Required Reading

Tom Friedman:

I fear that we may now be entering the most dangerous period since 9/11. Why? Because I’ve always believed that one of the most important reasons there has been no new terrorist attack in America has to do with the U.S. invasions of both Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not only that the Bush administration has taken the fight to the enemy, but that the enemy has welcomed that fight.

Of course, that’s something VP readers have know for quite some time. On to the meat:

The reason things may be getting more dangerous now is that the formation of a freely elected government in Iraq may signal that the Baathist-Jihadist insurgency is being gradually defeated. The U.S. may even be able to withdraw some troops. And there is nothing worse for the Baathists and Jihadists than to be defeated in the heart of their world – and, even more so, to be defeated in the heart of their world by other Arabs and Muslims who are repudiating the Jihadists’ vision and tactics.

I fear that when and if the Jihadists conclude that they have been defeated in the heart of their world, they will be sorely tempted to throw a Hail Mary pass. That is, they may want to launch a spectacular, headline-grabbing act of terrorism in America that tries to mask, and compensate for, just how defeated they have become at home.

Sleep tight. But not before you read the whole thing.