U.S. Refusal of 2001 Taliban Offer Gave bin Laden a Free Pass

[niyad]

U.S. Refusal of 2001 Taliban Offer Gave bin Laden a Free Pass
by Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON - When George W. Bush rejected a Taliban offer to have Osama bin Laden tried by a moderate group of Islamic states in mid- October 2001, he gave up the only opportunity the United States would have to end bin Laden's terrorist career for the next nine years.
The al Qaeda leader was able to escape into Pakistan a few weeks later, because the Bush administration had no military plan to capture him.


The last Taliban foreign minister, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, offered at a secret meeting in Islamabad Oct. 15, 2001 to put bin Laden in the custody of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), to be tried for the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, Muttawakil told IPS in an interview in Kabul last year.
. . . .

But Bush brusquely rejected any talks on the Taliban proposal, declaring, "They must have not heard. There's no negotiations."

Bush rejected the Taliban offer despite the fact that U.S. intelligence had picked up reports in the previous months of deep divisions within the Taliban regime over bin Laden. It was because of those reports that Bush had authorised secret meetings by a CIA officer with a high-ranking Taliban official in late September.

. . . .

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/05/03-6

[The Magistrate]

1. This was Not a Serious Proffer, Sir

It was simply a grand-standing stall, and should not be treated as anything else/

[stevenleser]

2. I agree 100%. The fanatically anti-war crowd needs these narratives to support their contentions n/t

[niyad]

4. "fanatically anti-war crowd"??? are you sure you are on the correct board???

[stevenleser]

5. 100% sure. I am not a fanatical anything, nor are most Democrats.

Fanatics twist facts to support theories instead of vice versa.

[niyad]

6. I do love the way you label anyone who looks at all possibilities as fanatics.

[stevenleser]

7. In this context, it most certainly is. Taking the Taliban at their word to benefit your agenda?

that is fanatical.

[niyad]

3. so glad to bow to your superior inside knowledge of this offer's validity

[stevenleser]

8. As well you should. The Magistrate doesnt say much, but when they do, they are superhumanly sharp nt