Democratic efforts to portray President Bush’s focus on Iraq as a dangerous distraction from the pursuit of terrorists have been undercut by high-level arrests of leaders of Al Qaeda and sympathizers, lawmakers of both parties said today. “The bottom line is when you catch one of these top dogs, it is hard to argue against success,” said Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska. He and others still wonder whether the buildup against Iraq is consuming resources that could help in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and others behind the Sept. 11 attacks or potentially planning new assaults. But they said the capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed this weekend and others announced today enhanced Mr. Bush’s credibility in the anti-terror campaign. “I do think the capture of that terrorist will be a positive argument to the fact that they are able to do both at the same time and they will be more difficult to criticize,” said Senator John B. Breaux, Democrat of Louisiana. Full Story