Surprise Visit Prompts Strong Words (W in Afghanstan)

LA Times ^ | March 1, 2006 | Peter Wallsten

[IrishMike]

President Bush vowed that the world's most-wanted terrorists — al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden and Taliban ruler Mullah Mohammad Omar — would not elude authorities forever."It's not a matter of if they're captured or brought to justice, it's when they're brought to justice," Bush said during a five-hour visit en route to a long-planned trip to nearby India and Pakistan. Today's stop was the first opportunity for Bush to see first-hand how Afghanistan has changed since the U.S. overthrew the Taliban following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, sending bin Laden and Omar into hiding.The president's words were unusually strong — reminiscent of the early days after the attacks when he said the U.S. would catch bin Laden "dead or alive." Bush has generally avoided making such predictions since bin Laden and Omar disappeared, hiding out, officials believe, in the rugged mountains near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.But today, Bush did not shy away from mentioning the terrorists by name and almost promising their capture. His comments seemed intended to affirm U.S. commitments to maintaining a security presence in Afghanistan, even as administration officials talk about reducing the nation's 19,000-troop contingent. Bush made his remarks in Kabul during a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai outside the presidential palace. The U.S. president did not directly address a question from an Afghani reporter regarding the "worsening situation" in Afghanistan. But he sought to paint the search for terrorists as a joint effort among several nations in the region to find both bin Laden and his associates. And he underscored his intention to nudge Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf during scheduled talks this weekend to crack down on continued incursions of terrorists across the border with Afghanistan. "I am confident (bin Laden) will be brought to justice," Bush said.

[BoneHead]

Two day talks in India, then a surprize visit to Iraq.

Just a wild Bonehead guess
Bonehead

[IrishMike]

You never know,
Afghsnatan wasn't on the adjenda.