Comments on: Is Osama in Afghanistan? (And does it matter anymore if we kill him?) http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/2009/07/15/is-osama-in-afghanistan-and-does-it-matter-anymore-if-we-kill-him/ What's happening over there Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:46:04 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brian In NYC http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/2009/07/15/is-osama-in-afghanistan-and-does-it-matter-anymore-if-we-kill-him/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Brian In NYC Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:43:00 +0000 http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/?p=1052#comment-170 "would Afghanistan still matter?”" Yes it still matters and in my opinion has nothing to with the future of Eurasia. Something that seems to get lost in this discussion of Afghanistan and something I find very disturbing in my fellow liberals is the little concern shown for the future of the Afghans (especially the females). I've yet to hear a valid argument for abandoning the people of Afghanistan to the Taliban. I'd like for at least one of my fellow liberals to explain to me why the people of Afghanistan deserve any less of our compassion and concern than say for example the people of Darfur or Rwanda. “would Afghanistan still matter?””

Yes it still matters and in my opinion has nothing to with the future of Eurasia. Something that seems to get lost in this discussion of Afghanistan and something I find very disturbing in my fellow liberals is the little concern shown for the future of the Afghans (especially the females). I’ve yet to hear a valid argument for abandoning the people of Afghanistan to the Taliban. I’d like for at least one of my fellow liberals to explain to me why the people of Afghanistan deserve any less of our compassion and concern than say for example the people of Darfur or Rwanda.

]]> By: chuckebeling http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/2009/07/15/is-osama-in-afghanistan-and-does-it-matter-anymore-if-we-kill-him/comment-page-1/#comment-169 chuckebeling Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:23:19 +0000 http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/?p=1052#comment-169 I agree Michael. Our "revenge" has already cost us thousands of lives, and hundreds of thousands in the middle east, not to mention the trillion or so dollars. The way we've gone about it has also cost us the respect of much of the free world, and in the not-so-free regions too. If Bin Laden should be captured, let's put him in a room with Dick Cheney. I assume Cheney will roll out his inquisition kit. I agree Michael. Our “revenge” has already cost us thousands of lives, and hundreds of thousands in the middle east, not to mention the trillion or so dollars. The way we’ve gone about it has also cost us the respect of much of the free world, and in the not-so-free regions too. If Bin Laden should be captured, let’s put him in a room with Dick Cheney. I assume Cheney will roll out his inquisition kit.

]]> By: libtree09 http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/2009/07/15/is-osama-in-afghanistan-and-does-it-matter-anymore-if-we-kill-him/comment-page-1/#comment-168 libtree09 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:31:25 +0000 http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/?p=1052#comment-168 It certainly would have made a point if we managed to nail the man within the time frame that brought us Saddam, it would have been a quick lesson in justice or at least good old fashioned Wyatt Earp "...don't f**k with us" moment. However, the effort to nail this guy reminds me of another historical reference when a President sent our greatest general of the time, Pershing, to catch another terrorist who dared thread on us, one Poncho Villa. We sent the most technological advanced force into the Mexican deserts and mountains while Poncho just laughed at us. Never found the guy, never got close enough to fire those fancy machine guns. I, for one, would like us to catch the guy. Would it cause more problems than it is worth? Does the guy have some great CIA stories to relate? Who knows but it is a bit of an embarrassment to Bush and to Wilson in the past who finally just said screw it and sent an exhausted army home leaving Poncho to his own devices. It certainly would have made a point if we managed to nail the man within the time frame that brought us Saddam, it would have been a quick lesson in justice or at least good old fashioned Wyatt Earp “…don’t f**k with us” moment.

However, the effort to nail this guy reminds me of another historical reference when a President sent our greatest general of the time, Pershing, to catch another terrorist who dared thread on us, one Poncho Villa. We sent the most technological advanced force into the Mexican deserts and mountains while Poncho just laughed at us. Never found the guy, never got close enough to fire those fancy machine guns.

I, for one, would like us to catch the guy. Would it cause more problems than it is worth? Does the guy have some great CIA stories to relate? Who knows but it is a bit of an embarrassment to Bush and to Wilson in the past who finally just said screw it and sent an exhausted army home leaving Poncho to his own devices.

]]> By: Michael Peck http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/2009/07/15/is-osama-in-afghanistan-and-does-it-matter-anymore-if-we-kill-him/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Michael Peck Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:41:19 +0000 http://trueslant.com/michaelhastings/?p=1052#comment-167 We're suffering from Bin Laden fatigue. Too many alleged "sightings" over the years. I occasionally wonder if he's still alive, and Al Qaeda has been cleverly deceiving us all these years. Either way, Bin Laden has had his 15 minutes of infamy. He is now an irrelevancy. After eight years in a cave, the younger jihadists would probably consider him an anachronism. We’re suffering from Bin Laden fatigue. Too many alleged “sightings” over the years. I occasionally wonder if he’s still alive, and Al Qaeda has been cleverly deceiving us all these years.

Either way, Bin Laden has had his 15 minutes of infamy. He is now an irrelevancy. After eight years in a cave, the younger jihadists would probably consider him an anachronism.

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