The Challenge of Terror and Iraq

President Discusses War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy

There might be numereous reasons why President Bush has chosen this time for a major speech on the issue of terrorism.

But that's a separate issue. It is still interesting to see what he has to say.

It is now very clearly Iraq that is the centre of the struggle.

I think President Bush is entirely correct when he says, that "the terrorist goal is to overthrow a rising democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven for terror, destabilize the Middle East, and strike America and other free nations with ever-increasing violence."

One can discuss how it come to this. But again, that's a somewhat separate debate. We are were we are.

And then we have to take note of the ambitions of our adversaries and act accordingly.

The Washington approach on these issues might not always be the ultimate in wisdom, although it's normally wise to let history judge these matters.

But on this it's very difficult to see that they are not right.