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Peggy Noonan: The Big Three [that] the president should focus on. (No. 1: Find Osama)
opinion journsl ^ | Ap 26 06 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 05/07/2006 3:10:45 PM PDT by churchillbuff

...A plan for the administration? Free advice is worth the price, but here goes:

[snip]

Issue 1: Iraq, Afghanistan and the age of terror. On these, stabilize, fortify, succeed. Keep America safe. ...Find Osama--it is a scandal that the man who started the new era is still free, still taunting the West, still inspiring those who see the world as he does. It was a mistake to think finding him was not as important as a wider war on terror. Finding him is key. It is almost five years since he did what he did. Get him, try him, kill him.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: 2006agenda; noonan
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To: RHINO369
If we had just used 30 thousands marines in Afghanistan we would have caught OBL in Tora Bora.

If I were Bush I'd notify Special Ops teams are going to cross into his territory and that he wasn't going to stop us. I don't think they are currently. There is no reason our military can't find Bin Laden.

Bud, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about - And are simply blowing BS smoke -

There are very valid reasons why we haven't been able to locate & kill UBL -

Your silly suggestion that 30 thousands Marines would have found him is...just that silly. First off the notion that UBL was clearly at the Tora Bora mountains during our bombing is not at all a reality - Additionally when that event took place we had no where near the logistic capabilities in theater to put 30 thousands Marines into the Tora Bora Mtn's (to even suggest such shows you have no concept about what you are talking about).

UBL is eking out a survival in the Afghan/Pak border regions - Understand that just in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province NFWP) - We are talking approximately 40,000 + square miles of the most rugged terrain on earth. Also understand the Afghan / Pakistan border stretches 1,500 miles—roughly the distance from Washington, D.C., to Denver (just to get an idea of the size we are talking). The region includes every landscape from desert to snow-capped mountains - At heights Throughout the NW Frontier (and Baluchistan) Pashtun tribes are completely in control. A group of warlords who are autonomous from any centralized Gov't - Pakistan troops (Gov't troops) haven't controlled these areas for the last century + -

Again the terrain and heights in this region of the world are some of the most brutal on earth -Making any sustained operations a complete nightmare.

Lastly I would point out we have had over 130,000 + U.S. warriors In Iraq going on over 3 years now - We have control over 85% of the Country with the full backing of the majority of the Iraqi people....yet Zarqawi remains free.

Is this only because we aren't really looking for him in Iraq?

61 posted on 05/07/2006 4:06:02 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: churchillbuff
Simply incredible how many people are uninterested in making Osama pay for having perpetrated 9-11. Even people who went to the movie about Flight 93 and the horrors that Osama did to those people -- Me, I believe in punishing murderers. Osama has murdered more Americans than any other individual currently walking the planet. He needs to be caught and executed -- and that should be the government's top priority right now. The families of 9-11 are owed that justice.

Oh I agree that this guy should be caught, tortured and executed. But, I hear too many Dems argue that we should be doing nothing else until we catch him. I've heard too many times that we shouldn't have invaded Iraq until we caught Bin Laden. I think the WOT is much bigger than this one man.

62 posted on 05/07/2006 4:06:31 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: taxesareforever

he's not under any rubble, he was sipping a coke in Pakistan when we were bombing tora bora. he had planned to move into the pakistan tribal region all along after 9-11, along with Al Zahawahi and the whole bunch. that's where they are.


63 posted on 05/07/2006 4:07:24 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: DevSix; Straight Vermonter
Great point. This administration has been terrible at pointing out the many successes in the WOT. Agree completely - The WH/GOP PR staff need to fight with the same 24/7 intensity they are asking of our warriors in the field - They have done a piss-poor performance in this regard (too a large degree).

Agreed. And why aren't they using the recently translated Iraq prewar docs which seem to support their reasons for going to Iraq in the first place? It seems as if they'd go a long way in improving public perception about the WOT in general. Hopefully, Tony Snow will turn this around....

64 posted on 05/07/2006 4:09:05 PM PDT by redgirlinabluestate
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To: Tarpon

>>The terrorists are an ideology, not a person.

While that's true, and I agree, the fact remains that the Left has hammered on the "Bush shouldn't have gone into Iraq, we should have caught OBL" theme. Catching him would have a huge impact on the masses.


65 posted on 05/07/2006 4:21:10 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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To: Miss Marple
How long did it take us to catch the Unabomber? Eric Rudolph?

It took about 5 or so years to catch Eric Rudolf. Some police officer found him in a dumpster. Then they called FBI.

His brother turned the Unibomer in.

66 posted on 05/07/2006 4:21:15 PM PDT by carenot (Proud member of The Flying Skillet Brigade)
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To: churchillbuff

Holy Sh-t how many time does it have to be said CLINTOON HAD HIM AND TURNED DOWN THE OFFER TO GET HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


67 posted on 05/07/2006 4:21:35 PM PDT by snowman1
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To: Miss Marple

Just Peggy trying to get some attention by piggybacking onto Tony Snow's wonderful new job.


68 posted on 05/07/2006 4:32:40 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: OldFriend
I wonder how long it will be before she writes some syrupy stiletto attack on Tony, with the caveat that "she just wants to give him some advice?" That is her ususal MO...that and the damning with faint praise and patronization.

I say she will do it within a month.

69 posted on 05/07/2006 4:36:00 PM PDT by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's and Jemian's sons and keep them strong.)
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To: Paige
If you love Peggy then you must love Madame Halfbright.

Singing the same stupid song.

70 posted on 05/07/2006 4:36:20 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: Gaffer

Have you signed up for the US military?


71 posted on 05/07/2006 4:37:18 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: SE Mom
(I was once a devoted fan and great admirer of Ms. Noonan)

sigh

I ONCE was also.

I wonder if she wasn't talking about herself in the woman that got pushed out because she wasn't pretty enough - (maybe no longer young enough? )- since this was the lead part of her column? She does seem, the past couple years, to be nursing a grudge - missing her former lime light?

72 posted on 05/07/2006 4:42:34 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: livius
The problem is Islam.

Got that right - OBL is now just a weak cog, hiding his sorry a*s in a deep cave somewhere - some leader.

He was never the head of the snake -

73 posted on 05/07/2006 4:46:25 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: Miss Marple
Peggy's already at it! She's green eyed. Always has been.

She was right for Reagan and wrong for the first President Bush.

Too bad she never realized that folksy rhetoric was anathema to George HW Bush.

If you are going to write for something, you have to be able to discern their personna. Peggy never got even close to the first President Bush and she doesn't get this President Bush either.

74 posted on 05/07/2006 4:47:40 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: kittymyrib
Either gas prices go down, or the GOP will lose the majority in the House.

and the voters will grouse as they fill up their cars, with a $5.00 Starbucks in one hand and a cigarette from a $6-7.00 pack in the other.

75 posted on 05/07/2006 4:48:30 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: maine-iac7
and the voters will grouse as they fill up their cars, with a $5.00 Starbucks in one hand and acigarette from a $6-7.00 pack in the other. I hope they don't do this while I am filling up and the next pump, I might 'grouse' if I go BOOM!
76 posted on 05/07/2006 4:52:22 PM PDT by lmr (You can have my Tactical Nuclear Weapons when you pry them from my cold dead fingers.)
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To: churchillbuff

Yo any of you noonan koolaid drinkers want to go into the badlands of Pakistan where is he and go in and get him. Especially since a soverign country will not let us in there. Everybody knows where the pig is ,the problem is we cannot go get him and if they will not let us cross into that country send dog the bounty hunter in for us. Perhaps Ms NO brains can go over there , and get him for us since she is such an expert.


77 posted on 05/07/2006 5:05:36 PM PDT by betsyross1776
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To: All

If we get OBL, then the mantra will be that the WOT is over.


78 posted on 05/07/2006 5:12:53 PM PDT by Lynne
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To: Lynne

let's not worry about that - let's just get the SOB.


79 posted on 05/07/2006 5:13:54 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: RHINO369
Why would our troops in Afghanistan be looking for OBL? Hes obviously not in Afghanistan anymore. He's probably in Pakistan.

Then why haven't we long ago gone into Pakistan and got him?

Bush should have demanded from congress a Declaration of War against Afghanistan and any who support or assist that nation. Period. Pakistan should have long ago been informed that this "tribal area" excuse was completely unacceptable. Had those whom ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor fled to some other country, does anyone believe America wouldn't have gone after them with full fury.

We are busy fighting another "hearts and minds" war. Dear God, when we learn this is a loser approach. Bush simply failed miserably on this front. A Declaration of War would have cemented in the minds of the American public the seriousness of this conflict. Had Bush handled this correctly from the beginning, he would not be the downright unpopular President he is today. Though it pains me to say this, Bush is fast becoming the Republican Jimmy Carter.

Same applies to Iraq. All along the Sunni have been the enemy. Yet, instead of defeating the enemy in Iraq first and only then pursing the "hearts and minds" stuff, Bush has allowed this terrorist insugency and all that has followed to grow like a cancer.

The border is such a gimme issue for Republicans, that the fact Bush is incapable of dealing with it tells me that there simply isnt much hope for this administration. Geeze, secure the damn border. How hard is this? Bush can still push his amnesty nonsense later. In the meantime, secure the damn border. Doing that alone would rally the right to Bush and vastly improve GOP chances this fall.

People don't give Bush credit for the economy because the President fails utterly to communicate with the American people in a coherent manner, and because to date his communications team has been terrible. I believe Bush will get more credit for the economy when the American people believe there is light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Doing something about the border will be so popular, Bush could probably boost his approval ratings on every issue just by addressing it seriously.

80 posted on 05/07/2006 5:15:08 PM PDT by Longbow1969
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