(Needed a little kick in the butt, I guess, given the fact our leadership had been licking their chops and fixing our faces for a rematch with Saddam.)
I just think it's even more essential he be controlled. Clearly, the path we're taking on our Hunt for Osama seems a bit plastic and strangely aligned with the interests of our War-on-Terror ally Russia. If Russia says Iran is NOT a terrorist state and Iraq is off-limits, by golly we back down.
So chances are good Osama's not really the be-all, end-all figure he's been made out to be. (Just as the "evil" Clinton was strangely enabled, protected, sustained, forgiven and rehabilitated by the GOP ... particularly Bush I, Dole and Bush II).
I think chances are excellent they had Osama in the can, as it were, along with their plans to invade Afghanistan along with the Russians.
They don't call them "long-range planners" for nothing.