In message , BUFDRVR
writes
Paul J. Adam wrote:
Harboured a few, but then so does the US according to us.

Which member of the IRA was harbored by the U.S. ever, but particularly after
9/11?

Kevin Artt, Pol Brennan, Terence Kirby and Jimmy Smyth. Convicted (not
accused, convicted) terrorists, who after breaking out of prison
(killing a guard in the process), fled to the US. Couldn't be extradited
because they were victims of "political persecution".

Life isn't simple or obvious.

I guess because it happened here and not in Europe September 11th has left
(after nearly 3 years) two starkly different impressions on Europe and the U.S.
As far as terrorism is concerned, life is simple and very obvious.

What's "obvious" about it?

Currently, the government of Sudan is dealing with a terrorist
insurgency in Darfur. What's the "obvious" simplicity about that
situation?

But much worse has been tolerated in the past

"The past" being the key term. 9/11 changed everything.

For some people in the US. Not actually that many. (There's still the
fundamental problem of the 'Yes, Minister' irregular verb: "I am a brave
and noble freedom fighter. You are a guerilla. He is a murdering
terrorist."

To pick two controversial countries, Israel and South Africa are
literally run by terrorists: Israel less recently, but at what point did
the ANC go from being 'terrorists' to 'lawful government'?

and it remains a question worth asking: given the
cost in troops tied up, what made Iraq such a pressing threat?

The potential of Hussain.

To do what? He was bottled up and contained.

--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk