There’s still much to learn about the terrorist plot revealed yesterday, and I’m not going to flatter myself into thinking I have anything intelligent or useful to add at this point.
Like anyone else, I’m grateful that the British authorities were able to nip this in the bud, although it will be interesting to learn how serious the threat really was. Sorry to sound cynical, but we’ve all learned that we can’t take these things at face value.
Republican and conservative attempts to take political advantage of this (here’s an example) are as predictable as they are loathsome.
But I guess, more than anything, I’m wondering about radical Islamists within Britain’s Muslim population, and how much of a comparison can be drawn to the United States. Where is all this going to lead? Probably to some pretty nasty places.
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Anonymous
I do wish the media would call a spade a spade, and state the plainly accurate fact that these are Muslim extremists attacking the nations that invaded Iraq. ‘Muslim’ isn’t a code word and isn’t discriminatory– it’s fact.
Aaron Read
You know, I was sitting in front of the TV Wednesday night with my wife (who’s an international student advisor) and we both said at the same time: “So just how serious was this?”After that fiasco in Miami several weeks ago, I don’t trust anything DHS says anymore…I’m just glad I’m not flying anytime soon.Although I’m sure there are at least a few Republicans who’re muttering to themselves “Why couldn’t this have happened the week before Halloween???”:-)
LaReinaCobre
fiasco in Miami? What did I miss?
Anonymous
Dan, that’s just the kind of stuff the terrorists want you to think! All praise the great Bush and Cheney! The great Bush and Cheney will protect us! The Bush-Cheney knows what’s best!!!!!
Wes
Let’s not be so quick to accept this news as fact. The Brits have very recently had other “sweeps” that included shooting of innocents and the murder of one Brazilian. Also, wiser heads are aware that this scenario has been scripted in Manila over ten years ago. The Secrétariat général de la défense nationale (SGDN), which alerted the Bush administration during the summer of 2001 of the impending WTC attacks and was ignored, suggests this may be a stalking horse.
Anonymous
Well, Dan, I think there’s one intelligent thing you could add at this point, and I’m not sure why this hasn’t jumped out for everyone. There’s at least one simple thing to take away from this (if the foiled plot was, in fact, at least halfway legit), and it’s obvious. British: persistent detective work, networking, great intelligence nets a big bust. Bush administration: Empty rhetoric about “taking the fight” to the terr’rists wherever they are, blah blah blah. If anything, it proves, once and for all, that Bush’s policy is one big fat collossal failure. I seem to remember John Kerry getting raked over the coals in Campaign ’04 for saying that the “War on Terror” idea was bad and that all it would take was (British drum roll, please!) good law enforcement. You suck, George Bush, and you’re not going to have your Republican lackeys in office to help prop up your failed policies after November, no matter how many times we got to Red Alert.
Paul
If there are terrorist (Islamo fascist-fanatic) cells in Britain (and there are) then they are over here as well and the worst is coming.Perhaps we should just surrender and all convert to Islam, because that is the goal of Bin Laden and all Islamo fascists-to make the world Islam and some Americans would welcome it with open arms rather than upset the sensibilities of Muslims. But then there would be no more freedom of religion, because Islam doesn’t promote democracy.
Economic Migrant
As someone getting ready to move to London for a new job, I have to say I’m torn between being nervous and feeling glad that MI5/6 know how to do their jobs, rather than trying to cover up for their executive.(Granted reading Ron Suskind’s “The One Percent Doctorine” isn’t helping with the jaded feeling.)
Anonymous
It’s sad but telling that some on this blog would transmogrify the acts of terrorists into the fault of one political party, as if it would have made a difference. (Talk about blaming the victim!)Let’s grant that the last three administrations ALL screwed up big time in intelligence. In turn, I’ll grant that both Kerry and Bush love their country a hell of a lot more than some folks above, hung up on hating either one of them. Pathetic.
Don
With friends like Sens. Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton, Biden, Reid and Dodd, who needs enemies?
whispers
A lot of interesting non sequiters in the comments here.As a resident of London, I would say that the police here have done some good work, but also have had some notable mistakes, and in general, Tony Blair has an authoritarian streak that rivals Bush’s. The difference thus far is that Blair at least bothers to get laws changed, rather than simply doing whatever the hell he wants to do.(Why anybody would think Bush “loves” his country baffles me. If you think that opinion reflects “hate”, so be it.)
Don
If the Democratic Party will dump such a reasonable and moral man as Joe Lieberman, what hope is there for a Congress dominated by such people, who want to sell the country down the river? I thought people could recognize a man of principle, but apparently not.
Stryker
Hat is low because there is nothing but a vacuum beneath it.