Chertoff's "gut"

So maybe there was something more than just Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's "gut" to his "feeling" that some kind of attack might be coming. A new National Intelligence Estimate assessing that al-Qaida is as strong as before 9/11 suggests it wasn't just a flippant comment, though it may have been an ill-considered one.

What's significant here is that after six years of supposedly decimating al-Qaida and fighting a pointless war in Iraq, al-Qaida seems as strong or stronger than ever. This should confirm to almost anybody -- especially since the Estimate supposedly says the Iraq war has bolstered al-Qaida recruiting and offered members invaluable experience -- that the Iraq war was a diversion from the real problem.

For lengthy insights along these lines, I strongly recommend Charles Pena's recent book, "Winning the Un-War."