Open Jiddah thread

Feel free to comment on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah here. Reuters and CNN seem to have the most comprehensive reports. Also, the Associated Press has this interesting quote from the president: President Bush said Monday an attack on the U.S. consulate in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, showed that “terrorists are still on ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the author of The Ideas Industry.

Feel free to comment on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah here. Reuters and CNN seem to have the most comprehensive reports. Also, the Associated Press has this interesting quote from the president:

Feel free to comment on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah here. Reuters and CNN seem to have the most comprehensive reports. Also, the Associated Press has this interesting quote from the president:

President Bush said Monday an attack on the U.S. consulate in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, showed that “terrorists are still on the move” and trying to intimidate Americans. “They want us to grow timid and weary in the face of their willingness to kill randomly, kill innocent people,” Bush said. (emphasis added)

Given the obvious, deep links between Al Qaeda and Saudi society, doesn’t this mean that the terrorists prefer a home court advantage? CLARIFICATION: In other words, given that a fair share of Al Qaeda are Saudi, wouldn’t this attack signal that they’re not on the move so much as staying local? I don’t think this is what Bush meant by “on the move,” obviously, but it’s just an odd phrasing choice. Comment away.

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the author of The Ideas Industry. Twitter: @dandrezner

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