6 July 2002

Dateline Madrid --

The Bush Administration continued to push its novel policy of "Aggressive Defense" this week, on both international and domestic fronts. The new strategy, which emphasizes "Hitting First", has received mixed reviews abroad and reluctant approval at home. Top officials are confident, however, that any nay sayers can be "Persuaded" to support the new initiative.

First up was George W. Bush, who directed his top national security aides to formulate a doctrine of pre-emptive action against hostile states and terrorist groups. Iraq is clearly first on the target list for such action, and already the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Department have stepped up efforts to unseat Saddam Hussein in a last effort to avoid the necessity of a full-scale invasion.

Twice since Sept. 11, Mr. Bush has signed findings authorizing more spending for Iraqi opposition groups, with a focus on intelligence-gathering and on the infiltration by American Special Operations forces and C.I.A. operatives.

The latest order authorizes those forces to kill Mr. Hussein only in self defense. But a senior administration official said today that the order made no reference to "targeting Saddam," and it would not waive the prohibition on assassinating a foreign leader, "Unless, you know, we get a really clear shot at him."

Mr. Bush emphasized pre-emption when he addressed the German Parliament last month. Mr. Bush stood in the Reichstag, whose burning in 1933 marked the beginning of Hitler's rise, and warned his European allies that "wishful thinking" would not eliminate "the new totalitarian threat."

He expanded on the theme at West Point two weeks ago, saying, "If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long."

The administration, not surprisingly, is arguing for the widest possible latitude, making the case that only it can define what poses a major and imminent threat to national security.

Meanwhile, in the United States, President Bush's Homeland Security Chief, Tom Ridge, urged Congress on Thursday to move quickly on creating a new Cabinet-level agency he said was crucial to safeguarding Americans against a continuing terrorist threat. The proposed agency would receive regular reports from the F.B.I., C.I.A., and other intelligence-gathering entities such as the Drudge Report and Newspoetry.com.

"I am here to ask that we move quickly. The need is urgent," Ridge said before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Staring unblinkingly at the Committee Chairman, Ridge repeated the word "urgent" several times in a low, hypnotic monotone. Committee members were seen to nod slightly and repeat the word "urgent" in unison.

Ridge explained that the administration has already begun the huge transition that Bush wants to put in place beginning Jan. 1, 2003. Up to now, Ridge has confined his briefings to groups of House and Senate members behind closed doors. The White House had rejected repeated Senate entreaties that Ridge testify, arguing that as a confidential counselor to President Bush he was not required to. Finally, in response to continued demands from the Senate, the President relented, saying, "What the hell, send Tommy over there. It's in the bag anyway."

Following Ridge's testimony, a Senator who declined to be identified said, "God, I kinda wish we hadn't made him come down here. Frankly, he just creeps me out."

Peace and Civil Liberties groups, who might be expected to have some objections to the Administration's new initiatives, have been strangely silent this week. In fact, there's about ten days worth of newspapers on their doorsteps.

Friends of theirs admit to being "a little worried, but we're sure they're just on vacation or something."