Edwards on Terror

For some reason, John Edwards delivered this brilliant speech on fighting terrorism on a Friday afternoon so my post about it is going up on a Saturday and I'd really rather discuss it on a day when people read the blog. But for now:

• His idea to build a new, global, multilateral organization focused on terrorism scratches the same itch that's led a lot of people to talk about a Concert of Democracies but it's a much better idea on the merits.
• This semi-buried line is perhaps the most important thing I've heard any candidate say about national security policy: "And I will lead an international effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons."
• He's also now differentiated himself from Clinton on Iraq: "As president, I will redeploy troops into Quick Reaction Forces outside of Iraq, to perform targeted missions against Al Qaeda cells and to prevent a genocide or regional spillover of a civil war."
• I do have one important complaint, to be addressed later.

Long story short, though, it's really good. Long story at greater length on Monday.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2007/09/edwards-on-terror/46153/