This Week – “Interesting Times?”
Posted By John Moore on September 7, 2003
People often cite the ancient Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times” (the curse is neither ancient nor Chinese!).
In any case, next week has higher potential than normal for some unpleasant and “interesting” events:
- September 9 is the anniversary of North Korea’s “founding.” Given their current failure at extortion, expect them to increase the stakes by a dramatic gesture such as a nuclear test or the launching of an ICBM (as they did on this occasion in 1998).
- Yesterday, the relatively moderate Palestinian Prime Minister resigned, after being prevented by Yasser Arafat from dismantling the Hamas terrorist organization. On the same day:
- Israel attempted to kill the founder of Hamas and almost the entire Hamas leadership. Their use of a small bomb, to minimize harm to bystanders, allowed him and his henchment to escape with minor injuries.
- Hamas vowed to assassinate Sharon.
- The second anniversary of the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center is this week. Al Quaeda has just released a tape warning that attacks on America would be “so devastating that Washington would forget the horror of the September 11 suicide hijackings.” Al Quaeda often makes good on their threats.
High anxiety
With the second anniversary of the World Trade Center attack looming, there seems to be a slight rise in public anxiety. On the CNN website, a highly unreliable survey suggests that people feel more anxious after hearing George Bush’s speech….