"Do you really not see what you are doing here. When 19 Muslims Hijack 4 planes you say the Muslims did it. When Tim McVeigh and his buddy blow up the Federal building you say it was committed by a group of two guys. Why not Blame all Christians or all White People?"

Wrong Pete. I say Muslim extremists did it. They also blew up two of our embassies, orchestrated the first WTC bombing and attacked the USS Cole. The only reason their religion has any significance in any of this is because they have declared this war on America based on their interpretation of their religion! They are fighting a holy war! There are many, many more of them than just the 19 guys on the airplanes. McVeigh and Nickols weren't on a holy war. I don't know their religious affiliations. Sure they were white. I'd classify them as sick, murderous Americans if I had to classify them. They didn't have an army of holy warriors looking to do similar harm to this country. There is no comparison between OKC and al-Qaida.

"But explain to me again why you think its allright to suspect all Muslims and not just those Muslims who belong to terrorist groups."

Can you tell somebody is a Muslim just by looking at them? I can't. I never said it was all right to suspect all Muslims. Given that the 9/11 attackers were arab Muslims, I see nothing wrong with closer scrutiny being given to those people in this country. We can't NOT do so!

"How do you know that? Have you seen the evidence? Have these people been given any opportunity to present a defense? Why does the Government refuse to even disclose who they have . . . despite a Court order to do so? If there is actual evidence that these people are involved in terrorist activity why not actually charge them with a crime?"

It appears I was right. You think people are being snatched off the street because of what they look like. It ain't even close to that scenario. I think you know that, but don't want to believe it for some reason.

"Yes, but as a point of fact Congress has not declared War. And the traditional concept of War is not met in the current situation. The War on Terrorism is as hazy an idea as the War on Drugs or the War on Poverty."

The Congress gave our President the authority to conduct this war as needed. Given that we are not fighting a particular country, but an organization with members worldwide, a standard declaration of war would be impossible. Hazy? Hardly. Focused? You bet. Just because you don't know everything that is going on is, I believe, a good sign. It also means the enemy doesn't know everything that is going on.

"Second how have you decided that these people are enemy combatants?"

I haven't, our military and our intelligence communities have. You know, the people whose jobs it is to do those things. How have you decided that these people aren't enemy combatants? That was rhetorical, you can't because you don't know everyting that is going on. ....neither do the enemies of this nation.

Bob