The day after the U.S.S. Cole was bombed in Yemen, a terrorism expert at the Defense Intelligence Agency resigned in protest, claiming that his warning of possible terrorist attacks on U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf was ignored, United Press International recently reported. A senior Clinton appointee at the Pentagon said that the analyst's warning was too general to act upon and could not have prevented the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. However, according to Paul Craig Roberts, research fellow at The Independent Institute, even without special warning, the Cole would have prevented the attack had the Clinton administration not strongly discouraged the U.S. military from defending itself. But, says Roberts, the Clinton administration has created a military culture that places greater importance on appeasing other countries' delicate sensibilities than on protecting the lives of U.S. military personnel. A commander who uses caution to protect his ship is likely to be denounced as 'macho-aggressive,' whereas one who uses caution to guard against a politically incorrect act can lose his ship but save his career.
Gun control remains one of the hottest topics on America's social agenda.
Not surprisingly, public debate on this emotion-charged and complex issue is rife with misconceptions and distortions. Advocates of restricting guns contend that foreign-style gun controls would make America safer and more civilized. Click here for a map and directions . This book is essential reading. American Civil Liberties Union Click here for more information about this event .