Some of the more delusional among us refuse to admit that the terrorists want the President to be removed from office. I know, how can I take anyone who harbors this delusion seriously — OK, I can’t. Here’s an old Krauthammer column on the subject:
The terrorists’ obvious objective is to drive from power those governments most deeply involved in the war against them — in Afghanistan, Iraq or anywhere else.
But Spain and Australia — Britain, with Tony Blair up for re-election next year, will surely be next — are merely supporting actors. The real prize is America. An electoral repudiation of President Bush would be seen by the world as a repudiation of Bush’s foreign policy, specifically his aggressive, pre-emptive and often unilateral prosecution of the war on terror, most especially Iraq. It would be a correct interpretation because John Kerry has made clear that he is fighting this election on precisely those grounds.
The terrorists have no particular interest in Kerry. What they care about is Bush. He could be running against a moose, and Osama and Zarqawi would be for the moose.
How to elect the moose? A second direct attack on the United States would backfire. As 9/11 showed, attacking the American homeland would cause a rallying around the president, whoever he is. America is not Spain. Such an attack would probably result in a Bush landslide.
It is still prudent to be on high alert at home, because it is not wise to bank on the political sophistication of the enemy. The enemy is nonetheless far more likely to understand that the way to bring down Bush is not by attack at home but by debilitating guerrilla war abroad, namely in Iraq. Hence the escalation of bloodshed by Zarqawi and Co. It is not just aimed at intimidating Iraqis and preventing the Iraqi election. It is aimed at demoralizing Americans and affecting the American election.
The Islamists and Baathists in Iraq are conducting their own Tet Offensive with the same objective as the one in 1968: to demoralize the American citizenry and convince it that the war cannot be won.
It is perfectly true, as Bush critics constantly point out, that many millions around the world — from Jacques Chirac to the Arab street — dislike Bush and want to see him defeated. It is ridiculous to pretend that Osama, Zarqawi and the other barbarians are not among them.
Why else would the violence be increasing on Iraq right now?