Dean Hartwell’s Perspective: Entertaining bin Laden (2/13/03)

If you can't find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq.


(Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands")


Osama bin Laden probably claps his hands a lot these days.  The United States can't seem to find him, he still sends his messages to followers via tapes and it looks like one of his biggest enemies, Saddam Hussein, will soon be forced out of power.

And he probably laughs about the United States security color code.  His terrorist allies apparently only need to drop hints about attacking U.S. interests and the color changes on the chart.  Now they have us up to orange!  

When the newscasters report the new terrorist threat level, they probably have trouble keeping a straight face when they tell us to be aware of anything suspicious.  One can only imagine how foolish and weak we come off to bin Laden and his ilk.

Even with our intense bombing in Afghanistan (which killed 17 civilians in a recent attack), it should be clear by now that we have missed bin Laden.  His survival haunts President Bush, who promised to find him "dead or alive."  Now Bush has two other problems on his front burner with Iraq and North Korea.

A recent bin Laden message arrived on audio tape and told his followers to fight the "devil" United States.  He also put down Hussein and the Iraqi government as "socialist" and implied that it did not matter to his cause whether or not Hussein survives.  He sees the U.S. build-up as a way to increase his following because he can easily identify the "bad guy" in the situation.

While our government sorts through its colors and keeps warning us of imminent attacks, bin Laden is having a field day.  Some day he may well strike at us again.  We can only hope the government does not cry "wolf" first.

 

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