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Apples and Oranges. Hitler was the head of a state engaged in a conventional war in which Germany tried to occupy foreign lands. OBL is the figurehead of a faceless terrorist organization, which is actually a collection of dozens of like minded organizations. They're not attempting to occupy any lands. They're only goal is to inflict casualties on Westerners, and to ultimately bring about Armageddon, an all out war between the Western World and Islam. I'd say they're about half-way there.

I didn't list the attacks to demonstrate TACTICAL success or failure. Only to rebut the assertion that Al Qaida has "known nothin but defeat" since 9-11.

Smogger,

Lets also be clear that Bin Laden was happy to be on Video for weeks after Sept 11th (hell, he made home videos)...and his appearance hadn't changed at all.

He also made one other video that he released in early Nov of 2001. Again his appearance was the same (sans a perfect working right arm). It was clear, Bin Laden was showing tapes of himself being alive (while knowing full well the US Military was looking for him).

Again, I tend to believe we got him in Dec 2001. I think a Team of SOF guys got him and only a very select group in the Military know we took him out. That is just my gut instinct on this.

But as Bush as said from day one. "If he's alive, we will get him. If's he's not alive, we already got him".

And that really sums it up. Also, Al Qeada has not been productive since 2001. This is a fact. Your list of targets they have struck at (and many of those could have just been copy cat terrorists) are still not targets against America.

"They're not attempting to occupy any lands."

They used to OWN Afghanistan. They used to OWN Iraq. They don't anymore.

"They're only goal is to inflict casualties on Westerners"

I don't recall this as their stated goal. They didn't declare war on Bali and Turkey, or even Westerners in these countries. They did declare war on the USA. I've seen some pointless murders by them. But I've seen nothing but strategic defeat for AQ, one after another. And they have a leader who won't/can't show his face, even though you couldn't pry him away from the camera prior to Dec 01.

I'll say it again. AQ has known nothing but defeat since 01, just as Hitler, despite numerous scary tactical successess, knew nothing but defeat in the west starting with Normandy.

"Only to rebut the assertion that Al Qaida has "known nothin but defeat" since 9-11."

Years from now nobody's going to look back on the present and say that it was nip and tuck there for awhile. Since AQ's sucker punch on 9-11, it's been a rout ever since.