Illustration By Holly Randall

Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. To paraphrase a former presidential campaign slogan, "Are you safer now than you were then?"

Bush's own re-election campaign relies heavily on touting the "success" of his administration against terrorists. Unfortunately, recent tragedies in Spain and Iraq suggest his efforts have been less than successful. America has won several symbolic battles, such as the capture of Saddam Hussein, but terrorists are still winning the war.

Let's flash back: Terrorism is marked by heinous bloodbaths, as well as the invocation of public fear. Bombings grab attention; yet the uncertainty and fear that seeps into the public consciousness leaves a lasting wound, even in those who have not lost loved ones. The student who abandons his plans to study abroad, the mother who postpones her family's visit to New York - these are the silent casualties of terrorism.

Security experts in Spain are now studying ways to make Spain's transit system less vulnerable to those who would undermine it. But Spain's Sept. 11 has already achieved its desired effect: Many people are second-guessing the degree of their personal safety. Moreover, the timing of the attacks in Spain (three days before the presidential election) has many fearing that terrorists will try to change the outcome of the U.S. election in November.

Jennifer Kursman Columnist

Although Madrid may seem distant, the Spanish people are undergoing the same sort of trauma that Americans experienced on Sept. 11, 2001. Remember when we ran around frantically buying duct tape and loads of bogus "safety supplies"? Remember when amassing truckloads of canned goods was considered "patriotic," a way to protect one's family and boost the economy in tandem? Remember when people actually paid attention to the colors of the terrorist alert spectrum?

How far have we come since then, really? Two and a half years later, what have we won?

The mainstream media frequently report that Allied forces have surrounded or located members of al-Qaida, but the most important person (duh, Osama bin Laden) remains at large. Almost 600 U.S. soldiers have died already in the Iraq war - 584, to be exact. Let me say that one more time: 584 U.S. soldiers have died already in the Iraq war.

That's 584 too many.

Six hundred dead doesn't count those who have died in Afghanistan, or the U.S. soldiers who have died in other regions of the globe, or innocent slain Iraqi civilians; the death toll climbs every day. And while American companies are capitalizing on Iraq's economic "liberation," most Iraqis are struggling to avoid being caught in the persisting crossfire - never mind trying to achieve true economic stability or political self-determination.

Meanwhile, the March 11 bombings underlined a message often overlooked here in the United States: the nature of war has changed. Terrorism is a global threat. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have failed to wipe out al-Qaida because our enemies conduct their business through a slimy global web of connections.

With the modus operandi of war altered, it is increasingly crucial to build and maintain alliances. In this new climate, the most foolhardy option would be to invade still another country in the hopes of "rooting out terrorism." The sad fact is that today's terrorists have spread roots throughout the world.

America must now focus on working with the United Nations to devise a more effective strategy. We need to reconstruct ties with our key allies, especially those in Europe. It's significant that Spain's new prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, made the withdrawal of Spain's troops from Iraq a key portion of his party's platform. Although the American media often downplay the European opposition to the Iraq war, anti-American sentiment has not abated; it continues to rise.

Bush's re-election ads accuse John Kerry of flip-flopping on issues, as opposed to Bush's "steady" stance against terror. Sure, he's been steady - a steady failure.

We can't win this fight alone. Yet the Bush administration keeps sticking its head in the sand, bent on burning as many bridges as possible.

Jennifer Kursman is a biochemistry freshman. She can be contacted at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.