Yesterday we noted the New York Times column by our friend Major Eric Egland. In his column Eric commented on Obama’s sermon to the Germans calling for an American-European partnership to defeat terrorism. Citing examples from his personal experience in military intelligence, Major E. points out that we already have a highly successful counterterrorism partnership with the European Union. It’s the partnership cultivated by the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11. Either Obama is unaware of it or he is taking advantage of the ignorance of his audiences.
I asked Eric if the Times had cut anything from his column that might be of interest to our readers. Indeed it had. Eric has sent us the parts of his column that the Times left on the cutting room floor, not fit to print.
First, perhaps not wanting to shock its readers unduly, the Times cut this unadmiring concession from Eric’s column:
To his credit, Senator Obama focused some attention on the terrorism that continues to threaten families and cities in the US, Europe and around the world. Despite canceling a planned visit to the troops who have given blood fighting terrorists, and spending more time discussing the threat of climate change, Senator Obama at least seems to recognize the importance of confronting terrorism.
The Times has previously addressed Obama’s cancelled visit to Landstuhl in an article by Jeff Zeleny, finding that the “assert[ion] that Mr. Obama chose to go to the gymnasium over visiting troops, is not entirely accurate.” How so? “Instead of going to Landstuhl on Friday morning, Mr. Obama also conducted an interview with CNN in his hotel in Berlin.” So there.
The Times also cut the last three paragraphs of the column as submitted. Here they are:
In 2004, the top State Department counter-terrorism official testified about such success before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on European Affairs. Interestingly, Senator Obama now chairs the same committee yet has not held a single hearing to become informed about the US-EU counter-terrorism partnership.
He explains that he has been too busy campaigning while maintaining that he possesses sound judgment. Yet, in matters of international cooperation against terrorism, the best judgment is informed judgment. As a potential commander-in-chief, Senator Obama would do well to study the successful US-EU counter-terrorism partnership and support its continued success.
One way to do that when overseas is not to focus on dazzling a public that envisions the next Kennedy gracing Berlin’s streets. Instead, he can learn from the intelligence and law enforcement professionals in Europe who protect the public. Otherwise, they may revise the famous quote in honor of Senator Obama: “Ich bin ein Beginner.”
Eric’s conclusion explicitly makes the point regarding Obama’s apparent ignorance of highly important facts that is otherwise implicit in Eric’s column, and it does so with an irreverent attitude. In cutting these paragraphs the Times is working carefully to maintain the relevant taboos regarding The One.
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