Freedom as a Threat. Commenting on Bush's speech, Joseph Samahah of As-Safir, the best Arab columnist, said: "Freedom was a promise; it has become a threat. George Bush will never ever be able to cross the ocean of "misunderstanding" separating him from the majority of Arabs. Thus, he will not ever be able to understand how his jingle of freedom that he sang on the day of inauguration will fall on the ears as the sound of loud drums of unending wars' sounds."