"Al-Qa'eda would vote for the re-election of President Bush. It regards President Bush as the best recruiting sergeant ever" - that's the British Ambassador in Rome - a career diplomat, as all British ambassadors are - talking, off the record, at a big meeting of diplomats a couple of weeks ago.

Except someone leaked his words to the press, and embarrassed the British Government, which has to pretend that they are neutral, and not desperately hoping the Bush is turfed out by the voters in November. Here's a link to a recent thread about it - BS: 'Al-Qa'eda will vote for Bush'.

I mean, even among those who are in favour of this war, who would want to be stuck with an ally ruled by a demonstrably incompetent President and administration?

On the other hand, if you were Bin Ladin, those are precisely the kind of people you'd want to be in charge of the USA, one who has acted in such a way as to further the global objectives of Al Qa'eda, which is now far stronger than it was three years ago.