Posted on 08/31/2006 6:22:33 PM PDT by wittyone
THE MYTH OF THE OMNIPRESENT ENEMY
For the past five years, Americans have been regularly regaled with dire predictions of another major al Qaeda attack in the United States. In 2003, a group of 200 senior government officials and business executives, many of them specialists in security and terrorism, pronounced it likely that a terrorist strike more devastating than 9/11 -- possibly involving weapons of mass destruction -- would occur before the end of 2004. In May 2004, Attorney General John Ashcroft warned that al Qaeda could "hit hard" in the next few months and said that 90 percent of the arrangements for an attack on U.S. soil were complete. That fall, Newsweek reported that it was "practically an article of faith among counterterrorism officials" that al Qaeda would strike in the run-up to the November 2004 election. When that "October surprise" failed to materialize, the focus shifted: a taped encyclical from Osama bin Laden, it was said, demonstrated that he was too weak to attack before the election but was marshalling his resources to do so months after it.
….snip….
One reasonable explanation is that almost no terrorists exist in the United States and few have the means or the inclination to strike from abroad. But this explanation is rarely offered.
….big snip….
Although it remains heretical to say so, the evidence so far suggests that fears of the omnipotent terrorist …snip… may have been overblown, the threat presented within the United States by al Qaeda greatly exaggerated. The massive and expensive homeland security apparatus erected since 9/11 may be persecuting some, spying on many, inconveniencing most, and taxing all to defend the United States against an enemy that scarcely exists.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignaffairs.org ...
Poor Bush. He's been too successful. The looney libs are like children. If they can't see it, it doesn't exist. Why wash one's hands before surgery? Bacteria can't be seen, so it must not exist, right? And what you see in a microscope is a hoax, just like the planes hitting the twin towers.
With reasoning ability like this, I am somewhat surprised this man can complete a bowel movement unassisted.
This is beyond pathetic. And even more disgusting is what this clown would be saying if we got hit. That'd Bush's fault, also.
With a liberal, it's: heads I win, tails you lose. Lot of blood on these appeaser's hands. And more coming.
Try not to hold back so much, speak freely.
Having been born and raised a buckeye, I'm aghast that this guy holds a chair at OSU. The "Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies," no less. Woody's probably rolling over in his grave.
Thanks for that link. Fantastic presentation.
Why would you decide that ahead of time? I did read the entire article. I don't think you and I are the only ones..
The article makes some interesting points- but misses the big picture. It is not about one terrorist- one attack or one terrorist organization. It IS about the climate the scattered attacks have created in the world. It IS asymmetrical warfare- leaving us trying to figure out who, when, how..the next one will come. We are in a perpetual condition of waiting for the other shoe to drop...
I can't help but thinking that if the left didn't control our institutions of "learning", The Democrats wouldn't even have the status of a third party.
Well, that, and the MSM, of course...
We'd better keep our fingers crossed (and vote, early and often) that a DUmmy doesn't get into the White House in '08...
I think things are slowing eroding the MSM's influence. Very slowly.
I don't have much hope for the educational system. I've seen it too close up. Dealing with those people is like looking into the abyss. Look too long and you may lose your sanity.
So according to this genius the last 19 terrorists living on american soil died on 9/11/2001? They were all that was left? Man, what is he smoking?
According to the DNC playbook not only is there currently no terrorist threat, but there never was a terrorist threat in the first place.
Is There Still a Terrorist Threat?
yeah, until Nov. 8th?
Let's see, 14 badly injured or killed in San Francisco this week. Nope, no terrorist threat there! Relax. Have another beer. It's all a hoax.
Rush would disagree with you, long term. Within another generation, I believe it'll swing our way.
Now, if we can just survive for another generation...
Well, if they weren't before, they are now...
Too Shay!! Bureaucracy will kill (is killing?) this nation faster than any religious terrorist group!
One reasonable explanation is that almost no terrorists exist in the United States and few have the means or the inclination to strike from abroad.
Begs the question, just how many does it take to blow up a bridge...a pipeline,....etc?
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