Meanwhile, the administration of President George Bush, though occasionally sounding tough, allowed the six-party talks to drift, its mind on challenges elsewhere, notably Iraq.
As every day's headlines bring new reports of the deadly weapons programs of terrorist-sponsoring states (notably, Iraq, North Korea and Iran), it must be assumed that such a hand-me-down, sea-launched missile could be used to deliver a weapon of mass destruction to our shores.
The bad news would be if, in addition to an intensified Intafada, Israel's other foes notably Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya perhaps joined by her two "partners for peace, " Egypt and Jordan, were to use Sharon's election as a casus belli.