Attack! Attack! Attack!

It’s always difficult to play defense and offense at the same time, but when the geopolitical ground is shifting beneath one’s feet and damaging leaks are spurting out of the White House and Downing Street plumbing like July 4 fireworks, it’s more difficult than usual.

At least, that’s the sense one gets after watching the frantic maneuverings last week of far-right and neo-conservative personalities who found themselves trying, on the one hand, to persuade their compatriots to prepare to take on new enemies in what they call “World War IV”, while, on the other, mounting rear-guard actions against faint-hearted allies who want out of Iraq and Democrats who are calling for the head of President George W Bush’s “brain”, political advisor Karl Rove.