Copacabana

Missed opportunities

Chris Hitchens wrote a fantastic piece called "Solidarity" for yesterday's Wall Street Journal Opinion page. It's about how we might ought to be viewing this current war from a worldwide perspective. While I think that most of us do -- but then I only know my immediate peer group -- it's a great read. I think Hitchens is becoming a great American. Just like those British forefathers who preceded him.
He mentions Amad Shah Massoud, leader of Afghnistan's Northern Alliance, who wanted very badly for us to oust ol' Bin Laden back in the day. I had one of those Jungian synchronous moments where I remembered the most compelling line from Sunday night's ABC docudrama "The Path to 9/11" -- after yet another last minute decision to halt the operation to capture Bin Laden, Massoud asks one of the lead agents, "Are there any men left in Washington?"

I bet that really happened. It cut to commercial before the guy answered.

Oh, and let me be clear on this one -- this little vignette happened during the Clinton administration lest anyone start thinking that this bullshit could have been managed during the current administration. The dye was cast long before 2000.

posted by Lola @ 8:34 AM