1.   After the devastating explosion of a federal office building in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, many Americans may be wondering whether terrorism has become a fact of modern life.

2.   But this all happened before terrorism became the menacing shadow that now follows diplomats every day and befouls every international gathering from New York to Addis Ababa.

3.   In his recounting, terrorism becomes the unacknowledged driver behind much of human history.

4.   Investors jettisoned stocks as too risky in a world where terrorism may become commonplace, even though stocks came back at the end of the day.

5.   So terrorism became his topic.

6.   Somehow I glossed over it as a precursor to what terrorism would become.

7.   Terrorism became the leading preoccupation of politicians, police chiefs, journalists and writers from Dostoevsky to Henry James.

8.   Terrorism became a reality to most Americans a month ago.

9.   Terrorism has become the currency of reprisal.

10.   Terrorism became the risk that no insurer wanted.