he wants to be remembered by his people as the man who came into this country who helped bring it, if you will, into a modern era and then who stood up to the americans and said we're going to keep an american presence here for our long-term stability, but we're going to do it with the americans begging to stay and with them confined to their bases. so it is not that he has an aggressive populous and is facing an imminent election. >> ayman, i want to turn quickly, if we can, over to the bombing in beirut. i wonder whether you think retaliation is a certainty here.