Easy Come, Easy Go in the Terror Wars

Well, it was great while it lasted. "London Police Nab Two in Anti-Terror Raid". "London Cops Shoot Terror Suspect". "Terror Suspects Seized in Bomb Factory ". "Terror Cell Was ' Planning Nerve Gas Attack on Capital'".

Man, this yarn had everything. "Hard intelligence", after "weeks of surveillance", so you know that 250 cops weren't wasting their time. References to the terrifying sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subways immediately following a reference to al Queda and completely ommitting the fact that the Tokyo attacks were the product of a domestic Japanese whack-job with no connection to Islam, to say nothing of al Queda.

A splendid victory for our side in the war on terror. For almost a whole day. Then, not so much.

Security personnel, and specialists at that for we are searching a suspected chemical "munitions factory, search and search and come up with zilch. It is Iraqi WMD all over again. A huge build up, a mighty blow and nothing. Sorry, excuse us, pardon the mess. Terribly sorry about the fellow we shot. For nothing.

Having come up empty on their massive effort, the authorities will, of course, "continue to exhaust all lines of inquiry", just as we are still looking for WMD in Iraq. Or Syria. Or someplace.

Oh, the graphic ? Something carefully planned going completely haywire. How else do you illustrate "gigantic police screwup" ?

Security forces are at work so rest assured and

Saty Neakd
jd