Terrorist are picadors and matadors. They prick the bull until it bleeds and is blinded by rage, then they snap the red cape of bloody terror in its face. The bull charges again and again until, exhausted, it can charge no more. Then the matador, though smaller and weaker, drives the sword into the soft spot between the shoulder blades of the bull. For the bull has failed to understand that the snapping cape was but a provocation to goad it into attacking and exhausting itself for the kill.

Summary

This quote depicts terrorists as manipulative and cunning individuals who use fear and violence to provoke their enemies. They are compared to picadors, who repeatedly provoke and weaken a bull, and matadors, who ultimately deliver the fatal blow. The analogy suggests that terrorists use intimidation tactics to elicit a response, exploiting the blind rage and exhaustion of their targets until they can strike a deadly blow. It implies that it is crucial for people not to fall into the trap of reacting impulsively and exhausting themselves, but rather to seek understanding and find alternative ways to diffuse the situation.

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