The big question that still resonates here in Washington is: after the Taliban is defeated, then what?
I’ll tell you what. September 11 reminded us of the importance, not only of a strong Pentagon, but a stronger CIA, FBI and other agencies that can stop these attacks before they happen.
Our enemies understand one thing: power. Don’t let the religious talk fool you. People are human before they are anything else. The prospect of older religious figures sitting in safety, drinking tea while young men go on suicide missions will become less attractive if we take them out before they attack us.
Our intelligence-gathering was weakened by democratic administrations and liberals in congress who thought we could get along. The United States is an example, not an enemy. Religious and political dictators don’t want their people to want freedom. They fear for their regimes. So they call us the great Satan to divert attention from the misery they have brought to their own people. We can stop them with good intelligence before they strike us again. And we’d better. I’m Cal Thomas in Washington.
