Another priceless moment in the GOP Iowa debate was the exchange about Sen. Obama’s pledge to take military action within Pakistan if necessary to kill Osama bin Laden and other high-value al Qaeda leaders. As in other cases I noted below, it was another case of the candidates forced to tie themselves in pretzels because they’re saddled with President Bush’s legacy of a mix of rhetorical belligerence, strategic misadventure and unwillingness to actually strike at al Qaeda when given a chance.
Rudy Giuliani felt compelled to recant an earlier statement supporting Obama’s point. And the consensus from him and the rest of the candidates appeared to be that of course the US would take such an opportunity to strike (even though President Bush hadn’t) but that it was the height of naiveté to announce that we would do so. And that in any case, you shouldn’t say such a thing because of the importance of maintaining ties with our friends and allies — even ones who have our prime terrorist foes operating from on their soil.
Here you have again the perfect image of the inverted world of Bush loyalism. Any price to fight non-al Qaeda in Iraq. But don’t go overboard against real al Qaeda in Pakistan. And especially don’t get them upset by talking about it in public.
