Posted on 12/29/2001 2:07:28 PM PST by knighthawk
PRESIDENT George W. Bush yesterday poured scorn on Osama bin Laden and made clear that despite Afghan calls for a quick end to US bombing, the United States would hunt the world's most wanted man for as long as it took to find him – dead or alive.
In a voice dripping with sarcasm, Mr Bush described bin Laden as a man on the run, and a man who, in three months, had swapped control of a country for control of a cave. Making his first direct comments since a new videotape of bin Laden set off reports that the chief suspect for the September 11 suicide hijack attacks had escaped to neighbouring Pakistan, Mr Bush said the Saudi-born militant's main achievement had been to be on the losing side of a rout.
Afghan Defence Minister General Mohammad Fahim yesterday added his voice to others saying bin Laden was in Pakistan.
"After fleeing from Tora Bora (in eastern Afghanistan) there is a strong probability that Osama is in Peshawar (northern Pakistan)," he said.
The mountainous Tora Bora region was thought to be the last redoubt of bin Laden's al-Qaeda network before they were blasted from the region's myriad caves by US bombing.
Gen Fahim said there would be no need for US bombing once a few remaining border areas had been cleared of final resistance.
Earlier his spokesman said this would take no more than three days, after which the bombing must stop.
The United States, though, said it had received no request to stop the bombing, and declined to make such a promise.
Mr Bush and his military commander in charge of the Afghan operation said they were keeping their options open.
"We don't know whether he's in a cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open. We just don't know. There's all kinds of reports and all kinds of speculation," Mr Bush said of bin Laden. "But one thing is for certain – he's on the losing side of a rout."
With operational commander General Tommy Franks at his side at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush said he expected US forces to remain in Afghanistan "for quite a long period of time".
"I think that it's best for all of us to recognise that we will not be hurried," Gen Franks said.
"We will not be pressed into doing something that does not represent our national objectives."
Mr Bush also declined to accept any suggestion that bin Laden was no longer in a position to mastermind another attack on the US or its allies, saying intelligence reports showed that he or his al-Qaeda network could strike again.
"I hope 2002 is a year of peace, but I'm also realistic," he said.
"And I know full well that bin Laden and his cronies would like to harm America again. How do I know that? I receive intelligence reports on a daily basis that indicates that that's his desire."
Now that's funny and it's also heartening to realize Bubba Clinton couldn't have pulled that line off.
President Bush talks by telephone with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Saturday, Dec. 29, 2001, from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. (AP Photo/The White House, Susan Sterner)
Now THIS is a guy YOU GOTTA LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, but I do....I really, really do!
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