Now They Tell Us

Here is the no-shit headline of the week: "Blair: Force alone can't beat terrorism"

And it took them 5 years to realize what many people knew on day one.

From the article-

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said military force alone cannot defeat terrorism, acknowledging Sunday that solving the Mideast crisis was key to curbing violent extremism...

...Sunday's meeting between the two leaders, crucial players in the U.S.-led war on terror, led to the signing of security, aid and education packages aimed at promoting a moderate brand of Islam and preventing Pakistan becoming a haven for extremists bent on attacking Western interests...

...Britain and its allies are supplementing the U.S.-led military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq with increased help for reconstruction projects, and a new impetus to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Blair said...

"This global extremism is an ideology that exploits grievances. So what we have to do is at the same time as we are taking on the ideology, we have to take away those elements of grievance," he said at the Punjab Governor's Residence in Lahore...

Tony Blair (finally) gets it. Will our leaders get it? Maybe. But it will take them longer.

Finally, here are more thoughts from a favorite Senator of mine, whose thoughts on these issues are usually dismissed. An in-depth talk about the state of terrorism. It's worth a read if you have the time.