Bush vs. the rest of the world

Submitted by Andrei Smarandoiu (United States), Jan 9, 2004 at 06:43

Mr. Pipes,

In "Democrats Unlearn 9/11" you state:

"Then came September 11 and a nationwide realization that the country faced not just crime but also a military threat. That very evening, Mr. Bush declared a "war against terrorism." A war, note — not a police action."

So you think a group of 20 people is enough to constitute a "military threat" to the greatest military force in the world ?

I'd like to know how you define a "military threat" ? And for that matter how you define terrorism ? What aspect of the attacks on September 11 was "military" ? Horrible as those attacks were, I fail to see how they differed from other acts of terrorism.

You applaud Bush on his efforts, but if his approach is so effective, how come over two years after the events of September 11 Bush's forces still haven't caught Bin Laden or generally made any progress in reducing terrorist threats to the US ? How come the citizens of this country feel less safe than ever from terrorist attacks ? And please don't tell me Saddam Hussein was a threat to the US. The only reason anyone might have felt that way is due to the Bush Administration's baseless and false propaganda.

The combat against terrorism has to be guided by intelligence - which I think is what Democrats are trying to say - and cannot consist solely of the sort of wholesale and disorganized military attacks Bush has engaged in. His approach only exacerbates the situation and increases anti-American sentiment throughout the Muslim world, not to mention the rest of the world, which is the main problem to begin with.

Andrei Smarandoiu

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