Cheney & Co.: All Quiet on the Counterterror Front?

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Conservatives huff that Obama is weak on national security, but say nothing about the gains in the fight against al Qaeda.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama visited the National Counterterrorism Center outside Washington and declared that "because of our efforts" al Qaeda and its allies have "lost operational capacity."

He cited recent arrests of terrorist suspects in Colorado, New York, Illinois, and Texas, asserting that these actions have made the nation safer. Afterward, his critics responded with...silence.

Since Obama was sworn in, conservative hawks, led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, have been pounding the president for being weak on national security, accusing him of leaving the country vulnerable to another catastrophic attack.

But this chorus of scaremongers tends to go mute when the Obama administration scores apparent counterterrorism successes.

Cheney, for instance, hasn't said anything publicly about the arrest last month of Najibullah Zazi, the Denver airport shuttle driver, and others accused of planning an al Qaeda bombing operation.

Nor have Cheney and his amen corner acknowledged other gains in the fight against al Qaeda. Instead, it's been a fussillade of potshots. Let's roll the tape.

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