Waagner has been closely linked to the violent, antiabortion Army of God. To this day the group hails him as a "Hero of the Faith" on its Web site, along with such antiabortion luminaries as Paul Hill, who was executed in Florida for murdering an abortion provider and a volunteer escort. He is known to have corresponded with Army of God leaders prior to his escape from prison. An allegedly autobiographical account of Waagner's career as a terrorist is available on the AOG Web site and the proceeds go to Waagner's wife. Titled "Fighting the Great American Holocaust," the cover art is a self-portrait in which Waagner is wearing mirror-lensed glasses that reflect two figures in white hazmat suits at work before a Planned Parenthood sign.

"While an FBI Most Wanted Fugitive, I made my most effective attack on the abortion industry," reads the account. "In October of 2001 I mailed fake anthrax to 500 abortion clinics. In November of 2001 I Federal Expressed another 300 fake anthrax letters. The white powder I used was harmless, but tested positive for anthrax.

"Most of the 580 abortion clinics I closed in 2001 remained closed for a week, resulting in 3,940 clinic closure days, and the disruption of nearly 20,000 scheduled abortions. According to abortion clinic numbers, 5,000 or more babies are alive today because of my act of 'Domestic Terrorism.'

"I will spend the rest of my life in a federal prison. It seems a small price to pay."

The frequent Web bouquets from the Army of God notwithstanding, Waagner received little personal support at his trial. Only the Rev. Michael Bray of nearby Bowie, Md., a convicted clinic bomber and the "chaplain" of the Army of God, attended. That contrasts starkly with the gatherings of AOG members in support of James Kopp in Buffalo earlier this year and the AOG vigils at the September execution of Paul Hill in Florida.

Ann Glazier thinks that the federal heat is just too great and people are keeping their distance. Not so long ago, she says, Army of God leaders carried themselves with a certain swagger that they could threaten people and clinics with impunity. But she thinks a turning point came in the run-up to Hill's execution in September, when the Florida attorney general, two corrections officials, and the judge who sentenced Hill to death all received threatening letters containing bullets. "Suddenly it's not so much fun to be a Christian terrorist in the Army of God anymore," she observed.

That may be an augur for the future of the most violent wing of the antiabortion movement. Experts see that law enforcement's view of terrorism -- and its capacity for more organized response -- has changed enormously. That makes it far more difficult for the violent wing of the antiabortion movement to operate.

Waagner is, in their view, an exception that proves the rule. Professor Blanchard, who taught in Pensacola, Fla., an epicenter of antiabortion attacks, thinks that while the violent element "is still there," Waagner was an isolated entrepreneur who sought "a brief moment of fame" in exchange for "permanent security and having his most momentous decisions for the rest of his life being what flavor gum to chew." As for the rest of the violent element, he says that they "went semi-underground under federal pressure" following the passage of the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, and now "more and more resembled the militia's 'leaderless resistance.'"

Ellie Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, has a similar view. Law enforcement's response to antiabortion violence has greatly improved, she says. She notes that there is "a more profound appreciation for how terrible terrorism can be and how it can destroy a society." But "the investigative work that would lead you to the next one is falling short," Smeal says. There are people still at large who "aided and abetted Kopp and Rudolph, and whoever is winding them up ... The odds are we are not done with this, and we won't be until the core that has been encouraging violence, itself unravels."

"It's not unlike al-Qaida," she observed. "The 19 hijackers died but they certainly did not act alone. But so far, nobody higher up has been arrested."

Did Waagner have help while he was on the lam? "Absolutely," said Glazier. "There is no doubt in my mind."

It is tempting to think or to believe that the worst of antiabortion terrorism is over. The capture of Waagner, Kopp and Rudolph certainly are triumphs of federal law enforcement in the age of terrorism. There have been no murders or major arsons or bombings this year. But windows have been shot out. There have been minor arsons. And anonymous threats to use of weapons of mass destruction against clinics and providers are practically routine. In 2002, according to statistics compiled by the National Abortion Federation, 23 clinics received anthrax threat in the mail. Before Waagner's 2001 rampage, clinics reported 77 anthrax threats.

No one has been arrested in connection with any of these terrorist incidents before or since Clayton Waagner.

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