The London Terrorist Arrests

Congratulations to Tony Blair's government and the British police on a successful outcome to what appears to have been a thorough intelligence operation. It has always been my opinion, as you know, Bush, that the terrorist threat is best addressed as a police and intelligence problem, and that this whole "war on terrorism" is a delusion. Its greatest success is the breeding of more terrorists than it kills. In this instance, lives were saved, arrests were made, suspected terrorists were taken out of the game, and more knowledge was gained to make their future operations more difficult.

Granted, this was a dire and imminent threat, but does that make it necessary for you and your people to seize upon it so immediately to make political hay? Yourself, Bush: "This is a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists, who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom. [...] It's a mistake," you added, "to believe there is no threat to the United States." And your Cheney, the day before the arrests--surely in full knowledge that they were about to happen--made this comment about the Connecticut election results: "It's an unfortunate development, I think, from the standpoint of the Democratic Party, to see a man like Lieberman pushed aside because of his willingness to support an aggressive posture in terms of our national security strategy." He added that the rejection of Lieberman would encourage "al Qaeda types."

So now, with elections in sight, we can expect a chorus of Republican voices accusing their Democratic opponents of being "soft on terrorism" and failing to "protect the American people"--a feat for which you once again claimed credit yesterday. Backed up by the daily experience of airport lines and terror alerts, such words are likely to be heard by an electorate that seems to swallow such drivel without scepticism or critical appraisal.

Speaking of your Cheney, Bush, I note from yesterday's New York Times that he's also busy in the Middle East catastrophe, pushing his aggressively imperalist vison of America's role in the world through the agency of his man Elliott Abrams of Iran-Contra infamy (he was pardoned, as I recall, Bush, by your father back in 1992, for his role in that nefarious affair.) With Abrams apparently prompting at her elbow, your Rice has effecitvely ruined America's trusted reputation as an honest broker by endlessly delaying the cease-fire that might--even temporarily--have staunched the flow of blood: the impression created in the Arab world is clearly that this country is prepared to sacrifice Arab lives in order to allow Israel to gain the upper hand in the conflict. All the noble talk about addressing the root causes must sound like empty rhetoric to those whose homes and very lives are threatened by the rain of bombs, and those who sympathize with them.

It sounds like empty rhetoric to me, Bush, to hear you spouting aggressive words about the war on terror when I see the results of the anger and hatred that it breeds. Your voice--along with the voices of your Rice, your Cheney, your Rumsfled--keep assuring us that we are making progress, that we are protected by your strategies, that the world will be a safer and more peaceful place where democracies can thrive... But I don't see it, Bush. I look around, I see one disaster following another. The world is everywhere in a dangerous state of chaos and confusion, and our actions do nothing to bring security or clarity to the mess. In the midst of it all, you and your people have the balls to loudly proclaim that the Democrats are soft on terror, and lack the vision to make things better! As the saying goes, Bush, what a crock!