> A serious worry as Europe's response is likely to be driven by Britain. After the Omagha bombing, Tony Blair promised draconian and hard-hitting legislation against Irish terrorists, and insisted that there could be no peace made with terrorists.

Hmm....actually, when I said Europe, I was referring to continental Europe - Britain has been the chief US ally in the past, and I've always greatly admired them for that. Your comments now make me uncertain of this, but I'm still hopeful.

> Now, he is releasing unrepentant terrorists from jail as quickly as they can fit through the doors, removing Police and military presence from "contested" areas of Ulster (read: areas that would be entirely controlled by terrorists, except for the military presence), and allowing convicted terrorists to serve in the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
>
> All of this is part of a "peace process" that involved the various terrorist groups promising to give up violence, and to decommission their weapons. Since then, there have been a dozen bombs in London, and 50 in Northern Ireland, and the tally of decomissioned weapons stands at 1 (one) pistol, so rusty that it would be more likely to harm the firer than the target.
>
> And yet he continues to keep his half of the bargain.
>
> winter"He used many of the same words when he announced support for the US"mute

Not a good past record...perhaps he will take a tougher stance on terrorism now. Let's hope so anyways. As for the rest of Europe, I still hold out some hope for Germany, but the others - I'm going to single out France and Belgium here as the leaders of this group - will be sure to back out as soon as it is safe to bash America again.

--jon