October 14, 2003
"THE LADIES AUXILIARY":
US eyes second-tier threats in terror war: It signals hardening stance by focusing on Syria, Libya, and Cuba. (Howard LaFranchi, 10/14/03, The Christian Science Monitor)
The "axis of evil" is back - and in expanded form. Anticipated congressional action against Syria this week is just one sign that the US plans to keep up the pressure on countries it places on the wrong side in the war on terror.The triad of WMD-seeking states that President Bush first targeted in his January 2002 State of the Union address no longer includes Iraq. But the club otherwise made up of North Korea and Iran has grown to include Syria, Libya, and Cuba, in the administration's eyes, as it seeks to keep the nation and the world focused on the dual threats of weapons proliferation and state-sponsored terrorism.
Some experts see the new club members as minor threats compared to the original three - one former US official calls them "the ladies' auxiliary of the axis of evil." But the Bush administration is showing lack of patience with any state tolerance of terrorism, while making clear its determination to see development of and trading in weapons of mass destruction stopped.
As opposed to being patient about states supporting terrorism? Posted by Orrin Judd at October 14, 2003 5:05 PM
One might think that a nuclear Libya might make Europe a wee bit nervous (especially since Libya is undoubtedly smarting from its humiliation over the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie "episode," and hence would be "justified" in venting its frustrations---only if I correctly understand the European position on why the US and Israel are such pariah states, of course).
Nonetheless, their strong suit, and they could play it (again) is that if they might be in any danger, it's only because Israel and its American patron, made it so.
(Even if it may not look like a winning combination from other perspectives.)
Posted by: Barry Meislin at October 14, 2003 7:21 PM