Barring any surprises, Osama bin Laden will mark his fiftieth birthday on March 10. Five years ago, it seemed unlikely that the man would survive to celebrate the occasion, at least not outside U.S. custody. Not only does al-Qaeda’s leader remain at large, but he is rallying the troops. Recent reports suggest bin Laden and his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri have reestablished their chain of command (NYT) and begun operating new training camps in the northwestern Pakistani region of North Waziristan. The top Taliban leader in southern Afghanistan recently told a British television station that he and bin Laden regularly “share plans” (CNN).
Critics of the Bush administration suggest bin Laden would be long gone had the United States stayed focused on its mission in Afghanistan and not become mired in Iraq, often referring to Afghanistan as “The Forgotten War” (Boston Globe).
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WINGNUTS,
SAY A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THE MAN YOUR CHIMP IS “NOT THAT CONCERNED ABOUT”.
WHEN YOU DRIVE YOUR GAS GUZZLERS, YOU’RE PUTTING MONEY INTO HIS POCKET.
FEEL SAFER NOW?
Bush struck a deal long ago to not go after this devil — he is after all a Saudi billionaire and friend of the royal family
duh
Clueless@1: Why did you change your nick?
#2 If he struck a deal why has there been incursions into the border area?
If we entered into Pakistan looking for Bin Ladin, the ‘tards here and the ‘bats in Congress would be calling for hearings why we went after Bin Ladin in a sovereign nation. You ‘Wipes can’t have it both ways.
looking for heroin to confiscate and resell
#4 Puddy. Can you name one successful thing the Bush Administration has accomplished? Something that has been good for America as a whole?
Bush is a trainwreck, and his followers are blind ideologues who may not even be human.
The GOP (thanks to the Walter Reed story) will now be sent to the rat hole of history where they belong.
Bush cares about our vets / troops about as much as Hitler cared about the Jews…..
You know how a Republicon talks politics? They spew out a Rovian talking point, and then run away.
They have to run.
They can’t handle the truth. Too many facts make them look stupid.
One thing is for sure. The Military Industrial Complex is glad we haven’t got Bin Laden. We get to spend trillions of tax dollars we don’t have because of one bogey man……
How many muslims need to die to make them stop hating us?
Remember when the Bush regime gave free passage out of the US on 9.11 while the rest of us were grounded? And did you know Bush Sr was meeting with Obama’s dad the morning of the 9.11 attack?
Bush’s failure to stop bin Laden on 9.11, coupled with his failure to find him all these years later, shows just one more example of what happens when you install an incompetent coke-snorting, AWOL, drunk-driving, business-bankrupting, inbred coward as your pretend President!
http://www.crooksandliars.com/.....shNewt.mov
Kieth really nails this one – I love it – Coultergeist!
his followers are blind ideologues who may not even be human.
‘NUFF SAID – ABOUT PUDDYBUD!
FAMOUS WORDS OF THE CHIMPANZEE: “I DON’T KNOW WHERE HE IS.”
The mess at Walter Reed shows that the “Support Our Troops” crowd is as usual, nothing more than slogans for Fox Nothing Channel. These people don’t support our troops. They hate our troops and they’ve proven it by letting these guys live like this rather than put competent commanders in charge.
Actually, the US under George Bush’s leadership will never go after Bin Laden as long as he hides out in Pakistan. BL has never been, and never will be our reason for going to war. 911 was but a mere smoke screen for the US actions in Afghinistan and Iraq. The true reason for going to war was a decision made by members of “Project for the New American Century.” PNAC is a neoconservative group who’s members include Dick Cheeney, George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Carl Rove, and other powerful political figures in Washington. The economic identifier of this organization is called “The Oil Factor.” I’ll explain that later. Let’s talk about democracy.
Democracy is not the reason we invaded Iraq. The main reason is geo strategic regional dominance, which is the one that relates to energy supplies. Another reason for this invasion-occupation at the time that we did it, had to do with the pressure to lift sanctions. There was a huge pressure building to lift sanctions on Iraq. Had sanctions been lifted or partially lifted, Iraq could have been filled with Europeans, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, all kinds of folks. No American or British folks, but the US and the U.K. had been bombing Iraq for 12 years. Had sanctions been lifted with Saddam Hussein still in charge, we would have gotten no contracts and no opportunities to invest in Iraq, but furthermore, we would have lost the ability to attack Iraq at any time, because Iraq would have been filled with foreigners. Another reason for war was a decision Saddam Hussein in November of 2000 to switch to the Euro for all of his oil for food exports. He had been on the dollar for decades. He decided to switch to the euro. He had gone into full production of his oil capability and had he continued to trade oil on the Euro and not the Dollar, this would have actually had a financial impact on the United States in that Central Banks in the world would be more favorable towards the Euro and less to the Dollar.
So what’s the big deal with oil and why are we so dependent on it and why there will never be a real replacement or serious substitute for it??!? Well, let’s look at oil’s true value to our survival. World food production is so dependent upon hydrocarbon energy. All commercial fertilizers are made out of natural gas that produces ammonia. All pesticides are made out of oil. Now, with agribusiness, you drive an oil-powered machine to plow, you drive an oil-powered machine to plant, and then you fertilize it with “natural gas,” then you irrigate it with water that’s pumped by electric pump where the electricity comes from burning natural gas or oil, in most cases. Then you spray it with “oil pesticides,” then you harvest it with an oil-powered vehicle….the bottom line is this, we eat ten calories of hydrocarbon energy for every calorie of food consumed on the planet. I have not mentioned technology products, automobiles, electronics, home furnishings…..!
Satellite imaging applied to oil exploration has confirmed a stark reality. With increasing consumption, and diminishing reserves, the world is rapidly running out of oil. At the current rate of production, the west will be first to hit the zero mark by 2010. At this point, both the United States and Europe will depend entirely on outside sources for their oil. Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, while self-sufficient today are next, and due to run out by 2013. With this exploding oil consumption, Asia will run dry in 2018. The reality, however, is that major conflicts are likely to erupt before any of these players actually runs out of oil. This article is getting longer than planned so let me get to the point of why we will never capture Bin Laden as long as he remains in the hills of Pakistan.
Unocal Oil Company contracted with the American government via Haliburton through a new company called CentGas consortium to build an 890-mile natural gas pipeline from Dauletabad, Turkmenistan, through Afghanistan to Multan, and Pakistan. This was decided to offset the monopology Russia currently have on oil export in this region. Under the contract CentGas will maintain a 70 percent share for themselves with the remainder divided between Saudi-based Delta Oil, Russia’s Gazprom and state-owned Turkmenrosgaz. Afghanistan and Pakistan are key players because of their strategic locations.
The surge in Afghnistan planned this summer by American and Brittish forces has little to do with terrorists but more to do with protecting companies contracted to work on the pipeline during the summer months.
In conclusion, We know where Bin Laden is hiding out and he will remain safe as long as he remains in Pakistan, a sovereign nation with a big plan and a man we will never touch less we loose in the long term.
AVERAGE MAN – PFFFT! THE EURO TROPE IS NONSENSE. HELL CHAVEZ HAS GONE TO THE EURO, IRAN IS GOING TO THE EURO. MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. IRAN HAS THEIR BOURSE – NO DIFFERENCE – THE SUCKERS BUILT IT AND NOBODY CAME. THE WHOLE MACHINERY OF OIL TRADE IS BASED ON THE DOLLAR. SURE THE DOLLAR IS SUFFERING BUT THAT’S BECAUSE OF OUR BRAINDEAD FISCAL AND TRADE POLICIES.
NOW YOUR POINT ABOUT FOREIGNERS IN IRAQ IS WELL TAKEN. IF THE NEO-CONS DIDN’T MOVE TO TAKE OUT SADDAM ASAP THEN HE AND HIS SONS WOULD BE THERE INDEFINITELY, LOOSE CANONS THAT THE NEO-CONS COULDN’T TOLERATE. IRONICALLY, I SUPPORTED SADDAM BEING TAKEN OUT – IN THE RIGHT WAY: ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN PEACE FIRST AND THEN SUPPORTING AN IRAQI-LED OPPOSITION TO REMOVE SADDAM. LET THE IRAQIS REMOVE THEIR OWN DICTATOR.
BIN LADEN IS MORE VALUABLE TO WHOLE CORRUPT RIGHT-WING REGIME ALIVE THAN DEAD. BIN LADEN HELPS THEM WIN ELECTIONS. THAT’S WHY HE’S STILL WALKING.
THERE’S PLENTY OF SUBSTITUTES FOR THE STUFF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT AND IT WILL BE SUBSTITUTED AS THE OIL GET MORE EXPENSIVE. IT WON’T BE A SMOOTH RIDE BUT IT WILL HAPPEN.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thebl.....g_res.html
According to ABC, we have paramilitary agents in Pakistan looking after “FRESH LEADS”.
Unfortunately, Osama and friends read the news as well. ABC should keep their mouth shut for the time being instead of possibly causing the slightest bit of heat within Pakistani politics, and tipping off the terrorists.
GOOD. FUCKING. GAME.
Richboy@15
Yeah, if ABC hadn’t said anything I’m sure Osama and friends would never have suspected that there might be special ops looking for them. We would have caught him long ago if that damn free press of ours would just shut up.
Osama is a lot things, but stupid isn’t one of them when it comes to his own security.
@1 More importantly, when they drive their gas guzzlers, they’re putting money in Roger Rabbit’s pocket!!! NOV is up 2 1/2 bucks today as the stock market surges on news of a Republican traitor’s conviction.
@4 Since when has a little thing like a border or a foreign nation’s sovereignty stopped Republicans from conducting military incursions?
@4 When and where did Republicans suddenly get their new-found respect for other countries’ sovereignty?
@19 When they acquire nuclear weapons, that’s when.
And Puddybud @4, that’s why we won’t go into Pakistan to look for Bin Laden. They’re an unstable ally with nuclear weapons whose military just needs one good excuse to overthrow the current military dictator and install a new anti-US pro-Jihad dictator. In which case Bin Ladin wins, right?
YOS LIB BRO
I agree with your statement regarding Chevez and Iran however, keep in mind that the power behind the American dollar is America’s ability to buy and sell oil. Not only that but the dollar is also the worlds “Reserve Currency” which enables central banks within nations to defend its currencies to speculative trading by holding large reserves in American dollars. The so called ‘Old Europe” as described by Donald Rumsfeld was using the middle east, particularly Iraq as a test case to undermine the dollar of its power to purchase oil.
This was a direct attack on the United States by the European Union which did not escape the attention of the Bush administration. It was viewed by the bush neo-conservatives as an attack on the dollars worldwide monetary hegemony which the United States has had for decades that could not go unchallenged. It was a risk that France and Germany wanted to take, and never in their wildest dreams did they think that the American response would be to invade and effectively rape the country they hoped would be their foot hold to the oil rich middle east. The French and Germans greatly underestimated the Bush neo-conservative clans and their ability or stupidity to wage war on this magnitude.
You mentioned Chavez and Iran. While they provide valid examples in defense of your argument unfortunately, they play little roles in which currency prevails. Iran’s oil producing ability is declining. It is estimated that their oil reserves will be dry by 2020 which is why they are adamant about their nuclear program. Chevez, because of his country’s strategic location will never succeed in boosting the euro against the dollar because their economic stability is too dependent on the western economy and the dollars buying power.
My final comment is the reality of the power play by the Europeans. With this in mind it is imperative that the bush administration stay the course in Iraq despite public outcry. They must continue their policy of forced liberation of not just Iraq but other Muslim nations. If they pull out now the future could would result in many enemies who will oppose the American preponderance in the region who will put an end to the neoconservatives quest for violent democratization with Iraq being the only country liberated, something that horrifies the neoconservatives to death.
Meanwhile, back on the ranch, OPEC nations are under a lot of pressure to do something to curtail American aggression and involvement in the Middle East. They’ve studied many possibilities but could only come up with one which will be extremely damaging for the U.S. economy, and that is to covert to the Euro as their exchange mechanism for the trade in oil and to establish the Euro as their “Reserve Currency”. The Europeans have supported this effort for years and with the current US foreign policies and morality issues they have gained supporters even among the US once long time allies. If the US continues on its current course in the middle east it will give the Europeans a greater chance in achieving this goal and this is one of the reasons if not the main reason why Germany and France were opposed to the invasion of Iraq. Iran can stand against the US on their nuclear program because they are bed fellows with the European union and is officially looking towards the European Union and the Euro as its exchange mechanism for their trade in oil.
Roger, when “Scooter” gets convicted the market goes up 100+ points.
When Cheney gets convicted, it will jump 1,000 points.
And when Bush itself gets convicted…
“shows just one more example of what happens when you install an incompetent coke-snorting, AWOL, drunk-driving, business-bankrupting, inbred coward as your pretend President!”
WOW! you are right. Damn if you had told me he was all of those when He ran the first time I would have thought you were talking about a liberal. Drug user, draft dodger, DUI holder seem to be the standard for all politicians nowadays.
Iraq, Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo Bay, and finally,The private war of women soldiers:
As thousands of burned-out soldiers prepare to return to Iraq to fill President Bush’s unwelcome call for at least 20,000 more troops, I can’t help wondering what the women among those troops will have to face. And I don’t just mean the hardships of war, the killing of civilians, the bombs and mortars, the heat and sleeplessness and fear.
I mean the hardships imposed upon them from their own comrades — the men.
The probability of rape by their male comrades is so widely recognized in Iraq that their officers routinely tell them not to go to the latrines or showers without another woman for protection. Comprehensive statistics on the sexual assault of female soldiers in Iraq have not been collected, but early numbers revealed a problem so bad and widespread that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered a task force in 2004 to investigate. The findings resulted in a website published by the Defense Department in 2005 designed to clarify that sexual assault is illegal and to help women report it. It also initiated required classes on sexual assault and harassment.
Unfortunately, with a greater number of women serving in Iraq than ever before, these measures are not keeping women safe. When you add in the high numbers of war-wrecked soldiers being redeployed, and the fact that the military is waiving criminal and violent records for more than one in 10 new Army recruits, the picture for women looks very bleak.
The military’s definition of sexual assault includes “rape; nonconsensual sodomy; unwanted inappropriate sexual contact or fondling; or attempts to commit these acts.”
Politcal events may have a short term effect on the stock market, but any effect is very temporary. The real thing that affect the stock market is the Federal Reserve and what investors think about the future. If the future “feels” OK, investors are buying. Part of the “feeling” is having a Fed that does what it’s supposed to do: promote growth and keep prices stable.
I suppose if Bush were to get convicted suddenly, the market might react, but the effect would be short. If he even went to trial, the market would decide his fate and only react if a verdict was different than what they market expected.
Where is Bin Laden?
http://www.crusade-media.com/news54.html
Related is a disturbing artilcle:
Top Pakistan nuclear scientists in Taliban Custody
http://www.zeenews.com/article.....#038;ssid=