Terror - Little Green Footballs

Terror - Little Green Footballs covers the left brain.

Lileks covers the right.

Mindless, pointless speculation: I'll bet anything that the old political prohibition about cooperating with Israel, lest the "Arab Street" rebel en masse, is now as cold and dead as Color Me Badd's career. Under the table, of course; but I'll bet anything that the links between the US and Israel's anti-terrorism efforts are going to extend far beyond the traditional, pro forma exchanges of intelligence.

I have nothing to back that up. But ask yourself, what is there to lose? The only "Arab Street" that's mattered in the past two years is the one in Dearborn, Michigan, where Arabs protested in favor of the intervention. And yes, I know I'm being glib - the street in Karachi was pretty angry, and hopped up and down burning flags for days...

...and in the end, confirmed that in any real sense the feared "Arab Street" is a toothless tiger.

Yes, a lot of Arabs will get boundlessly irate if it comes out that we've cooperated with Israel. What of it? The ones that truly matter are already in the crosshairs; the Saudis may be starting to realize they have to fish or cut bait. The Iranians (yeah, I know they're not Arabs) keenly know they could be next on the agenda.

The clinker in the mix? Pakistan (also not Arab). They have a huge Moslem fundie population that has chosen sides. They have a large, accomplished intelligence service that has actively supported Al Quaeda and the Taliban. They have the bomb.

But they also have an interest in controlling all of those; they've done this so far.

It's all just wind in sails, of course. But I'll bet that when the history of this thing is written, there'll be a chapter on Israel's sub rosa cooperation with the US.