http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002250.php Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden is still at large -- but that's not a failure of White House policy, says Frances Fragos Townsend. As she explained to CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry last night: HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, the president said, dead or alive, we're going to get him. Still don't have him. I know you are saying there's successes on the war on terror, and there have been. That's a failure. TOWNSEND: Well, I'm not sure -- it's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Dec 29 2006, 01:03 PM) [snapback]368204[/snapback]</div> Your ilk is pretty funny. If we were to have captured and/or killed him, you'd be arguing he's only one man, and it's the network behind him that's far more important... Perhaps you should all be reminded of YOUR spectacular failures to curtail the actions of our government you so irrationally disagree with.
After 9/11, Bush said that U.S forces would not rest until they had captured or killed bin Laden. Then he pulled the U.S. forces off the hunt, and turned it over to the Pakistanis, who apparently had him cornered and then let him go. Then Bush said that he didn't care about bin Laden. Personally, I don't think bin Laden is the issue. But Bush broke his promise to bring to justice someone who was involved in 9/11 in order to wage an illegal war, on false premises, against someone who had nothing to do with 9/11. In doing so, Bush transformed a country that was acively hostile to al Qaeda into a haven for al Qaeda, at a cost of trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives. Demagogues love to have an enemy they can use to frighten their people into allowing them to eliminate political rights of the citizens. While Bush himself is far too stupid to have thought it up, his administration may well have taken us into Iraq precisely for the purpose of fomenting terrorism against us, which they could then use to increase their own politcal control over the country.
In several years, the then ex-President Bush will desecrate OBL's grave, dig him up, and declare victory!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Dec 29 2006, 10:01 AM) [snapback]368229[/snapback]</div> Not only was Beryl Octet's post not irrational, he didn't disagree (or agree) with anything. He simply posted excerpts from news sources. On the other hand, something like invading a country to prevent attacks by weapons that don't even exist? You'd have to agree that we certainly succeeded - we will never be attacked by them.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Dec 29 2006, 12:01 PM) [snapback]368229[/snapback]</div> But since we haven't got him, that leaves Bush, et al. arguing that he's only one man ... Anyhow, Osama is so last administration. When do we start spreading democracy to Iran?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Display Name @ Dec 29 2006, 11:17 PM) [snapback]368488[/snapback]</div> Well, I am kind of entertained by the flip flopping. First it was Osama dead or alive, then six months later we didn't really care about him, and now he's a success that hasn't happened yet.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PA @ Dec 29 2006, 11:43 PM) [snapback]368497[/snapback]</div> Two days after we invade North Korea because they threatened to use their weapons of mass destruction on the GM plants in South Korea.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Dec 29 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]368277[/snapback]</div> Scary as this sounds, I feels so like exactly what the current administration planned from the start. And it worked. They got re-elected in 2004, didn't they? And so far have not had to answer to anything. Well, Tom DeLay had to resign. And Randy "Duke" Cunningham. A few others. But isolated incidents and sex/money scandals.
Not being able to kill Bin Laden is a failure. We should continue to try and kill him. We certainly have had many successes in killing and capturing other members of his organization, and in helping countries control their growing Muslim extremist terror groups. We are making great progress, but the next election cycle will determine if we continue to fight terrorism with a president like McCain or Lieberman, or we will pull back and not fight it with a president like Clinton or Obama.
The Taliban offered to surrender Bin Laden to a third country before the Afghan invasion. Bush refused the offer. I wonder if the Bin Laden family being in business with Bushs family has anything to do with OBLs freedom.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mojo @ Dec 31 2006, 03:28 AM) [snapback]368890[/snapback]</div> Ya WONDER? Junior has one great quality...if you're his personal friend. Friendship before country.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Dec 31 2006, 02:12 AM) [snapback]368871[/snapback]</div> I think you mean "help other countries grow their Muslim extremist terror groups". If that was Junior's objective, then yes, he has been a total success.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 31 2006, 10:40 AM) [snapback]368977[/snapback]</div> No, I meant what I said. The terror groups exist in other places than just the middle east, you know.
