MSNBC: Powell may let Taliban remain in power if they hand over Osama bin Laden

9-26-2001 | MSNBC cable network banner

[Brian_Baldwin]

MSNBC just ran the notice on their rolling banner headlines, "Powell may let Taliban remain in power if they turn over Osama bin Laden".

I suppose we will hear a lot about how Powell only said "may" and not "will". Fine. Doesn't matter, because even if he said "may", well, then this "may" not be a war on terrorism.

The Bush Administration has said many things regarding this war on terrorism, things about accountability for those who harbor terrorists, but the same Bush Administration through Powell has said that the war on terrorism will be conducted in the same way as the war on drugs.

Speaking of the war on drugs, one of the Taliban's primary sources of hard currency funding comes from Afghan poppy production and distribution of heroin.

So much said for the war on drugs which hasn't been very effective against the Afghan heroin trafficking which has been funding the Taliban. And if we are going to fight the war on terrorism in the same way we are fighting the war on drugs, we've already lost the war. If MSNBC sources are correct in what Powell is saying, he is saying all the wrong things and giving the wrong signals to the Taliban and the Islamic terrorists throughout the world -- and if Powell is going to let the heroin dealing Taliban remain in power simply because they turn over the bearded dead body of Osama bin Laden, then we've lost the war against those who did this to our people, and we've certainly lost the war on terrorism. By the way, I didn't know that heroin trafficking was part of the Taliban Muslim religion. Have any of those Islamic clerics in Indonesia made any comment on this?

[okie_tech]

Occam's Razor

William of Occam (or Ockham) (1284-1347) was an English philosopher and theologian. His work on knowledge, logic and scientific inquiry played a major role in the transition from medieval to modern thought. He based scientific knowledge on experience and self-evident truths, and on logical propositions resulting from those two sources. In his writings, Occam stressed the Aristotelian principle that entities must not be multiplied beyond what is necessary. This principle became known as Occam's (or Ockham's) Razor or the law of parsimony. A problem should be stated in its basic and simplest terms. In science, the simplest theory that fits the facts of a problem is the one that should be selected. This rule is interpreted to mean that the simplest of two or more competing theories is preferable and that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known.

I propose that we have an already established history of appeasement, therefore it is most likely that this is what is going on now, we are appeasing both our enemies with Sharons advancement of full statehood to the palestinians, and our Arab allies with Powell's offer to lay off the Taliban if they would only turn over Osama bin Laden.

[kjam22]

Your post was right on the money.

[okie_tech]

I should have quoted and sourced the Occam's Razor info. It's from http://www.2think.org/occams_razor.shtml

[KC_Conspirator]

For the life of me, I can't believe that Powell and Bush are working on different pages. I almost think that they are pulling off a huge disinformation campaign, but who knows. I remember Powell shoveling $hit right at the media during the Persian Gulf War and having them eat it up. I remember Powell going on and on about the marine amphibious landings that never happenened as we did a hail mary.

All I can say is that if Powell is truly trying to undermind the administration's efforts, then his days are numbered. the State department is full of leftists anyway.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I can't really see a deal that is more than temporary. How do we know who is a terrorist and who isn't? It's not as if Afghanistan is a paragon of accurate record keeping. We are going to have to rummage deeply through the messy drawer that is Afghanistan to accomplish this. Some Taliban cooperation will be needed, but I think it will be enforced at the point of the American gun.

[Loopy]

Thank you and I agree with you and Kjam22 in all respects. We americans, who want justice for our 7,000 murdered countrymen are in for serious disappointment. That it has been coming has been of little doubt since two or three days after the event. This is probably alot more what the "patience" has been about than anything else. Patience until we forget what has happened to us and the flags start coming down or simply become part of the background noise we ignore everyday.

[kjam22]

I may have been misunderstood. I agree with you that we are in for a serious disapointment. In the end they will give us Bin Ladden and a handful of associates. We'll make a show about it... and terrorism will go on about its merry way.

We are on a mission of appeasement... because we are scared of war. And we will lose this war.... because we are scared of war.

[KC_Conspirator]

Its going to be fought in EXACTLY the same way as the war on drugs.

Thats a lousy analysis. There is a large demand for drugs, but I don't think there is a large demand for terrorism.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Full statements, full statements. No conclusion can be reached if we don't have full statements from Powell 9and others) and I have seen none on this thread. It is in MSNBC's leftist interest to try to get the American people comfortable with the idea that we have "given up." We face an internal disinformation campaign by the media.

I can say this. One more terrorist attack on our soil, especially if it is nuclear, biological, or chemical, and America will be in mad dog mode again.

[neutrino]

Letting the taliban remain in power makes less sense than anything I've heard lately. (Sigh)

[Wphile]

That's not true. Michael Savage send the same thing but when I watched it again, he must definitely did shake his hand and even embraced him. People should get there facts straight.

[Terry Mross]

I understand your frustration and I feel the same way. I hope we're both wrong. I want to "see the ambers dancing". And I think that's what it's going to take to get this country out of our funk. I sell new homes for a living and believe me, it's gone South big time this month. Everyone is in a state of funk. Polls show 70% of this country is depressed. A few cruise missiles, even if they are only going up a camel's ass, would work wonders for our attitude.

[ninonitti]

I thought BUSH was the Pres...

I think it's a case of Dubya keeping his enemies close to him - like the current secretary of state. The Europeans all love him which is enough of a condemnation for me.

Powell enjoyed a well earned reputation among the officer corps as a political rump swab during his years on the make in the Army.

He was against going after Hussein and he'll be against going after the Taleban, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or any number of other terroist breeding cesspools. He's just what we need at state - a smoozing enabler - hopefully this behavior will end his political viability.

Dubya, lets hope, will let him have enough rope and then turn this thing over to the military where it belongs.

[Starrling]

Good cop/bad cop -- my thoughts exactly!

[Loopy]

Powell said it, not me. Also the same thing was reported as coming from our side in the British press about a week ago. Also the analogy is correct. War on Drugs is against a few "ringleaders" (i.e. whatever cartel happens to be holding sway now). War on Terrorism is against a few ringleaders (Al Quaeda). It will also be fought domestically in the same exact manner. By reducing your freedoms and implementing ever tighter "security" measures domestically. Tell me where I am wrong (Aside from merely asserting that I am). Ashcroft is even now seeking that very thing. Powell, even now, (and Rumsfeld and Ari Fleischer too) are saying that this is a war against ringleaders (my word). So how is that different in anything other than subject matter than the War on Drugs?

[rogers21774]

The Taliban MUST fall.

[kjam22]

Yep. If it were truly a war against terrorists and those that harbor them.... then the taliban would be a memory right now. We know how to find them. We lack the resolve to do anything about it. We boxed our selves into a corner with the best speech of all time. Now we're begging for a political way out of it.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Europe is inured to this. We aren't.