Our city of ruins

Czech politicians have had little time for remembering Sept. 11. Of leading politicians, only ODS Chair Václav Klaus and Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda made significant statements. Klaus admonished the U.S. not to use Sept. 11 as an excuse for irresponsible action in Iraq. Svoboda said the CR has improved its security since Sept. 11 to Western standards. Political analyst Jiří Pehe said Czech participation in the war on terrorism was washed away with the flood. Political scientist Zdeněk Zbořil explained that Ground Zero Karlín is closer to Czechs than Manhattan. U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton linked Sept. 11 to the floods, saying that the causes were different but that both required help from friends to overcome. His message seemed to be: The quicker Prague puts the floods behind it, the sooner it can turn its attention again to fighting terrorism.