November 5, 2004
ASTOUNDING
US too focused on bin Laden: French judge (World News, November 5th, 2004)
The United States is focused too narrowly on Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network in its view of the global terror threat, a top French investigator said on Thursday.But "Unfortunately one often tries in the United States to reduce the threat to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden," French anti-terrorism Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere told a terrorism conference. "It goes far beyond that." Security officials are no longer faced with well-defined Islam-inspired terror groups, but with a loose network without centralised structures that complicates the fight against terrorism, Bruguiere said. The battle is being threatened by gaps in international cooperation, including barriers between European Union countries, he said.
"You cannot fight a global threat locally. If we don’t give higher priority to international cooperation, we will not win the fight against terrorism."
Posted by Peter Burnet at November 5, 2004 4:56 PM
So now even the French have deserted John Kerry.
Posted by: Mike Morley at November 5, 2004 5:16 PMIran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan (ISI), North Korea, China, France.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 5, 2004 5:29 PMRobert, is that list in order of priority?
Posted by: Mike Morley at November 5, 2004 5:57 PMYup
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 5, 2004 6:13 PMMy list is more like the following:
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan(ISI), Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia.
Posted by: Bart at November 5, 2004 6:58 PMDon't forget Saudi Arabia Bart.
Posted by: Jeff at November 5, 2004 7:08 PMI'm a tad obsessive-compulsive. It's the same thing that causes me to count the bags on the conveyor belt while I'm waiting for my luggage at the airport or plan my weekly menu for next week on the Friday bus home.
Posted by: Bart at November 5, 2004 7:27 PMIran, Syria, North Korea, Palestine, China (by diplomacy - Hu Jintao is less hostile than Jiang Zemin), Cuba, Venezuela. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan can evolve on their own once democracy/freedom are established in Iraq and Iran. If Musharraf gets overthrown by radicals, then Pakistan goes on the list. Saudi Arabia can be bullied, no need for violence.
Posted by: pj at November 5, 2004 8:29 PMPutting Pakistan on 'a list' would be a little late then, wouldn't it?
Anyhow, we don't get it any better than the French judge. It isn't some minority that's our problem.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 5, 2004 9:30 PMI thought W wasn't focused enough.
Posted by: Sandy P at November 5, 2004 9:42 PMI thought that Bush had failed in the WOT because he wasn't 100% focussed on Osama.
Posted by: ray at November 6, 2004 12:16 AMBart How can you ignore Iran, which is indisputably a terrorist state. And France which has announced a policy of opposition to the United States and acts as a haven for known terrorists cannot be neglected.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 6, 2004 1:15 AMIran is going to have an internal revolution in the next couple of decades. The dynamics are in place for the mullahs to be on the scrap heap of history.
France as an opponent of America is like a Chihuahua challenging a Rottweiler. It remains a republic and their current Crook-en-Chef, Chirac, may be out before the end of his term. His self-dealing shenanigans have managed to be so egregious as to offend even frog sensibilities, a hitherto inconceivable notion. His most likely replacement, Sarkozy, is far more likely to want to cooperate with the US.
Besides, I have to go to France at the end of November to attend a cousin's wedding.
Posted by: Bart at November 6, 2004 6:17 AMIran goes down the list other than bombing any nuclear reacters as it is to mountainous to invade and has to many people, 60 million to handle like Iraq. let it fall in time as other reform in middle east spreads
Posted by: Perry at November 6, 2004 10:23 AM