The Other Man-made Disaster

While we are fighting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan so that we can’t build levees here, Osama bin Laden has released another tape. On this one he offers a truce.

Of course, truces don’t involve blowing things up, so the Vice President’s reaction was predictable:

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," Vice President Dick Cheney said in a television interview. "I think you have to destroy them."

But not right away:

"I think we have to assume that the threat is going to continue for a considerable period of time." the vice president [sic] said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "Even if bin Laden were no longer to be a factor, I still think we'd have problems with al-Qaida."

Get ready for the Eternal War on Terror.

Or maybe not, according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan:

“The terrorists started this war and the president made it clear that we will end it at a time and place of our choosing”

So let me get this straight. We don’t negotiate with terrorists. We destroy them. We can do it at a time and place of our choosing. However, we won’t do it for a considerable period of time.

Makes sense to me.