U.S. UNDER-REACTION TO JERUSALEM MURDERS [John Derbyshire] Does anyone else think that the U.S. administration is under-reacting to the murders at Hebrew University? Five Americans were killed, in a building named after an American. Administration reaction: "'We have grieved with all the people of Israel as they have faced Palestinian terrorism,' said [U.S. Ambassador] Kurtzer, speaking in front of the Frank Sinatra International Students Center, where the blast tore apart a cafeteria a day earlier. 'Now that five American citizens have been killed, our grief is even deeper.'" [AP] Uh-huh. Perhaps we should send for Oprah? "President Bush mourned the American dead as he met Thursday with King Abdullah of Jordan on how to move the Mideast peace process forward. 'I am just as angry as Israel is. I am furious,' he said. 'But even though I am mad, I still think peace is possible,' the president said at a picture-taking session with the king at the start of a meeting in the Oval Office." [AP] Oh, that's all right then. Heaven forbid anything should stand in the way of the "peace process." What would be wrong with this?-- A clear public announcement by the administration that any person known to be associated in any way whatsoever with Hamas is a target of opportunity for U.S. troops and special services; similarly with anyone know to be friendly with or related to such; similarly ith any employee or owner of any news organization transmitting any message or announcement from Hamas, or any owner or inhabitant of any building, car or truck ever used by Hamas... These savages are laughing at us. We should put the fear of Almighty God into them. Then, we should kill them all, along with everyone known to have shaken hands with them or given them a light for a cigarette. If we don't have the guts to do this--to avenge our own slaughtered citizens--let's engage proxies to do it for us. Yes, I am mad. Are we ever going to deal with these scum, these murderers of Americans? Do we actually have any plan to do so?
Bush, OTOH, has to decide whether and how to take overt action in such a manner that does not worsen this already-delicate situation; or cause even more Americans to be killed; and most importantly, does not put the kibosh on other and bigger operations that may be in the works.
You'll note that the entire basis for the undie-staining on this thread is the assumption that because Bush is not doing anything overt, that he is not doing anything at all. This assumption is based on pure ignorance, not to mention more than a little wishful thinking.
Derbyshire is a paleocon, but one who remembers that Nationalists should be patriots. The folks planning to launch The American Conservative disagree.