'Short-term Success'
Remember back in August when we learned from the Brits of a plot to blow up planes over the Atlantic? Many thought the timing was designed to bump the defeat of die-hard Bush defender Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary off the front page. It was later confirmed that the Bush administration had indeed forced the British into arresting the suspects sooner then they would have liked. I speculated at the time that evidence may have been lost because the Bushies wanted to get some political gain out of the episode. Turns out something else was lost as well - several of the plotters.
From The Independent (all emphasis mine):
Of course that's not to say they don't still pose some sort of threat. They are after all still free to plot, plan and perhaps carry out an act of terrorism, possibly one even more deadly than 9/11 or this airline plot. And this time they may not be stopped before they can bring their terrible plan to fruition.
Again from The Independent:
"After a short-term success" pretty well describes how the Bush administration chooses to combat terrorism. No long term plans are ever considered, one need only look at how Iraq has turned out to see that in action. They planned for Mission Accomplished. What came after didn't matter to them.
And America and Iraq continue to pay the price for this administration's lust for "a short-term success".
(Filed at State of the Day)
From The Independent (all emphasis mine):
A team of suspected terrorists involved in an alleged UK plot to blow up trans-atlantic airliners escaped capture because of interference by the United States, The Independent has been told by counter-terrorism sources.
An investigation by MI5 and Scotland Yard into an alleged plan to smuggle explosive devices on up to 10 passenger jets was jeopardised in August, when the US put pressure on authorities in Pakistan to arrest a suspect allegedly linked to the airliner plot.
As a direct result of the surprise detention of the suspect, British police and MI5 were forced to rush forward plans to arrest an alleged UK gang accused of plotting to destroy the airliners. But a second group of suspected terrorists allegedly linked to the first evaded capture and is still at large, according to security sources.
The escape of the second group is said to be the reason why the UK was kept at its highest level - 'critical' - for three days before it was decided that the plotters no longer posed an imminent threat.
Of course that's not to say they don't still pose some sort of threat. They are after all still free to plot, plan and perhaps carry out an act of terrorism, possibly one even more deadly than 9/11 or this airline plot. And this time they may not be stopped before they can bring their terrible plan to fruition.
Again from The Independent:
The operation was one of the largest undertaken by the police and MI5, yet two counter-terrorism sources suggested that the intervention of the Americans was due to "inexperience and naivety" and that they were after a "short-term success".
"After a short-term success" pretty well describes how the Bush administration chooses to combat terrorism. No long term plans are ever considered, one need only look at how Iraq has turned out to see that in action. They planned for Mission Accomplished. What came after didn't matter to them.
And America and Iraq continue to pay the price for this administration's lust for "a short-term success".
(Filed at State of the Day)
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