In thinking about terrorism...

Last week, when Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to visit Pres. Georgie-pordgy Bushie, he sparked some commentary because he reffered to terrorism as criminal.

"It is our shared task to expose terrorism for what it is -- not a cause but a crime. A crime against humanity," Brown wrote in The Post.(source CNN)

Mr. Brown is trying desperately to show the President in the States the error of his ways.

In today's New York Times on-line, WESLEY K. CLARK (former supreme commander of NATO) and KAL RAUSTIALA (Law Professor and head of the Burkle Center) wrote a very well thought-out piece explaining WHY making a "terrorist" a 'soldier' instead of a criminal is the WRONG thing to do: Why Terrorists Aren't Soldiers.

The idea that we're fighting some overwhelming force, is not only frightening, but wrong-headed. We're fighting criminals. Granted, well funded and well organised, but still just criminals. And frankly, NOT as organised as our own Organised Crime figures, the Mafia.

We can not continue to let the Bush Administration blur the lines between lawful "Soldiers" or even UN-lawful combatants. They are criminals. They do not deserve the right to call themselves soldiers. They are worse than scum. Giving them the rights and kudos of actually 'fighting as soldiers of Allah' is giving them WAY too much credit.

As Mr. Brown said... We're in a generational fight against criminals. As we have been since the Western Culture began. We need to focus our strength and energy towards combating these criminals in more ways than militarily. We must fight them financially, mindfully, and intelligently.

Thank you Mr. Clark. Thank you Mr. Brown. Perhaps with leaders such as yourselves coming forward in this struggle... The continued bumbling of the Bush Administration will not lead the West into the dusty pages of history just yet.

-- Tuckmac