With the news pages being dominated by what diplomats really think of world affairs in recent weeks and the subsequent persecution of the man and the organisation which allowed the public to see those thoughts, a suicide bomber in Sweden unwittingly helped return some sense of perspective. In spite of the sometimes vitriolic debate about the propriety of releasing the secret cables, at least diplomats, world leaders, civil rights and freedom of information activists subscribe to the same fundamental principles of a liberal society to greater or lesser degrees. Sarah Palin may be critical of releasing the thoughts of diplomats, but will volunteer her thoughts through Twitter. Anonymous hackers may want 'payback' against opponents of WikiLeaks, but at least they execute their operations in a non-violent manner.

The man who exploded a car and himself in Stockholm on the other hand subscribes to none of our principles. This man does not wear his anonymity like an ironic mask, but is a true enigma in our world because he subscribes to none of our beliefs. Indeed, playfulness with language and metaphors is anathema to his fundamental ideology. In a message sent from his mobile phone, he cited Sweden's tolerance of cartoons portraying the Prophet Mohammed as fuelling his hatred for the Western world. In a recorded message, he incited all his fellow terrorists to strike with anything with the objective of causing maximum loss of life.

So while critics and supporters of WikiLeaks may have constructive debates about the best conditions for democracy, governance and peaceful diplomacy, it is also important to remember that the real enemies are those who do not even wish to enter the debate. Terrorists do not believe in governments, or accountability. They believe in an ideology of hate above all else. The fact that an individual can evade all intelligence and cultivate his hatred of the Western world while living in it is a terrifying reminder of how much more work is needed to enable others to understand why we hold our principles of a liberal society so dear.