When defense contractors get contracts to perform highly classified work for the US Government, they have a natural inclination to want to announce something for their shareholders. Because the work is classified, they cannot make any specifics. They can, however, announce that they have a contract for x ballpark number of dollars do support America in the "War on Terror."

I don't know that there's much more to the "war" than an incoherent effort to increase intelligence gathering and military force capabilities.

Where's the victory parade?

You make legitimate points on the struggle against terrorism, especially the bid to capture bin Laden. Instead an immediate full court press on changing the hearts and minds of the people in that region must, and can, be done. Nicholas Kristof suggests in his latest op-ed that serious aid for schools should be undertaken. Great long term strategy but the current crop of radicals needs to be quelled.

I see a simple way to start this reversal which, even if marginally effectual, certainly can't hurt. And we need to explore every avenue. I suggest television documentaries for broadcast in Pakistan to show them how Americans live, work, and strive to protect themselves, and present us as human beings not unlike any other.

There have already been signs of a more congenial attitude towards the U.S. in that country since the elections. Any change of heart is desirable, and capturing bin Laden, if even essential, should only come as a result of this and from within their ranks to avoid wholescale retaliation and renewed vengeance and bloodshed from a then very wounded and dangerous group. If I had the wherewithal I would embark on this task immediately. Our government certainly should.

Right from the start Bush's announcement of a "War on Terror" for the rest of his presidency seemed to induce an Emperor's New Clothes scenario in which no one dared to tell him that Terror was not the enemy and never could be defeated.

Personally I don't think the excuses for Hillary Clinton really hold. Had she led the charge in pointing out the total futility of the approach and opposed the invasion of Iraq, then she would surely be selecting her cabinet now.

The reason Obama came to prominence was that he was like the little boy who cried "the emperor has no clothes" when he said [in 2002]:

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

Now the question is whether Obama can live up to the promise.

The appointment of Clinton to be Secretary of State is not a good start, but maybe there was a behind-the-scenes deal back before the convention.

The first time I heard Obama giving a speech on TV, he used the word 'terrorist' for about the twentieth time, and I changed the channel. I knew then that he was a fraud.

He has unequivocally stated his support for a larger military, for more troops in Afghanistan, for pursuing the ghost of Osama into Pakistan, for keeping 'all options on the table' with regard to Iran.

To maintain a hope that he will pursue a more rational and comprehensible foreign policy from my perspective, in light of the above, seems foolish at best.

And now he has appointed a succession of neo-cons to foreign policy and economic policy positions.

Now is the time to begin organizing demonstrations against Obama, it is not the time for more wishful thinking as per Kamiya's article.

It's so absurd. I'm losing a voice.

Jan. 20th will be just more pomp?

The circumstances will be bravado?

And many may say:` O how touching?

More bloodshed, angelic face B. Obama.

Singing a chorus of love and diplomacy?

Citizens transfixed watching more death?

Father and Mother weeping at grave sites?

Sighs, crying, flags covering thee mutilated?

What pride! So sad, heart-aches, a taps bugles.

Evils. Another era of pride and O, await collapse.

Trivial quibbles, killers, and war profiteers are vain.

Watch killers be promoted with cabinets. Celebrated.

The photo made me think of the six tooth fake smiler.

Maybe I'll just tune out? Citizens await a DVD release?

The thriller. killer. bloodbath. horror. weeping. sadness.

I've recoiled at many words Barack Obama has expressed.

O, `We will chase them down. We'll kill them. Well, O hope?

Sad children will watch videos as an escape. Parents darting.

The world goes extremely mad if the "war on terror" continues.

Children enter a world full of innocence. Look what greets. War!

How often will you be deleted?

You know how serious this is?

Glenn will wipe a smile smirk.

Now don't lure me into dread.

You want Gary to be annoyed?

I recently saw a Frontline documentary on the tribal areas of Pakistan (Frontline seems to make exceptional documentaries about important current events, why can't anyone else do this... is it too hard? duno).

I've seen the terrain of Afghanistan from news reports and never has any of that footage ever brought close to home just how futile trying to fight conventional battles or even to "go into" the tribal areas of Pakistan would be.

Over 40 million people live there, all hate outsiders. The terrain is all half-barren rocky scrub mountains strewn with boulders, crevasses and caves. Its not like just over that hill it flattens out into forests or hills or planes... its all like that.

I'm not a military expert of course, but it seems crystal clear after seeing what that area is like, geographically, politically and socially that it would be pure folly to send US troops into that area.

And the real kicker is that every time we blow something up there it has the effect of strengthening Al queda's grip on Pakistan and weakens the legitimate government.