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Simon B wrote: > 2. The death toll from these incidents will, while small in terms of those > generated by recent natural disasters and wars in developing countries (a > point well worth stressing), irevocably change the world geopolitical order The big question is how. Liberal political commentators tend to think it is really terrible when the USA seems to be disengaging more from the rest of the world. Unfortunately the kind of engagement we are now likely to see will dwarf Reagan's attack on Libya or Clinton's cruise missile assaults. I was just thinking - Afghanistan hasn't been invaded / attacked for a while - it's just about on its knees as an economy, and some of its population might be very grateful for the fall of the Taliban... surely not...? > 3. This will be exacerbated if the US response is disproportionate, tit-for-tat, > and poorly executed (in which case, we are all in serious trouble) I think this is depressingly likely - though how nay tit-for-tat repsonse to this situation could be well-executed I am not sure. The sensible thing to do would be for the USA to take a long hard look at its own standing and behaviour in the world and ask why di this happen rather than simply falling back on Biblical and apocaplyptic discourse like 'an assault on civilisation' or 'pure evil' (not that I am saying that the people who did this are in any way good). > 4. The terrorist strategy was supremely obvious - David slays Goliath? Allusions > to Pearl Harbour aside, has this ever been tried before? There was a foiled plot along similar lines a few years back involving a lot more aircraft than this (12, I think). Personally I am very surprised it hasn't suceeded before. > 6. The 'national security' lobby here will be almost impossible to hold > back. Although the Star Wars program will begin to look like a White Elephant > pretty soon, faced with these sorts of attacks. I think you'll find this will just make Congress minded to massively increase the defense budget in all directions whether they have direct relevence to this kind of attack or not. > My sympathies to anybody caught up in this personally. And mine too. I have to say though I had mixed feeling watching this happen. I felt sorrow for the inddividuals caught up in this - and let me stress that whatever I say now is in not intended to diminish the personal tragedy that has hit them and their families and friends - yet I also felt a certain strange elation at the fact that someone had had the daring to hit the most symbolic military and economic aspects of America (and of world capitalism). I could also understand why people were dancing on the streets on Palestine. I have never felt as Blair seems to want us to feel, any sense of solidarity with the USA as a state, and I think it is immensely irresponsible and dangerous of Blair to try to align the British with the Americans at this time (or indeed any time). Maybe such honesty will get me into trouble - but that's how I felt, and I can't change that. David. Dr David Wood Research Associate "Policy Learning in the Common Fisheries Policy" Politics Department University Of Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU UK Tel: +44 (0)191 222 7465 e-mail: [log in to unmask] NB: my current job finishes at the beginning of September. From October 1st my job and address will change: Earl Grey (!*) Postdoctoral Research Fellow (*yes, as in the tea...) "The Evolution of Algorithmic Surveillance and the Potential for Social Exclusion" Centre for Urban Technology (CUT) School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Newcastle upon Tyne etc. Tel: tbc; e-mail stays the same.