war pastiche

["Andrew Hagen" <xah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The television network ABC News reported this afternoon (about 2:20 pm
EDT) on air that once bin Laden is named as the source, retaliation
will come swiftly. A few minutes later, though, another ABC reporter
said that a retaliation effort could take months. (Of course, it
wouldn't take months to fire "pinprick strikes," as the Bush
Administration categorizes Clinton's anti-terrorism efforts. (What was
Reagan's bombing of Libya if not a pinprick strike?)) Also, the
reporter said that any campaign could take months and months.

Afghan leaders plead for mercy from Americans. They say their country
has suffered enormously already. Bomb them back to the stone age?
They're nearly there already. They note that the average life
expectancy there has fallen to 42 and 40 for males and females,
respectively. The Taleban regime has banned radio and television. Most
of Afghanistan does not yet know that their country is now a military
target of the US.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/international/13AFGH.html

William Safire reports that Bush wanted to fly back to Washington from
Florida the morning of September 11. "I don't want some tinhorn
terrorists keeping me out of Washington." Then, a message was
intercepted that said, "Air Force One is next." (Could the hijacked
planes have been in communication with radio?) The terrorists had
apparently used code words that indicated they knew the President's
whereabouts and procedures. (What could the "President's procedures"
mean?) Does this indicate that they knew more information than the
media provided? Do they have an American official who is feeding them
information? Ultimately, officials believe, the plane that crashed in
Pennsylvania was headed for either the White House or Air Force One.

Perhaps the hijackers in UAL Flight 93 planned to meet Air Force One in
the air as it flew back to Washington. IMHO, in a world where Tom
Clancy is suddenly prescient, it's time to buckle down a little. (BTW,
this is all consistent with the shoot down theory of UAL Flight 93, of
which I'm still very skeptical.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/opinion/13SAFI.html

Maybe President Bush is taking the threat on his life personally. He
was holding back tears while he said we would achieve "Victory,
victory," today. ABC is now covering a White House press conference.
They are expanding the White House perimeter to keep the journalists
farther away.

The defense complex is leaking like a sieve. Trial balloons are being
floated like a hot air convention. One proposal is to call up 40,000
National Guard troops (reservists). Furthermore, "Americans know now
that we are at war." Senator John McCain.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/national/13MILI.html

Journalism has declared war on terrorism, as columnists turned laptop
bombardiers call for the US to bomb someone, anyone, for revenge.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20908-2001Sep12.html

Tom Tomorrow has no satire this time, only sadness.

http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2001/09/12/tomo/index.html

Bush was warned months ago that a terrorist attack would take place on
US soil within the next quarter century. The report came from the
Hart-Rudmann Commission and was put together largely during the Clinton
Administration after visiting 25 countries and spending millions. The
Bush Administration ignored the report and decided to implement their
own assessment of terrorism. That effort has not been completed.

http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/09/12/bush/index.html

Andrew Hagen
xah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx