America was briefly plunged back into full "war on terror" response mode yesterday - a state it has not been in for nearly two years.
In a throwback to the post-September 11 era the rolling television news channels were pumping out endless footage of politicians urging people to stay calm and go out and enjoy their weekend.
Americans were also urged to keep their eyes open for people acting suspiciously and casing out public buildings but emotions began to cool when it emerged that the plot was very much in the planning stage - "aspirational" in the words of the deputy head of the FBI.
Nearly five years on from the Twin Towers attacks, it appears that the nation is becoming more robust and that it takes more than a plot to prompt panic.
For President George W Bush the foiling of the apparent plan to bomb Chicago's Sears Tower was a political windfall.
The day began with a bubbling row over the news that the government had been tracking international money transactions to follow the flow of possible terrorist funds abroad.
The arrests in Miami and Georgia made the US Treasury's case much easier to defend.
But the real lesson of the day may be that Americans can now absorb such seemingly shocking news without rushing out for duct tape and food.
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