Osama-- Military question

[ljb]

Knowing there are some members of the military on this board, I thought it would be a good place to pose this question.
Do you think we could have Osama in chains by now if the gang of four hadn't diverted the resources from Afghanistan to their personal vendetta against Saddam?
Now then before you all get upset I will say Iraq has it's positives, we did get Saddam and Halliburtons ledgers are looking real nice. But Osama is still planning his next attack.

[chickenhead]

I think the policy of acting like Osama does not matter is completely puzzling and infuriating, and a major point of disagreement I have with Bush.

[sq764]

Maybe he'd be in our hands if Clinton took him more seriously when he was in office..

[cj]

At least in my opinion, he would not have been caught even if we didn't go to war with Iraq. He was probably in another country already when we started looking. What, you think he was going to just hang out where we knew he had previously been? He will be caught.

I do agree he should have been priority number 1, but throwing more troops in Afghanistan wasn't the answer either.

[lsbets]

The majority of combat forces here in Iraq are amor or mechanized infantry. Both types of units are highly ineffective in the terrain of the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are a ton of light infantry and special ops guys in that area looking for Osama (a lot of my friends are there), and given the nature of the hunt, small specialized units are much more appropriate and effective.

[chickenhead]

are those troops operating in Pakistan, or are they still forbidden to cross the border?

[lsbets]

don't know, but i would imagine Pakistan wouldn't want to let us in

[chickenhead]

yeah..I think that is the problem....those guys up there would want to let Osama in.

[so.cal.fan]

lsbets?

It just seems obvious that ANY information about this search for bin Laden would be kept in complete secrecy.
I have always believed (no proof, of course) that perhaps he would have been caught in Afganistan a couple of years ago, had it not been for all the press coverage......remember seeing Geraldo Rivera searching through caves for him with cameras rolling.
I know he will be caught eventually, but we won't hear a word until they've got him.

[JustMissed]

Originally posted by so.cal.fan
lsbets?

......remember seeing Geraldo Rivera searching through caves for him with cameras rolling.


Gerald couldn't find his ass if his hands were in his back pocket!

Remember the search for Al Capone?

Rember last weekend during Frances and Geraldo identified a sailboat captain in dire peril fighting the storm. They had the camera on the boat for about an hour and it turns out the boat was at anchor and abandoned.

What a hoot that Geraoldo is.

JM

[lsbets]

So cal,

That is one of the reasons I said small units actions are more effective. Tanks are not very secretive. They are hard to hide, and they can't sneak up on anyone.

[Tom]

The problem with this thread is the assumption that the hunt for Bin Laden has not been on the front burner. The assumptin is that just because YOU haven't heard a lot about it, it isn' t happening. You have no evidence to support your premise other than your ignorance about it.

[chickenhead]

actually..(I assume your vitriol is directed at ljb and not me, but who knows)...I thought that it's not on the front burner because Bush made several comments to that point....I think he said Osama is not a top priority..I don't think about him that much....etc. etc.

So I disagree with your initial comments, but in essence you are right...I do not know truly one way or the other what the real priorities are.....

[PaceAdvantage]

Saying that Osama isn't on the front burner may be a bit of dis-information.....nothing wrong with that....let the enemy relax a little.

I'll betcha a dollar to a donut that Osama will be announced in the custody of United States forces before the election.

And this, I remind everyone, will be a GOOD thing!

[Tom]

Originally posted by chickenhead
actually..(I assume your vitriol is directed at ljb and not me, but who knows)...I thought that it's not on the front burner because Bush made several comments to that point....I think he said Osama is not a top priority..I don't think about him that much....etc. etc.

So I disagree with your initial comments, but in essence you are right...I do not know truly one way or the other what the real priorities are.....

CH...I didn't mean ignorance as a bad thing- I meant it like you said. Sorry about that. Hard to come across the way you want to with just typed words.

Bush told us that we would not hear about everything going on way back in 2001. Not talking about covert actions is essential. Would it be wise for him to say we are hot on OBL's ass and have infiltrated Al Weada and have people close to him this very moment?

I think he is top priorty and being dealt with by the best people in the best way. I am also sure it will be spun as a political ploy when he is captured.

[chickenhead]

Sorry about that Tom....couldn't tell whether you were calling me a dumb bastard, or just making a valid point. (Or both ;))

The reasons for whatever Bush says are probably complex..lots of reasons rolled into one....two others that have occured to me for downplaying UBL:

1.) People judge someone's strength/power by the strength/power of their enemies....having the US rant and rave about what a big threat you are can't help but make you look bigger and stronger in the eyes of some....so downplaying could be an attempt to take some of the wind out of his sails.

2.) White House could have pretty good idea where he is (Pakistan) and have pretty good idea how difficult it will be to get him out of an area that we can't go into, and that is heavily pro UBL. So downplaying gives GWB a bit of an excuse or whatever you want to call it for not getting the guy...because he knows the odds of getting him anytime soon are slim based on situation...(it has been what 3 years already, that's a long time with the full force of the United States on your ass)

It is the second reason that really bothers me...if it is in fact one of the reasons....I fear in some ways that Pakistan might have us over a barrel....you know like ...we give you UBL...you give us.....whatever. I hope that is not what is happening. It did raise my eyebrows a bit when that Khan guy that sold all the nuclear secrets didn't get punished....

[Tom]

I agree that three years is a long time.
I would have handled the search much differently. Much differently. It suc to be a Pakistani if they got in my way.
Why is it taking so long for whole to recognize the immienent threat psoed by terrorism?
The USA, Greramany, Russia, France, England, Spain, Polland, should be united in a global purge of terror cells at any cost.
I guess when you get to be a world leader, you don't consider simple things like right and wrong anymore. I wonder how long it will take before a global vigilante group will emerge to do the job that has been ignored for so long?