Once more into the breach... or something like that

"The consequences of failure are clear," said the current president in his speech the other night.

Our enemies would have a safe haven from which to plan and launch attacks on the American people.

On 11 September 2001, we saw what a refuge for extremists on the other side of the world could bring to the streets of our own cities.

So what have we done about it? Half-heartedly attacked that refuge and then - like a patient who "feels better" and so stops taking his antibiotics - we went somewhere else, leaving behind a weakened enemy that is rapidly regaining its strength.

And then we set about creating a new refuge as if that were our goal - one stupid, shortsighted, willfully ignorant move after another.

Forgive me if I'm not brimming with confidence at anything this administration thinks it's doing. They may think doing the same thing will bring different results this time, surely - but I don't.