Would we have Osama by now if it wasn't for Bush's little Iraq adventure?

[ButterflyBlood]

It's tough to say, but diverting resources to a country that has nothing to do with Osama or Al-qaeda isn't the best course of action for pursuing him of course.

[Fridays Child]

1. The boogie man can't be caught...

...at least not until Bushco conjures up a bigger boogie man.

[Tesla]

9. Look how close we just came, and we weren't even looking!!

I still haven't figured out why we are in Iraq!!!
WMD?? LIBERATORS?? SADDAM??

[justinsb]

2. Bin Laden does them way more good

running around free than he would in a cell. To capture him would reduce the fear level in the US, it would practically invite attacks on the US to avenge or rescue him and it would elevate him to Martyr status - making him even more powerful than he is now.

[no name no slogan]

3. No

with the cold war over, we need something/someone to justify our bloated military budget. Otherwise, we'd have to spend our tax $$ on schools, infrastructure, job creation, universal healthcare, etc.

[peace frog]

4. Nope...

No member of the Bush cartel will permit Osama to be captured on Junior's watch. The bin Laden and Bush families have close personal and business ties going back decades... a little matter of 3000 dead/missing Americans from 9/11 cannot break their nefarious bonds. Iraq was a war of opportunity as well as a smokescreen for the real culprits of 9/11.... but rest assured, Osama bin Laden is living a comfortable life among his family and friends in Saudi Arabia as we speak, and BushCo wouldn't have it any other way.

[despairing optimist]

5. If it wasn't Iraq, it would be someplace or something else

And it will be someplace or something else after the next attack here. Osama would be just a trophy anyway. Bush needs an "evildoer" to target and stir up public hatred for, to divert attention from what's really being destroyed: the Constitution and our civil rights, economic equality and efforts to improve it, the social safety net, sound financial policies and planning, and the country's standing in the world. Once Osama is gone, there will be someone else. There always was and, as long as the public tolerates such manipulation and deception, there always will be.

[silverweb]

6. No.

I'm quite convinced that Osama enjoys protection at the highest levels, both from Saudia Arabia and Islamicist allies in Pakistan, and very possibly from our own government in complicity with those two countries.

He's useful to the neoCONs while he's free. He's the "villain" we can all be directed to hate and fear -- as long as he's free. Acts of terrorism can be blamed on him, whether he's really involved or not -- as long as he's free. His power can wax or wane according to the needs of the BFEE -- as long as he's free.

Nope, he's not going to be captured or killed any time soon. Once a sane administration is in place in this country, we may even find out that the man has been dead for some time already. Now wouldn't that be a shock?

:eyes:

[Island Blue]

7. I don't think he ever had any intention of going after Bin Laden.

He's way more useful to the Bush Regime this way.

[Coastie for Truth]

8. It's to Bush's political advantage to have Osama on the loose

But - if we hadn't wasted our assets in Iraq -- and if Bush weren't such an insecure neurotic narcissistic sickie (Bush On The Couch, Justin A. Frank, MD) - we would have captured Osama a long time ago.

[Ian David]

10. Bush never wanted to catch Osama

My theory is that he's sitting around the swimming pool of The Fountain Bleu Hotel in Miami Beach playing cards with Whitey Bulger and their protective detail of Secret Service agents.

Actually, I'm surprised Osama isn't openly speaking at college commencement addresses while Bush says we can't arrest him because he's "on private property."

[timtom]

11. He's dead, Jim.

n/t

[dzika]

12. No. He's dead and/or on the payroll. n/t

[LoKnLoD]

13. Can't catch a dead man

They just trot out a look-a-like for their "scare the public" videos.

[Quixote1818]

14. Well, we would have cracked down on the network in a more effective

way and not produced a bunch more terrorists. Plus we would still have the world on our side.

[mwb970]

15. They don't dare catch him.

If they did, the truth about 9/11 might come out. Can't have that!