Smile for the Predator, Sheikh

Smile for the Predator, Sheikh.

Included in the pile of messes that George W. Bush left to his successor in office were: a nation divided, not united, an economy about to plunge into a depression, two wars, a skyrocketing debt to nations eating our lunch in international trade and a GOP whose vocabulary had dwindled to the word no.

Despite all that, W inadvertently bequeathed to Barack Obama one great gift: the opportunity to become the president whose efforts capture or kill the chief SOB behind the 9/11 attacks.

As a stand-alone achievement, that would assure President Obama high standing on a list of commanders-in-chief. It would go a long way toward justifying his decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. It would give the Democrats a big boost when the Congressional elections of 2010 roll around.

But if Obama could also nail Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mullah Omar, and a baker’s dozen of the Al Qaeda and Taliban high commands at the same time, that would be plenty of justification for bringing all the troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Because the message would have been sent: if you attack the United States, no matter where you try to hide, or how long it takes, we will find you and we will kill you. That’s a deterrent with teeth, big, pointy teeth.

As a political achievement, it would neutralize any Republican charge that Democrats are soft on defense. It would thwart any future claim that the public should be afraid to elect a Democrat. And it would put a gilded frame around the incompetence of cowboy George and the Bush gang.

Of course, all of this assumes that getting Osama is a top priority for Obama. The president hasn’t come right out and issued any Wanted, Dead or Alive statements. That’s not his style. But he certainly has increased the number of Predator attacks on the Pakistani badlands.

Actually, the surge in Predator strikes began in August 2008, nearly seven years after the 9/11 attacks, and just three months before Barack Obama was elected president. So maybe W didn’t want to leave a gift behind after all. It would have been a grace note to Bush's failed presidency if he had succeeded in killing bin Laden, but W’s effort was too little, too late.

Article Author: Joseph Flynn

My latest novel is The President's Henchman from Variance Publishing. ForeWord Magazine calls it "Marvelously entertaining." The paperback edition will be published in 2010.

I've also had a novel published by Signet Books, The Concrete …

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