Ron Paul: Can Freedom be Exchanged for Security?

Ron Paul ^ | 26 November 2001 | Hon. Ron Paul, M.D.

[annalex]

And you know that ... how?

[Demidog]

Because publically Bush said on more than one ocassion that any demands for evidence were not acceptable. Have you been paying attention? There is no credible evidence in the public domain that bin Laden is actually responsible.

Afghanistan did say they would turn over bin Laden if the U.S. would show them the evidence. We refused. We said that such a demand was yet more proof that they were uncooperative.

[annalex]

Blair released a white paper that detailed the evidence. The Taliban dismissed it offhand. That is not cooperative.

[Demidog]

They are not required to cooperate. However, I have never heard of such a white paper. And why is the British government responsible for that presentation? Where is that white paper?

[annalex]

The white paper was news a week or two after 9/11. I don't know why Blair was presenting it and not Bush.

This is what has been released to the public. It is not, as they admit, a prosecutorial case. That should hve provided a basis for the Taliban to cooperate further, and they didn't.

Responsibility for the terrorist atrocities

This document (updated on 14.11.01) does not purport to provide a prosecutable case against Usama bin Laden in a court of law. Intelligence often cannot be used evidentially, due both to the strict rules of admissibility and to the need to protect the safety of sources. But on the basis of all the information available HMG is confident of its conclusions as expressed in this document.

INTRODUCTION

1. The clear conclusions reached by the government are:

• Usama bin Laden and Al Qa'ida, the terrorist network which he heads, planned and carried out the atrocities on 11 September 2001;
• Usama bin Laden and Al Qa'ida retain the will and resources to carry out further atrocities;
• the United Kingdom, and United Kingdom nationals are potential targets; and
• Usama bin Laden and Al Qa'ida were able to commit these atrocities because of their close alliance with the Taliban régime, which allowed them to operate with impunity in pursuing their terrorist activity.

Entire document

[Barry Goldwater]

I do live in a cave. How did you know? Are you an FBI employee? Did you peek at my files?

[scottiewottie]

Probably not.