"The path to our safety and to Iraq's future as a democratic nation lies in the resolute defense of freedom. If we stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq, they would be free to plot and plan attacks elsewhere, in America and other free nations. To retreat now would betray our mission, our word, and our friends."

That's President Bush from his appearance today with Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq.

Sentence one is certainly an arguable proposition and not without some merit, though it's bundled with so much rhetoricical mush as to have little concrete meaning. I think you can say the same thing for sentence three.

But surely sentence number two is pure foolishness. "If we stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq, they would be free to plot and plan attacks elsewhere, in America and other free nations."

Does anyone even possibly believe this is true? They're trapped in Iraq? We've got them pinned down so they can't hatch plots against US or European targets? 'The terrorists' are so busy with the insurgency in Iraq that they can't spare a few Mohammad Attas to blow stuff up over here?

Think about ...