Diversionary Tactics

Frank Rich explains what all the hoopla over the "surge" is all about.

The White House doesn’t want to hear it now, either. That’s why terrorism
experts are trying to get its attention by goingpublic, and not just through The
Times. Michael Scheuer, the former head of the C.I.A. bin Laden unit, told
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann last week that the Taliban and Al Qaeda, having
regrouped in Afghanistan and Pakistan, “are going to detonate a nuclear device
inside the United States” (the real United States, that is, not the fictional
stand-in where this same scenario can be found on “24”). Al Qaeda is “on the
march” rather than on the run, the Georgetown University and West Point
terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman told Congress. Tony Blair is pulling troops out
of Iraq not because Basra is calm enough to be entrusted to Iraqi forces — it’s
“not ready for transition,” according to the Pentagon’s last report — but to
shift some British resources to the losing battle against the resurgent Taliban
in Afghanistan. (ht Aravosis)