Friday, February 11, 2005
TERROR'S HANDMAIDEN
There was some interesting commentary at the end of this editorial:
A footnote: It is true that yesterday's conviction demonstrates that the criminal-justice system can indeed work in some terror cases.
But it by no means follows that the War on Terror can be fought primarily as a law-enforcement exercise. The Clinton administration tried that after the first World Trade Center attack — and America got 9/11 as a consequence.
There's a place for vigorous criminal prosecutions in the War on Terror — as long as no one loses sight of the fact that there's also a critical role for the 101st Airborne Division.
A footnote: It is true that yesterday's conviction demonstrates that the criminal-justice system can indeed work in some terror cases.
But it by no means follows that the War on Terror can be fought primarily as a law-enforcement exercise. The Clinton administration tried that after the first World Trade Center attack — and America got 9/11 as a consequence.
There's a place for vigorous criminal prosecutions in the War on Terror — as long as no one loses sight of the fact that there's also a critical role for the 101st Airborne Division.
