For Kerry to compete with Bush on terror and defense, he needs to assure Americans of his commitement to the fight on terror, as well as pointing out where Bush has failed. As I sometimes do, I thought about an issue, and came up with something that I'd like to see Kerry (or, perhaps, a surrogate) say:
"George Bush would have you believe that military intervention in Iraq is inseperable from a larger war on terror, that by failing to remove Saddam Hussein we were forfeiting progress against Al Quaida.
"This is a false choice, pressed by senior officials in the White House and the Pentagon who had decided that military action against Iraq was a necessary component of American foreign policy even before the World Trade Center fell.
"In a world where the threat of terror is no longer a funtion of renegade states, but of renegades, the President would have us believe that action against states will lessen the danger. This is simply not the case.
"Terrorsts thrive in chaos, and a chaotic nation such as Afghanistan, which had proven to be a haven for Al Quaida, is a legitimate area for military operations. Such actions, however, must be seen to their conclusion, not interrupted to pursue seperate and unrelated goals that distract from the necessary task at hand.
"Al Quaida's back must be broken. In order to do so, America must focus, not on military intervention in foreign nations, but on building and working with a permanent, international intelligence and law enforcement organization devoted solely to combatting terror the world over. With the help of our allies, we can deny travel, sanctuary, and funding to stop Al Quaida's future horrors.
"Make no mistake, such a path will take time. But it is a sound answer to this most deadly of problems the world faces."
