Going Wobbly in the Terror War…Putin Makes the Point

By Glenn R. Jackson

It is déjà vu all over again as the U.S. moves military assets to the Gulf, and President Bush threatens war with Iraq. How did we get here? The “war” we were fighting was against a militant Islamic branch that attacked and killed our countrymen. The “war” we were fighting was against Afghanistan and a Saudi named Osama bin Laden, who surprisingly seems to be very much alive, well, in command, and living in …Pakistan.

Margaret Thatcher’s famous words to former President George Bush have been used and overused to urge the current President George Bush to forge ahead with his war plans against Iraq. She said then "Look George, this is no time to go wobbly. We can't fall at the first fence." Unfortunately for the U.S. the “first fence” this time around is living and breathing in a nuclear-armed Pakistan and U.S. policy has clearly gone wobbly. While we go tilting at windmills in the Iraqi desert, Osama is at our back free to plan and organize.

Last week after launching his “Islam is a peaceful faith” offensive against his Conservative Christian supporters, President Bush flew to a meeting of NATO nations and of new NATO inductees. At the same time “Miss World” beauty contestants fled for their lives from the “peaceful” demonstration of Muslims in Nigeria that had already killed several hundred.

While traveling to meet with the new member nations of NATO, President Bush undoubtedly received word that the FBI is investigating, FINALLY, beyond the tip of the iceberg, as the Saudi royal family is implicated in funding of several of the 15 Saudi citizen/terrorist of September 11^th. And while the President’s “friends”, the Saudis, financial paper trail begins to unravel, the other anti-terror team player, Pakistan, seems to have bin Laden living in their back pocket.

Fortunately, but surprisingly for many, the President had the opportunity to meet with the one world leader with enough foresight to see the world’s problem for what it is. Vladimir Putin’s face-to-face meeting with President Bush meant he was able to put the exclamation point to the issue of a Terror War gone awry. In an AP story Putin offered his doubts about those who the U.S. treats as allies. He draws particular attention to the oil money of the Saudi’s and the nukes of the Pakistanis. Putin pointedly asked in a joint news conference with Bush, “Where has Osama bin Laden taken refuge?”

Perhaps it is Putin’s proximity to the “peaceful” Muslim regimes on his nation's southern border that puts the edge to his comments about the Terror War. Or perhaps it is Putin’s proximity to the “wobbly” state of President Bush’s pursuit of the Terror War that brought out the “wake-up” tone in his remarks.

President Bush has, more then any modern era President, allowed personal relationships and judgments to dictate his leading and his administration’s setting of America’s interest. One such is the long-standing relationship between President Bush and President Vicente Fox of Mexico. It is that relationship that drives the Bush administrations most persistent policy initiative, amnesty for illegal aliens. In the face of 70% of the American people urging tighter immigration control, the President rewards his friendship with President Fox with continued efforts to grant amnesty to lawbreakers.

It is the President’s Texas/Saudi relationship that continues to blind him to the complicity of the Saudi’s in the terror that spreads across the globe. On Monday the White House, in the face of a widening FBI investigation into Saudi financing of terror, maintained the stance that the U.S. enjoys a strong relationship with the Saudi’s.

Even the President’s relationship with Vladimir Putin carries the same personal tone. President Bush recalled for the American people looking into Putin’s eyes and seeing the soul of a friend. This explanation Bush offered as he dramatically reduced U.S. nuclear weapons in an accord with the Russian. Yet perhaps some good will eventually come of the Putin/Bush relationship.

For while President Bush continues to talk Texas tough on Iraq, continues to value his “friendship” with the Saudi’s, and leaves the back door unlocked for his friend Vicente Fox (and who knows who else).

It is the steel in the Russian’s words that President Bush needs to hear, to not go “wobbly” at the “first fence” in the Terror War.

Glenn Jackson is Chairman of the American Reformation Project and a columnist for USA Daily. Glenn is also a former State Chairman for Buchanan Reform and former state Chairman of the Georgia Freedom Party. Glenn also served on the Executive Committee of the Reform Party USA. Glenn holds an MA in Philosophy from Georgia State University in Atlanta.