Thursday, February 19, 2004

Anticipating the Capture of Osama bin Laden

By Ahmed Bouzid

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  1. Here comes the October surprise…

    http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1487570,00.html

    Posted by SS from  on  12/31  at  01:00 PM

  2. I agree emphatically with your point and cannot understand why the anti-Bush forces have left themselves so vulnerable in this area.  I would be very surprised if there WEREN’T a new edition of the “October Surprise,” just as cynically choreographed as the last one.  In fact, I am guessing that Bin Laden may already have been captured or is accessible when capture becomes desirable, perhaps through intermediates like a Pakistani group.  The Bush Adminstration simply will not fail to play this card, timed to maximum effect.  The Saddam “capture” was, I believe, in the nature of a trial balloon to see how high and how long the bump in the polls lasted.  I most sincerely hope that the Democrats listen to what you are saying in your article and also emphasize the possibility of a timed Osama “capture.” It’s critical, and it’s not getting nearly enough attention.

    Posted by Cat from  on  02/20  at  06:08 PM

  3. GEORGE BUSH NEVER SAID THIS WAS GOING TO BE EASY.  THAT IS A FACT THAT CONTINUES TO BE CONVIENTLY IGNORED BY THE LIBERALS.  THEY SHOULD ALL GET ON THEIR KNEES AND THANK GOD THAT GEORGE BUSH IS OUR PRESIDENT AT THIS TIME INSTEAD OF AL GORE.  CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT A DISASTER THAT WOULD BE IN THIS CRITICAL POST 9/11 TIME.

    AS FOR AN OCTOBER SURPRISE?  JUST A TYPICAL DEMOCRAT POSTURE FOR WHAT IS INEVITABLE…

    Posted by TBB from  on  02/21  at  11:06 AM

  4. Typical.  We may be about to catch bin Laden, something all Americans should be happy about, and all you can think of is how to spin it to the advantage of the Democrats?  You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

    Posted by Mike from  on  02/21  at  01:56 PM

  5. TBB: If Gore had been President, THERE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN A SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACK because he would have been PAYING ATTENTION to the intelligence he received in August 2001, instead of going on a f

    Posted by JAM from  on  02/21  at  04:01 PM

  6. Kerry needs to DEMAND that Bush stop “warehousing” Osama for October and go get him NOW. We all know the Bushies are waiting for October. Kerry needs to ORDER Bush to action. This would effectivly immunize Kerry against the next Bush October Suprise.

    Posted by Chuck from  on  02/21  at  05:52 PM

  7. I can’t for the life of me figure how anyone, with the exception of the top one or ten percent of incomes, can point at Bush with pride as president.  Has anbody seen this guy’s resume?  He was a complete failure in business, drilling nothing but dry holes and driving two or three oil companies into the ground before being bailed out by his daddy’s rich friends.  He cashed out his stock in one of the companies just before it went kaput, leaving other stockholders with worthless paper, and neglected to follow SEC filing requirements afterwards.  He was lent the money to buy into the Texas Rangers baseball team, and needing a feather in his political cap, built an unnecessary new stadium, under suspicious circumstances on the tax payers dime, never to neglect how impotent government was, and how its best function is to get out of the way.  He dodged the draft, along with the rest of his chickenhawk cabinet and staff, and now they are the ones who beat the war drum the loudest.  Everything he’s done as president has been for the very rich, especially the fossil fuel and nuclear industries, and the arms manufacturers, at the expense of everyone else; many, who nonetheless are quite pleased with him.  He’s acted belligerently and unilaterally around the world, making us hated and more susceptible to terrorism.  His policies destroy the environment, and where he hasn’t made them a bona fide dead letter, have threatened civil liberties.  He has turned the country, the world, even space into an armed camp.  The contents of his mind reach furthest when he considers the cleaning tasks of the maid.  He is a complete loser insofar as offering an example or an inspiration to the citizenry.  It’s hard to know where to stop.  I challenge TBB above, if s/he is not in the top income brackets which would explain, to give reasons for supporting the pResident. 

    As for an October surprise sprung on the Democrats costing them the White House this year, so?

    Nader is due to announce on Meet The Press tomorrow the 22nd.  I’m hoping he says yes so that someone will talk about issues that are so critical.

    Posted by Tracy McLellan from  on  02/21  at  08:14 PM

  8. As far as what Democrats should or should not be doing regarding a stance vis-a-vis the troops, nothing short of demanding that they be pulled out of both Afghanistan and Iraq “yesterday” will do.  What is the sense of talking about the narrow political advantages for this side or that in terms of “Osama talk” when the country has no business with a presence abroad in those two countries...as presently manifested. Americans who go back and forth on the pros and cons of this or that approach to using troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (among other places) are avoiding the more basic issues that we have been in violation of international law in “invading” those sovereign nations (for years before 9/11) AND that we brought on the so-called Osama abominations on ourselves.  Using the standards we insisted upon at Nuremberg to put others to death, Americans are guilty of genocide abroad, and should not be sidetracking themselves with NPR-type discussions about Dem vs. Rep. policies regarding the above.
    Thanks for your ear, Richard

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  02/22  at  02:26 PM

  9. As long as one of the main point the Demos relied on in the electoral campaign they’ve made on internet was that Bin Laden is Bush’s business partner, is more likely that the man of straw must be “caught” before Kerry (another Skull & Bones and supporter of the war in Iraq) will be sworn into power, for the simple reason that it is just not becoming for Kerry to have as “terrorist” partner the one who was Bush’s buddy. It is likely that Bin Laden must be ‘caught’ now, in the spring or something, in order the CIA to have time to familiarize us with Kerry’s ‘business partner’ this time, the “terrorist” that will replace Bin Laden, that Omar Mullah probably, we’ll see.

    I frankly don’t care anymore what’s the name they will baptize the next terrorist boss with or when they will ‘catch’ the man of straw Bin Laden in a Hollywoodian scene like the one with Saddam.

    The worrisome fact is that up there a deep conspiration unfolds right now in the background between Cons and Demos and that they don’t seem to ever intend to stop this crazy conquering game. On contrary, they shamelessly continue to minutely observe their New World Order plan in a perfect harmony, defying everyone in their way. 

    ~Vera

    Posted by Vera from Romania from  on  02/22  at  04:18 PM

  10. Ahmed,

    excellent post and very sound advice you give to the Democrats! 

    Helga Fremlin
    Melbourne, Australia

    Posted by Helga Fremlin from  on  02/22  at  08:23 PM

  11. As an American, I find it very hard to believe that we haven’t had him in custody for some time now. There’s no one I talk to who wouldn’t put it past this administration to roll him out when the timing is politically advantageous. Believe me, it doesn’t matter what the democrats say about Bin Laden.  The majority of this country is fed up with Bush and his cronies.  If Kerry or Edwards are elected and they perform as badly as Bush, they’ll be one term presidents as well.

    Posted by Roger from  on  02/22  at  09:29 PM

  12. Call me negative, call me jaded, whatever.  The only issue in this race will be Osama.  The media will see to it, we will hear of nothing else.  Bushco already has him captured, and will wait until it best suits them to “capture” him.  (I wouldn’t doubt that Herr Rove is currently working with scriptwriters, camera crews, and Bin Laden himself, on how best to stage the capture.)

    While I agree that dems need to try a different tactic regarding the Bin Laden capture, I fear that it on’t make any difference.  Bush approval ratings will soar, SUVs and fat people will be plastered with flags, and Bush will be president again. 

    This is the only issue.
    Bush could lose another 10 million jobs, raise taxes, give the proceeds to his buddies, and tell the people that their taxes are lower. They believe everything he says.  Fact is, even if the majority of the US population eating from garbage cans in November, if bin Laden is captured, Bush is in, and he knows it.  Americans do what they’re told to do by the media.

    Posted by Jaded from  on  02/23  at  12:36 PM

  13. Typical DEMOCRAT nonsense.  Is everything about spin to this party?  Is there no substance or soul at all left in the party that once had great men like Harry Truman at the helm?  Even if you don’t agree with anything Bush has done, surely all Americans would agree that capturing OBL would be an event we all could support.  After reading Mr.Bouzid’s callous comments, it is becoming painfully apparent that Democrats really don’t want to defeat terror at all.  That is as long as a Republican sits in the White House.  Well as a life-long Republican, some things are more important than who has the presidency.  If Kerry wins and continues to prosecute the war on terror as successfully as Bush has, I will support him as strongly as I now support Bush. Shame on the Democrats who care more about power than the safety of our nation. 

    Posted by Anthony Clemente from  on  02/23  at  02:26 PM

  14. if he’s captured or killed it will be great news but I doubt it will change the next election. I believe it is already apparent the voting majority are unhappy with the way the us economy was decimated within a year of office by bush

    Posted by Laz from  on  02/23  at  08:04 PM

  15. Osama Bin Laden is just a figure head. I believe that as soon as he is captured, the many-headed hydra Al Q’aida will retaliate with a massive attack that they are reserving for the occasion. Then Bush will have a hard time explaining why he is losing the war on terror. Will this help the Democrats and all progressive peoples of the world? Does Al Q’aida care? Or do they hate us all equally?

    Posted by Terry from  on  02/23  at  09:57 PM

  16. I have been wondering what would happen if OBL was captured and paraded for the country to see a few weeks or months before the election.  I absolutely agree with the writer and posters’ above who’ve said the Democratic candidates should prepare for what would be a monumental event.  I however, would take a different tack if I were the candidate.  No one gives a damn that it took 2 days or 30 months, if he’s caught, we’ll all be pumped!  And I especially don’t want to hear our nominee crying “where is he, where is he?” then watch him have this dumb look on his face as he’s pulled out of a cave.  The best way to neutralize this politically is to say that you, as the DEM candidate, KNOW the US MILITARY WILL capture OBL.  And that its going to happen very soon.  And if it doesn’t, your administration is prepared to put the resources in to where they should be, fighting terrorism.  This is a positive message because 1) Confidence in the military 2) You, as DEM candidate WANT OBL caught! 3) Remind voters we are committed to fighting terrorism.  Plus, if you say the military will capture OBL, I believe you may slightly neutralize the whole Commander-in-Chief thing because if he is caught, then you can say “I knew it!” Personally, I think our military will catch him, and I can’t wait.

    Or we can just stay silent and look like morons as Bush rides OBL to victory in 2004.  Our choice.

    Posted by jt from  on  02/23  at  10:07 PM

  17. Jade above, is your post a pun intended?

    As to Anthony Clemente...First off, your presence on this web site ruins it, and I wish you’d shut up a d go home.

    “Typical DEMOCRAT nonsense.  Is everything about spin to this party?” You rightfully mean “spin to the Democratic wing of this party?” no?

    I don’t know about the creators of this web site, or those that write most of the articles, but I daresay that many of them, like me, do NOT consider themselves Democrats. 

    Harry Truman a great man?  What a laugh.  A mass murderer, who, excepting both Bushes and Clinton and depleted uranium, was the first and only president ever to order the use of nuclear weapons.  Something like 100,000 civilians perished instantly in the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, about the same number over the course of the next several years, and probably many more in cancers and other diseases since.  Truman too, according to no less than Gore Vidal, was the one who ushered in the era of The National Security State and put the US economy on a permanent wartime footing, where it remains today in spades, beginning with his loyalty oaths in the late 1940s.  I don’t guess Fox and CNN report ancient history, eh Anthony? 

    Finally, I would not at all agree with your assertion that all Americans would agree that capturing OBL would be something we could all support - because we would still go on creating OBL’s just like we did the original, and Saddam Husseins.  It was US military, economic, and diplomatic aid that created these monsters, that was their sine qua non - just as it was other monsters such as Suharto in Indonesia, the Shah in Iran, and Pinochet in Chili.  Let me suggest right here Anthony, you read Gabriel Kolko’s book “Another Century of War?” Then come back and make another comment, and I bet it’ll be improved ten-fold.  Unfortunately ten-fold of zero is still zero, so I hope you’re registering at least a tenth or a hundreth.  Indeed, let’s rate your comment a .1. 

    Have you, sir, not read William Blum?  Noam Chomsky?  Sir, do you read books at all?  Or only parrot what you hear on Fox and CNN?

    Please sir, educate yourself on the issues before you go making stupid comments.

    Posted by Tracy McLellan from  on  02/24  at  09:33 PM

  18. Boss- excellent analysis..

    Posted by Skin ola Same from  on  02/25  at  05:38 PM

  19. Right on Tracy!
    The whole administration sucks and anyone with half a brain knows it.

    Posted by John M. Trott from  on  02/29  at  05:06 PM

  20. In case you have all forgotten,or your propaganda apparat did not allow you to know,Usama has said that he will die this year “in the belly of the eagle” and I have no doubt that he will be planning to take a fair few fascisti with him when he goes.

    Posted by activist from  on  03/04  at  01:42 AM

  21. Tracy uses ad hominem attacks and is just as guilty as those she accuses.  I suppose reading those books will just change the world right?  You are like most people, you have complaints but no solutions.

    Activist, your post sounds a little bit on the fringe side.  Care to include your personal info with that?  I am sure the FBI would love to have a chat with someone like yousmile

    Posted by Brett from  on  03/07  at  11:19 PM
    22. Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. {/if}

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