Airstrip One

Worth the Risk?

Terrorism is something that intrudes on us all, is the reaction from the surprisingly unformed plan to put cyanide in London Underground.

Apart from the disapointment that Al Qaeda did not stay in Strasbourg we have to ask why are they going for London?

Now is it jealousy with regard to our superior standard of civilisation? Rage at our participation in the crusades?

Of course it was neither. Simply put Al Qaeda want to take out the Saudi monarchy. Any obstacle to that (primarily the American presence in the Gulf) is resisted. And who are the Americans biggest allies?

Well us.

So let's look at the Pros and Cons.

Pro. Tony Blair gets to sit at an International top table.

Con. The British public are exposed to a far higher risk of terrorist attrocity.

Now terrorist attrocity is a worthwhile risk when the goals are important enough. Northern Ireland is a case in point. However the American presence in the Gulf, how does that affect our national interest?

However on the bright side no member of the Cabinet regularly uses the Underground system, and so they are not at risk - it is merely those of us who pay to keep them that way.