Fighting in Afghanistan underscores unfinished terror agenda

WASHINGTON -- President Bush pressed his case against the man he called "the dictator of Iraq" in his State of the Union address, but a new flare-up of fighting in Afghanistan served as a vivid reminder of troubles elsewhere.

A year after he linked Iraq, Iran and North Korea in an "axis of evil," Bush sought to steel the nation for a possible war with Iraq. Its leader, Saddam Hussein, has shown "his utter contempt for the United Nations, and for the opinion of the world," Bush said in excerpts released by the White House.

But even as Bush sought to focus attention on Baghdad, the new Afghan fighting underscored unfinished business in the broader war on terrorism.

Osama bin Laden, suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and Taliban leader Mullah Omar remain at large. Anti-American warlords continue to operate in the Afghan countryside. And in neighboring Pakistan, outlawed Islamic extremist organizations are setting up new camps under new names.

Two, three fronts

Furthermore, the new fighting in Afghanistan raised anew the issue of whether the United States could battle on two fronts -- or even three, if trouble rises out of control in North Korea.

It was all part of a swirling, difficult mix of international and domestic problems that confronted Bush for his annual benchmark speech.

The Pentagon has been concerned for some time that anti-American elements in Afghanistan would step up their activity if the United States went to war with Iraq, hoping to force the United States to split its attention and resources. In fact, in recent days, the U.S. military has been coming under increasing attack.

In the latest episode, U.S. and Afghan forces battled rebels in southeastern Afghanistan in the largest-scale fighting in ten months. At least 18 rebels were killed in the fighting that included up to 350 troops on the American side, the U.S. military said.

Democrats, newly emboldened by the approaching presidential election cycle and Bush's slipping approval ratings, were leveling attacks on his conduct of both domestic and international policy.

"The triple threat of war, terrorism and recession are combining to make Americans unsure about their future and unclear about the course our nation is taking," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.

Usually time to consolidate

This point in a president's first term is usually a time to consolidate gains and frame re-election issues. And Bush clearly was doing that, devoting the first half of his State of the Union to domestic concerns. But the possibility of war with Iraq was dominating attention.

Already, the administration's efforts to confront Iraq and wage a war against international terrorism at the same time were running into some conflicts, including the embarrassing incident last month surrounding the seizure in the Arabian sea of an unmarked ship carrying 15 North Korean Scud missiles.

It was seized at U.S. behest by Spanish patrol vessels. But Washington later let the ship go when it was learned that the Scuds were on their way to Yemen, an important new U.S. ally in the region.

The latest Afghanistan violence again raised the issue of a two- or more-front war. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials have repeatedly said the United States can successfully wage wars on multiple fronts -- if necessary.

But such an eventuality is not one war planners desire -- and it could cause huge additional political and logistical problems for Bush. Furthermore, there is always the question of possible military conflict with North Korea.

"Even if the military could handle two major theater wars, it isn't clear that the White House or the interagency process could handle that," said Michele Flournoy, a military analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's very difficult for an administration to focus on two crises at the same time."