Tag Al Barid

Afew weeks ago, the only thing we dreaded about going to the mailbox was junk mail. Now it is anthrax. Fear of this biological weapon has grounded airplanes, closed the US House of Representatives and led to the arrest of practical jokers who made anthrax threats. United States President George Bush has declared war on terrorism and on all those who support it. We are told that this war may last for years. And unlike America's previous wars it will be fought, at least in part, on our own turf. As ugly as the war in Vietnam was, it was fought half way around the world, as were World War I and II and the Korean conflict. Nearly a century and a half has passed since war scorched the USA. Now, however, though the US has suffered very few casualties in Afghanistan, thousands are dead in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. We are told to expect more terrorist attacks around the globe in the weeks, months and years to come, at times and in ways that we least expect. In addition to the fear of terrorism, we hear of the airlines that face bankruptcy, the massive layoffs, the falling stock market and imminent recession. What will we face next? Security seems to be just a pleasant memory in the United States of America.