On CNN 10/31/04 A reporter being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer was questioned about our failure to apprehend Osama Ben Laudin in Tora Bora. The reporter stated that radio transmissions from Tora Bora definitely confirmed that Osama was there at the time we were attempting to grab him. Also eyewitness accounts verified his presence at that location.

Sadly the U.S. relied on Afghanistan warlords to do the heavy lifting. The reporter also revealed that there just weren’t enough American troops to do the job. In fact, he indicated that there were actually more journalists and TV reporters at the site than there were U.S. troops.

The U.S. armed forces generals recognized the failure at Tora Bora. This became apparent when later, in another Afghanistan military mission, Anaconda, there were more than 1000 U.S. troops put on the ground. But the bottom line is that we clearly blew a chance to nab Osama at Tora Bora proving that the Bush administration’s habit of outsourcing tasks was a miserable mistake for something as important as catching Osama.

What’s MY POINT? It’s simply this. Bush (and supporters) keep telling us how wonderful it is that Saddam Hussien of Iraq is behind bars. Bush uses Saddam as a symbol of state sponsored terrorism. Bush uses Hussein as an example of U.S success in the Middle East. But crazy Bush and supporters fail to realize that it was Osama not Hussein who led the attack that killed 3000 Americans on 9/11. And even the pathological Dick Cheney claimed (before the Iraq invasion) that Iraq was “the geological base for 9/11.

Now Bush and his pals claim that Osama isn’t ALL THAT important because the war on terror is much bigger than he is. We are told that terrorism is a worldwide problem and that neutralizing terrorists in Iraq and around the world is the real goal.

But the joke is, that OSAMA BEN LAUDIN was the SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT PERSON in facilitating the deaths of 3000 Americans. And now some of the right-wingers claim he’s not that important! Osama gave the orders and helped with the planning. Ultimately, he pulled the trigger that sent 3000 U.S. citizens to their graves on 9/11. Think about it, when ever Bush is successful in the Middle East he crows about it. But if Bush admitted his FAILURE to capture Osama, as many times as he brags about his successes in Afghanistan, the electorate would realize just how much a failure he is.

The fact is, Osama IS important. He is the inspiration for the terrorists. A PEW poll found that approximately 40% of the citizens in Saudi Arabia consider him a hero. He is an example and role model for many up and coming young adults in the Middle East.
It was Hasni Mubarek the Egyptian leader who stated that if the U.S. invaded Iraq, the impact would be to create a thousand carbon copies of Osama Ben Laudin. You think he might have a pretty good idea of how things work in the Middle East?

The hilarious part about this, is how some Bush supporters in their attempt to justify how insignificant Osamas’ capture is, want us to expand are view of terrorism beyond just Osama’s existence. There is truth in that notion. There is no doubt about the worldwide reach of terrorism. Consider the tragic deaths of a few hundred-train passengers in Spain at the hands of terrorists.

But in surveys taken by PEW and Time magazine, Bush is hardly well liked and respected by populations in other countries. The PEW survey found that even our allies (excepting Britain) have majority populations that are against the Iraq invasion and U.S. foreign policy. This is hardly a successful recipe for battling the threat of world wide terrorist cells, especially since we need everyone’s cooperation, from citizens in all countries, to the worldwide network of intelligence agencies.

But the right-wingers tell us other wise. Osama isn’t that big a deal and they endorse Bush Junior. Bush Junior is no statesman. When it comes to getting worldwide cooperation he’s a go it alone kind of guy. As he proclaimed to the world: “You’re either with us, or you’re with the terrorists.” Think about that statement. Hey pal “ you’re either on my side or you’re on their side.” That kind of reasoning sounds great if you’re a bully out on the schoolyard playground. But junior’s father knew better than to use that kind of phrasing to build alliances. But I can forgive Junior. He has the mind of a 12 year old, and mentally he still thinks the world is a schoolyard playground.