Facts:

• The tangible support of the U.S. and tacit support of the U.K. for Israel’s thrust into Lebanon has caused a political backlash for Bush and Blair.
• In Afghanistan a woefully under-equipped and politically mis-directed British military intervention is in tatters, the death toll is rising and British forces have been forced to reduce their risk in the face of rising casualties. Tory critics are angry.
• In Iraq senior U.S. military figures are openly describing the situation as one of increasing insurgency on the path to full-scale civil war.
• Political unease and outright opposition to the “war on terror” is rising, even from people like Guido, who supported the liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Blair might be on the beach in the Carribbean, but he is in a danger zone politically. The coming Labour party conference is the focus of malcontents and a source of instability. Thatcher and Gorbachev had coup attempts launched against them when they were out of the country. His internal opponents are now drowned out by the scare.
• Bush needed a security scare. Rove spins “the Democrats are soft on terror.”

Time for a terror boost…

The cast : an ongoing long-term investigation into terror suspects. Extras : thousands of held up holidaymakers.
Gimmicks : this time it is liquid bombs, following on from the previous Ricin, Red Mercury and Anthrax Powder scares.
Show date : silly season when the media is desperate, prior to party conference and the symbolic 9/11 anniversary.
Playing : all news channels, front pages

Ask yourself, why now? Do you really believe that a huge terrorist conspiracy was under way?