The recent disappearance of a Malaysian airliner should refocus our attention on ongoing efforts to thwart the deadly plans of murderous terrorists. Even if experts ultimately rule out terrorism as the cause of this tragic loss of life, reports of mysterious passengers traveling on stolen passports reminds us how difficult—and important—it is to identify and defeat the schemes of implacable jihadists.

In that context, Senator Rand Paul made a mistake to focus his recent CPAC speech on his lawsuit against the National Security Agency. Whatever the mistakes and excesses of our security agencies, the government must maintain its ability to monitor and counteract suspected terrorists.

No, Senator Paul, counter-terrorism efforts aren’t the biggest threat to our Constitutional liberty, and they remain a necessary component in protecting the Republic from much bigger threats.