The Times Square arrest and the politics of national security The arrest in the wee hours of the morning of Faisal Shazad in connection with the attempted bombing of Times Square will re-awaken the issue of terrorism -- although perhaps only briefly -- for most Americans with the 2010 midterm elections less than six months away."It was clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans," said Attorney General Eric Holder at a press conference announcing the arrest.That pronouncement -- and the subsequent flood of media coverage the arrest will draw today and in coming days -- virtually assures that Americans' concerns about terrorism (and hence the political import of where both sides position themselves on the issue) will be rise as well.Given the deep emotional connection that many people have about terrorism in the United States, the issue is fraught with political peril for both parties.In the wake of the failed attempt to bomb a plane in Detroit on Christmas Day, Republicans hammered away at President Barack Obama for not being sufficiently responsive or vigilant on matters of national security.Democrats pushed back that Republicans were trying to politicize the incident rather than supporting the President's attempt to prevent something like it from happening again.Polling on the incident provided a mixed bag. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted in mid February showed 45 percent approving of Obama's handling of the Christmas Day bomb attempt and 47 percent disapproving.Those numbers reflected a broader uncertainty about the issue of terrorism within the political framework. Once considered a stone-cold winner for Republicans at the ballot box -- see the 2002 election -- the issue has become more muddled over the past several elections as distaste with President George W. Bush has complicated the GOP advantage.Still, terrorism remains one…

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   Iran's Supreme Leader unleashes threat of militias against election protesters   Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned opposition leaders they would be held responsible for "bloodshed" if mass protests over the disputed election continued in Tehran.   by Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Published: 12:33PM BST 19 Jun 2009 Ayatollah Khamenei gave strong backing to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was controversially declared the winner of last week's presidential election and made clear further dissent would be crushed. "I am urging them to end street protests, otherwise they will be responsible for its consequences, and consequences of any chaos," he told worshippers at Tehran University. "The result of the election comes out of the ballot box, not from the street. "If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible." Ayatollah Khamenei denounced Britain as the "most treacherous" foreign power working for the overthrow of his regime, a declaration that prompted the Foreign Office to summon the Iranian ambassador in London for a rebuke. The British ambassador in Tehran has faced mounting criticism from the regime, which regularly incites mobs to attack the UK embassy. The Supreme Leader said the electoral contest was "over". Drawing cheers of "God is Great", he said the Basij militia, or religious vanguard force, would be mobilised against the demonstrators. In a clear endorsement of the incumbent president, the Supreme Leader said that his own views were closest to Mr Ahmadinejad's vision for Iran. In a long sermon at Friday prayers at Tehran University, he declared the election outcome was a vindication of the Islamic Republic. He said that on the basis of an 85 per cent turnout, the vote was an earthquake for the country's enemies. "If the people did not trust in the system they would…