Bush Orders bin Laden Caught

news.com.au ^ | February 29, 2004 | Roy Eccleston

[John W]

George W. Bush has reportedly ordered US agencies to step up efforts to catch Osama bin Laden amid accusations by Democratic presidential frontrunner John Kerry that the White House has neglected the al-Qa'ida leader to the US's peril.

The renewed focus on bin Laden, who US intelligence believes is hiding on the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border, comes amid bitter politicking in the US over national security.

Senator Kerry says Mr Bush effectively allowed bin Laden to escape two years ago when he relied on local warlords instead of US troops to hunt him in Afghanistan's Tora Bora region.

News of the stepped up hunt comes less than a month after the senior US military spokesman in Afghanistan, Colonel Brian Hilferty, said: "We're sure we're going to catch Osama bin Laden this year."

According to The New York Times, the US has reinvigorated its effort on the back of new intelligence, improved weather and a refocusing of resources away from Iraq.

It is also adapting lessons learnt in the successful hunt for Saddam Hussein. The newspaper said Mr Bush had within the past two months approved the new plan to catch or kill bin Laden and his ally, former Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar.

But the Pentagon played down any expectation that a capture was imminent and rejected as inaccurate a report by Iranian radio that bin Laden had been caught months ago.

A new special commando unit known as Task Force 121 is leading the hunt, assisted by the 11,000 US troops in Afghanistan and Pakistani forces.

The operation comes as the end of winter allows access to the mountain passes and coincides with an improvement in the political climate in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf has been reminded of the al-Qa'ida threat by two assassination attempts.

As with the capture of Hussein, the US is focusing on the outer ring of supporters and working inwards in an attempt to find the people who know where and how often their target is moving.

Senator Kerry, laying out his own national security plan, criticised Mr Bush for an "ad hoc strategy". But while he accused him of lack of action against bin Laden, he insisted bin Laden's eventual capture would not end the war on terrorism.

The Australian

[Mr. Mojo]

Just tell your wife to tell her friend the truth -- that the story in question was just a rumor started by the tabloidish foreign press, and that it has no basis in reality. Why should that be a friendship breaker?

[cyncooper]

I have a brain and it works. That's how I form my judgement.

Whether yours works or not I don't know. Either it does not, or it does but you prefer to spin.

[cyncooper]

I told a lib friend nicely but firmly: George Bush is an honest man who loves this country. He wants bin Laden more than anyone, and when he's caught we will know. The capture of Saddam is evidence of how this administration works when apprehending the bad guys.

In other words, straight talking asssessment of the character of President Bush, combined with pointing to precendent.

[WhiteGuy]

It could be argued, quite persuasively, that president bush will say or do whatever it takes to be elected.

On this very forum there have been countless threads touting the brilliance of our president for "stealing the democrats' issues". This approach makes him an effective politician.

With the race shaping up to be much the same as 2000, would it be so far fetched to consider using a "big news event" like the one mentioned, for political benefit?

Anyone with a "brain that works" can see the wisdom in such an approach, right?

If you wish to believe that our beloved president is somehow "above" such mundane pursuits, that is your prerogative.

Most people would at least consider that emotional stance to be naive.

[pepsionice]

I think alot of this 'catch Ossama strategy' has to do with what the Army did in Iraq in catching Saddam. For those who aren't familiar what happened...instead of aiming at the target, the US Army had two individuals start drawing up a large circle of people who supported Saddam in the past. This database was then used to corral a number of people who had bits of information. Eventually, they came to one particular character who had a fair idea of where Saddam would be.

The Ossama campaign apparently is now going in this direction...find his old friends, relatives, etc...and apply the heat. One of them will eventually point to a map and detail where he is hiding. Its a long-drawn out process and it may take six months....but its already proven that it works.

It would not surprise me if we don't start using the same strategy with drug cartels in Colombia as well.

[cyncooper]

It could be argued, quite persuasively, that president bush will say or do whatever it takes to be elected.

Actually, no it cannot. Not and remained tethered to reality.

And the arguments you cite, which I have read of course, do not buttress your ludicrous comment.

Your use of the word "beloved" in an attempt to imply that I use that type of emotional rhetoric again exposes your shallowness and points to where you're coming from. Confirming my swift and accurate assessment of your agenda.

[gatorbait]

It could be argued, quite persuasively, that president bush will say or do whatever it takes to be elected

It could be argued,quite persuasively, that you're a Buchanan supporting Klansman. Don't you just love seeing your rhetoric in operation? You're a narrow minded,paranoiac with only the slimmest grasp of reality.Your unmitigated hatred of the President is most revealing. I know, you're one of the gridlock queens,another delusion,based in a malformed fantasy of a past that never was.

[P.O.E.]

"Osama - Dead or Alive" ain't new.

What stirred up this recent nest of Osama stories, I don't know.

[WhiteGuy]

So I guess we're not going to agree, huh?

I hope you enjoy the election year!

[Lady Jag]

Senator Kerry, laying out his own national security plan, criticised Mr Bush for an "ad hoc strategy".

And on the left,
waffles and ketchup

[cyncooper]

I think we have a bead on bin Laden and are circling the wagons, hence the "increased chatter" that his apprension is nigh.

No thanks to John Effing Kerry.

[InvisibleChurch]

Bush Orders bin Laden Caught

my wife sez: I kind of thought that's what we're already doing.

[kabar]

LOL. Thank God Kerry goaded the President into action. What nonsense. The US can walk and chew gum at the same time. We fought a two front war with the Germans and Japanese at the same time. Does anyone but the Dems including Albright believe that the US has not been trying to capture OBL using every weapon at our disposal?

[livius]

It would not surprise me if we don't start using the same strategy with drug cartels in Colombia as well.

Which would lead us directly to FARC, which in turn would lead us directly to Chavez and Castro. Ah, what a lovely idea!

[Lady Jag]

And on the RIGHT,

Action.

Peace, it's worth a shot

[You Dirty Rats]

The idea that any President can orchestrate the timing of the capture of a terrorist leader is just nonsense. For that to happen, the President or political advisors attached to him would have to learn that they can capture OBL from the military and then issue orders to DELAY THE CAPTURE until the timing is right politically. If this actually happened and OBL escaped, this would almost certainly leak out and the President would be irrepairably damaged.

Try to come up with something remotely tied to reality next time you post. This is Free Republic, not Outer Limits or the Twilight Zone.

[WhiteGuy]

"I love the mental gymnastics of good and open debate and the exchange of ideas.

Your statement above is a wee bit different than your most recent post. Resorting to name-calling instead of offering substantive arguments................not usually your style, right? Good luck with your postings.

[Plutarch]

With the race shaping up to be much the same as 2000, would it be so far fetched to consider using a "big news event" like the one mentioned, for political benefit?

That there is a motivation to gain maximum political gain out of the capture of OBL is not far fetched. That Bush would seek to delay the capture campaign for maximum political impact is ridiculous. It would be stupid to do so, as keeping OBL on the loose would be too risky. If a still free OBL should take credit for a terrorist strike at the U.S., it would hardly benefit Bush.

Please re-adjust your tinfoil.

[gatorbait]

Good luck with your postings.

I have great luck with them in fact.It's human bricks like you who have problems with them . And, as far as name calling goes,I think you might want to think about that bad case of transference you and the rest of the clowder seem to have.

When you can offer something other than pre pubescent tantrums , we'll discuss , til then, good bye.

[WhiteGuy]

"This is Free Republic, not Outer Limits or the Twilight Zone."

Good come-back!

Nonsense?

I disagree, the tactics used by some of our elite special forces, can and will isolate a particular target and "move against" that target at will. The target can be captured or eliminated or simply contained. No real mystery.