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AWC
World NewsReturn
to AWC World News Menu
Justifying
Invasion a Full-Time Job
by Helen Thomas
Published on Wednesday, March 24, 2004
by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
President Bush says the United
States and the world are safer against terrorist attacks since
his invasion of Iraq.
After the bombings in Madrid
and Baghdad, that is wishful thinking.
The president doesn't act like
he thinks the world is safer, given the huge security entourage
that accompanies him when he travels.
It seems that terrorists take
no holiday. The perpetrators of these brutal acts can still pick
and choose their targets on their own timing. So it's hardly
a safer world.
The train bombings in Madrid
that killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 1,000
and the car bombing in Baghdad are evidence that extremists can
strike anywhere without warning. Bush's vaunted war against terrorism
has not deterred them. If anything, it seems to have spurred
them on.
The White House has been loathe
to acknowledge that Spain may have been targeted because former
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was a strong supporter of Bush's
war policy and had sent 1,300 Spanish troops to Iraq. Aznar's
Popular party lost to socialist opposition leader Jose Luis Rodriguez
Zapatero, who wants to withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq unless
the United Nations is given more control over the occupation.
At a news briefing Monday, White
House press secretary ScottMcClellan branded Iraq as the "central
front in the war against terrorism," an old Bush administration
theme that was never proved before the U.S. attack a year ago.
It's accurate now, though, because the U.S. invasion has made
it come true.
Administration spokesmen still
try to sneak Iraq into any discussion of terrorism in their endless
efforts to merge Iraq and the terrorism of Sept. 11.
For example, Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld said on CBS-TV's "Face the Nation"
Sunday, "The pressure that's being put on terrorists in
Afghanistan, in Iraq and elsewhere in the world, is clearly advancing
freedom and making the world a safer place." Nice try, Mr.
Secretary.
Administration officials are not facing reality.
Bush is making his handling of
the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington the centerpiece
of his re-election campaign, and he has already sponsored ads
showing a flag-draped coffin on that fateful day.
Meanwhile, the administration
has taken a number of steps to protect U.S. borders, airports,
waterways and the critical infrastructure since 9/11; there has
been no repetition of the deadly attacks within our borders.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom
Ridge believes the country is safer as a result of the tightened
security.
But on the down side he has said
he also expects the threat of international terrorism will be
with us till the end of the 21st century and
beyond.
Meantime, the federal Commission
on Terrorist Attacks on the United States is trying to establish
a "definitive account" of what transpired on 9/11 and
how the government and the private sector responded to the horrifying
attack. The panel also hopes to make policy recommendations in
its final report by the July 26 deadline.
Bush plans to testify before
the commission soon, but a sticking point is the president's
insistence that he appear only before co-chairmen Tom Kean and
Lee Hamilton. Al Felzenberg, deputy communications director for
the panel, said Kean and Hamilton are still hoping that the president
will reconsider and meet with the entire 10-member commission.
Bush caved on his original stipulation
that his appearance be limited to one hour. But after taunts
from Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, his likely Democratic
election opponent, McClellan now says the president won't be
watching the clock and will answer all questions put to him.
This is only the latest example
of Bush's clumsy relationship with the commission.
At first he opposed its creation,
but then caved in after public pressure built. Then he insisted
on an early deadline but later agreed to extend it after commission
members complained that White House stonewalling had put their
work behind schedule.
This pattern of presidential
behavior almost makes you wonder what Bush is trying to hide.
I don't know that we will all
feel safer after the commission finally makes its report this
summer. But, hopefully, we'll be better informed.
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AWC World News by Helen Thomas Published on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer President Bush says the United States and the world are safer against terrorist attacks since his invasion of Iraq. After the bombings in Madrid and Baghdad, that is wishful thinking. The president doesn't act like he thinks the world is safer, given the huge security entourage that accompanies him when he travels. It seems that terrorists take no holiday. The perpetrators of these brutal acts can still pick and choose their targets on their own timing. So it's hardly a safer world. The train bombings in Madrid that killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 1,000 and the car bombing in Baghdad are evidence that extremists can strike anywhere without warning. Bush's vaunted war against terrorism has not deterred them. If anything, it seems to have spurred them on. The White House has been loathe to acknowledge that Spain may have been targeted because former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was a strong supporter of Bush's war policy and had sent 1,300 Spanish troops to Iraq. Aznar's Popular party lost to socialist opposition leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who wants to withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq unless the United Nations is given more control over the occupation. At a news briefing Monday, White House press secretary ScottMcClellan branded Iraq as the "central front in the war against terrorism," an old Bush administration theme that was never proved before the U.S. attack a year ago. It's accurate now, though, because the U.S. invasion has made it come true. Administration spokesmen still try to sneak Iraq into any discussion of terrorism in their endless efforts to merge Iraq and the terrorism of Sept. 11. For example, Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld said on CBS-TV's "Face the Nation"
Sunday, "The pressure that's being put on terrorists in
Afghanistan, in Iraq and elsewhere in the world, is clearly advancing
freedom and making the world a safer place." Nice try, Mr.
Secretary. Bush is making his handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington the centerpiece of his re-election campaign, and he has already sponsored ads showing a flag-draped coffin on that fateful day. Meanwhile, the administration has taken a number of steps to protect U.S. borders, airports, waterways and the critical infrastructure since 9/11; there has been no repetition of the deadly attacks within our borders. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge believes the country is safer as a result of the tightened security. But on the down side he has said he also expects the threat of international terrorism will be with us till the end of the 21st century and beyond. Meantime, the federal Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States is trying to establish a "definitive account" of what transpired on 9/11 and how the government and the private sector responded to the horrifying attack. The panel also hopes to make policy recommendations in its final report by the July 26 deadline. Bush plans to testify before the commission soon, but a sticking point is the president's insistence that he appear only before co-chairmen Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton. Al Felzenberg, deputy communications director for the panel, said Kean and Hamilton are still hoping that the president will reconsider and meet with the entire 10-member commission. Bush caved on his original stipulation that his appearance be limited to one hour. But after taunts from Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, his likely Democratic election opponent, McClellan now says the president won't be watching the clock and will answer all questions put to him. This is only the latest example of Bush's clumsy relationship with the commission. At first he opposed its creation, but then caved in after public pressure built. Then he insisted on an early deadline but later agreed to extend it after commission members complained that White House stonewalling had put their work behind schedule. This pattern of presidential behavior almost makes you wonder what Bush is trying to hide. I don't know that we will all feel safer after the commission finally makes its report this summer. But, hopefully, we'll be better informed. Home Page | AWC Goals | AWC Branches | Recent Articles AWC World News | Human Manifesto | Upcoming Events | AWC History United Nations | AWC Staff | Join Online Today | Worldometers Contact Us |