What, every nation...? Well...

Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

When I read this, I can't help but be reminded of the following:

Captain: And I'm never, never sick at sea!
Chorus: What, never?
Captain: No, never!
Chorus: What, never?
Captain: Well, hardly ever!

From HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan

When Captain Bush refers to "Every nation", he means "Every nation... except Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt and... well, maybe we'll get back to you on that". After all, we know that the 9/11 crew were from Saudi Arabia and Egypt and now, according to this WaPo article, it would appear that there is a definite Pakistani connection in this latest plot.

U.S. and European officials described Pakistan yesterday as the hub of a plot to down transatlantic flights, saying the young British men allegedly behind the planned attacks drew financial and logistical support from sponsors operating in Karachi and Lahore.

[...]

One U.S. law enforcement official said British authorities and the FBI were investigating whether some of the suspects attended training camps in Pakistan. "The Pakistan connection is the big focus now," said one intelligence source. "Everything is coming out of there."

[...]

U.S. intelligence analysts say they believe that the principal remaining leadership of al-Qaeda is hiding in Pakistan. Despite increased cooperation between the Islamabad government and Western powers since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, they say, the number of extremists inside the country may be on the rise and elements of Pakistan's intelligence services remain sympathetic to their cause.

[...]

Two intelligence sources suggested that Pakistan had replaced Afghanistan as a center for terrorist activities and expressed frustration with the attempts of Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to exert control over huge swaths of territory.

Digby wades in thusly:

So, last week we have what appears to be a rather elaborate but low tech terrorist plot unraveled that shows that terrorists are still operating out of Pakistan. Pakistan is also ramping up its nuclear operations with the knowledge of the administration, which kept that knowledge from the US congress until a couple of weeks ago.

Why is this not considered a problem by anyone in Washington? Do they honestly believe that this combination of al Qaeda, nuclear weapons and a tenuous military dictatorship whose intelligence services are sympathetic to bin Laden is not worth worrying about ---- while we obsess over Iraq and Iran?

Apparently. It's one of those issues that has confounded me from the beginning. Al Qaeda style Islamic fundamentalist terrorism is a real threat. Their methods are designed for maximum effect and are almost guaranteed, if successful, to create a disproportionate and inchoate response. And yet the country that is the hive of such terrorism (with a government police force that is reputed to be sympathetic to it) is considered to be an ally on the par of Great Britain --- which is a target just like the US. It makes no sense and it's one of the primary reasons that we can be sure that the neocons are no more serious about terrorism than they have ever been.

Repeat after me --- these people do not really care about terrorism. They never have. If you read their manifestos from before 9/11, terrorism is a footnote. They ignored Richard Clark and the CIA when they took office. Bush told his briefer on August 6th 2001 "ok, you've covered your ass" when he was told "bin Laden determined to strike in the US." They think that terrorism is only threatening as part of an official nation state apparatus. They are completely rigid in their thinking, refusing to consider new evidence, even decades after they've been proven wrong.

And not only do they not see terrorism as a real threat, their own obsessions with toppling middle eastern states virtually guarantees that terrorism will continue to rise.