New York City: Osama Would Be Smiling, page 1

Wherever he is, Osama bin Laden will be beaming as he watches my beloved hometown, New York City, turned into an armed camp and a victim of municipal nervous breakdown.

Sheik Osama has repeatedly warned America will never know peace until it withdraws from the Mideast and ceases supporting Israel. He ordered followers to attack the heart of America's power, its economy.

He has been horrifyingly successful. The 9/11 attacks cost America $98 billion US, and billions more annually for heightened internal security. The Bush administration's constant, politically-timed warnings of imminent al-Qaida attacks -- none of which materialized -- and attendant media hysteria, have left Americans frightened and emotionally exhausted.

The Republican National Convention here is being guarded by the city's 37,000 cops -- a force twice as large as Canada's entire army. Ten thousand police will guard the convention centre at Madison Square Garden, backed by thousands more FBI, ATF, Secret Service, and other "federales." Still, rumours abound al-Qaida will attack the convention.

www.canoe.ca...