David Letterman Jokes About Terrorist Death Threat

David Letterman returned to the Late Show for the first time since he was targeted by a terrorist, and he started joking right away.

"Tonight, you people are more to me, honestly, more than an audience...You're more like a human shield!" he quipped.

Letterman's jokes about the deaths of Osama bin Laden and his successor prompted an enraged jihadist to post an Internet threat on Letterman's life:

"We pray...to paralyze his tongue, and that the righteous believers will break his neck."

Authorities are taking the threat seriously. Officers were stationed outside the studio, and a police dog prowled the area.

"A guy gets assassinated and you can't tell a couple of jokes?" Letterman asked.

True to form, Letterman made light of the whole thing.

"You're not going to believe what happened—a guy, a radical extremist, threatened to cut my tongue out! I wish I had a nickel..." he said.

And just as Letterman was about to deliver the Top Ten List, a sandbag fell from the ceiling and landed on his desk with an ominous thud.

The Top Ten List was "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through My Mind After Hearing About the Threat," which included, "Number ten: Someone wants to silence me? Get in line!" and "Number two: This seems like Leno's handiwork!"