SHORTER VERBATIM Fran Townsend: "The Obama administration needs to take a clear, tough line with Yemen: Take care of the terrorism problem within your borders so you are no longer a threat to the United States and our allies in the region, or allow the international community to come in and clean it up for you. "
Really, Fran? Have you been so delighted with the "successes" in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia that you have to spout this bravado? Is there any international problem that Republicans believe cannot be solved with an armed intervention?
The only thing more depressing than the glee that Republican talking heads have shown in discussing this latest terrorist incident (see Pat Buchanan, William Kristol) is the way that Democratic talking heads remain cowed into following their lead (or is it that the sensationalistic news-seeking media isn't asking the right people?). Steve Clemons is one exception, where he notes that the US government is in fact working with the Yemen government and warns against getting too deeply mired in that country.
As for the airport security issue, I think I'll let others cover that, not having anything original to add (see Prof Walt for some good thoughts here). The politicians in Congress, who know better, are just going to capitalize the airwaves with bullshit while the investigations run and additional useless and time-wasting security measures are added. But I'll tell you, my frustration with the Washington Post's poor reporting and really lousy op-eds are mounting to the point that I just don't expect much from it anymore. Thank god for the comics section.
Weren't some U.S. citizens recently arrested as terror suspects in Pakistan?
Do these pundits grant Pakistan the right to clean up in the U.S.? Keep in mind how many U.S. citizens are on the U.S. terror suspect list and live in the U.S..
Posted by: Sven Ortmann | 29 December 2009 at 03:52 PM