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9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then and Now

(Guest Post by Big Tent Democrat)

Five years ago today, Al Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden, perpetrated the most heinous attack against the United States on our territory since Pearl Harbor. As the CIA warned President Bush and his administration in its August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing, bin Laden was determined to strike in the United States using hijacked airplanes. As President Bush noted at the time, the CIA had "covered [its] ass." In December 2001, President Bush chose to let bin Laden, the person behind the murder of nearly 3,000 souls, go:

Well past midnight one morning in early December 2001, according to American intelligence officials, Osama bin Laden sat with a group of top aides - including members of his elite international 055 Brigade - in the mountainous redoubt of Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan. Outside, it was blustery and bitterly cold; many of the passes of the White Mountains, of which Tora Bora forms a part, were already blocked by snow. . . .

. . . Now, as the last major battle of the war in Afghanistan began, hidden from view inside the caves were an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 well-trained, well-armed men. A mile below, at the base of the caves, some three dozen U.S. Special Forces troops fanned out. They were the only ground forces that senior American military leaders had committed to the Tora Bora campaign.

. . . By now, the Taliban's stronghold in Kandahar had fallen or, more correctly, had been abandoned by the soldiers of the regime. The Taliban retreat from Kandahar was emblematic of the war. None of Afghanistan's cities had been won by force alone. Taliban fighters, after intense bombing, had simply made strategic withdrawals. A number of American officers were now convinced that this was about to happen at Tora Bora, too.

One of them was Brig. Gen. James N. Mattis, the commander of some 4,000 marines who had arrived in the Afghan theater by now. Mattis, along with another officer with whom I spoke, was convinced that with these numbers he could have surrounded and sealed off bin Laden's lair, as well as deployed troops to the most sensitive portions of the largely unpatrolled border with Pakistan. He argued strongly that he should be permitted to proceed to the Tora Bora caves. The general was turned down. An American intelligence official told me that the Bush administration later concluded that the refusal of Centcom to dispatch the marines - along with their failure to commit U.S. ground forces to Afghanistan generally - was the gravest error of the war.

A week or so after General Mattis's request was denied, the turning point in the battle of Tora Bora came. It was Dec. 12. . . . American intelligence officials now believe that some 800 Qaeda fighters escaped Tora Bora that night. Others had already left; still others stayed behind, including bin Laden. "You've got to give him credit," Gary Schroen, a former C.I.A. officer who led the first American paramilitary team into Afghanistan in 2001, told me. "He stayed in Tora Bora until the bitter end." By the time the Afghan militias advanced to the last of the Tora Bora caves, no one of any significance remained: about 20 bedraggled young men were taken prisoner that day, Dec. 17.

On or about Dec. 16, 2001, according to American intelligence estimates, bin Laden left Tora Bora for the last time, accompanied by bodyguards and aides. . . . Tora Bora was the one time after the 9/11 attacks when United States operatives were confident they knew precisely where Osama bin Laden was and could have captured or killed him. Some have argued that it was Washington's last chance; others say that although it will be considerably more difficult now, bin Laden is not beyond our reach. But the stakes are considerably higher than they were nearly four years ago, and terrain and political sensibilities are far more our natural enemies now.

On September 11, remember Tora Bora. Remember that the perpetrators of the great atrocity were cornered and BushCo did nothing. And continue to do nothing:

Q But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

But once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, he became -- we shoved him out more and more on the margins. He has no place to train his al Qaeda killers anymore. And if we -- excuse me for a minute -- and if we find a training camp, we'll take care of it. Either we will or our friends will. That's one of the things -- part of the new phase that's becoming apparent to the American people is that we're working closely with other governments to deny sanctuary, or training, or a place to hide, or a place to raise money.

The problem has always been that the Bush Administration was not concerned about Al Qaida and bin Laden - except when an election approaches. He was not concerned on August 6, 2001. He was not concerned in March 2002. He was "concerned" in the Fall of 2004. He's "concerned" now. Concerned about politics. That's what always has concerned the Bush White House.

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    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#2)
    by soccerdad on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 09:26:08 AM EST
    Bush needs OBL and terrorism in general. Thats the only way he has a chance of consolidating absoulte power in the presidency and slowly take away our freedoms.

    soccerdad... Yeah..that's the plan. Take away Soccerdads freedoms... Then change the laws so he can become king and rule forever! LMAO. Get a clue will ya.

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#5)
    by Sailor on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 12:51:52 PM EST
    so BB, tell us why after declaring 'wanted dead or alive' bush now says he doesn't care about the mastermind behind thousands of American's deaths?

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#1)
    by marty on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 04:25:37 PM EST
    "The problem has always been that the Bush Administration was not concerned about Al Qaida and bin Laden - except when an election approaches. He was not concerned on August 6, 2001. He was not concerned in March 2002. He was "concerned" in the Fall of 2004. He's "concerned" now. Concerned about politics. That's what always has concerned the Bush White House." That's the whole ballgame in a nutshell.

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#3)
    by ScottW on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 04:25:37 PM EST
    OBL needs Bush as much as Bush needs him. Without a foe, neither leader who have the blanket devotion that keeps them in power. It would be interesting to do a comparison of how the two, along with their support systems, operate and maintain so much power and to see how similar their methods are. The views they have differ, but the mentality behind the thoughts are extremely similar.

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 04:25:37 PM EST
    What they really aren't concerned with is ending the wars. If they caught the clown...we might not have a reason to fight. No money in that.

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#7)
    by Tracy on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 04:25:37 PM EST
    BB I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I'm not really sure what rock you've been under for the last 3 decades, but anyone with a gram of intelligence can see that our freedom "including yours" is being etched away a little at a time. That is called programming. The Pug's are hoping and counting on you to not show up at the polls to vote as this will ensure a win for the Republicans. Guess which way I'll vote. I'm not an extremist, however, in extreme times "WAKEUP" I may actually come across that way. Here's a scary scenario, but a fact. Fewer and Fewer people are voting, they feel like it doesn't matter, or that their vote will not count. Again, thats programming. This is our government at work. Believe me, they don't want you at the polls, damn, you might make a difference! Instead, many of these same people will drop a dime to vote on American Idol? Go figure. Is it laziness, or an attitude of failure? I challenge EVERYONE to go register if your are not, and Vote this November and every November to come. YOU DO COUNT. VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!Here's the bottom line, if we, the majority, continue to fail (ourselves, our family an our future generation) there will come a time when we will not have to worry about an Election Day, the government will take care of the issues for us. Thanks, now we have dictoratorship and I'm not ready for a King George. African Americans, I'm not leaving you out. A dear friend of mine who is black and retired from government, told me that the black community has just quit voting. I know that in my little area of Georgia, the blacks have not turned out to vote as they should. I visited a black church a few weeks ago and one of the members, a fireman, stood up and told his brothers and sisters and I quote, "we don't vote anymore and if we're not going to vote we only have ourselves to blame. We've got to get registered and we have got to vote. Dr. King didn't work so hard for our generation to throw it all away." If any one wants to help in campaigns in Georgia, write me back at stetson41@hotmail.com Thanks

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#8)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 07:44:10 PM EST
    SD - Paranoia becomes you. BOO!

    Sailor... bush now says he doesn't care about the mastermind behind thousands of American's deaths? As usual you have it all wrong. Bush NEVER said he "doesn't care".. he simply said (quite awhile ago)Osama isn't the priority he once was.... but (just in case you don't know) they are still looking for him and as long as the NYT doesn't print how they are doing it... they'll get him. Tracy... but anyone with a gram of intelligence can see that our freedom "including yours" is being etched away a little at a time Please tell me what freedoms you think you have lost! many of these same people will drop a dime to vote on American Idol? Go figure Voter turnout has always been a problem... that is nothing new and certainly not the fault of this current administration. Thanks, now we have dictoratorship and I'm not ready for a King George I think you watch too much TV (liberal news?) What has King George 'dictated' lately? told me that the black community has just quit voting. Hold on there Tracy...isn't the Dem party suppose to be the party looking out for them? I guess that means the Dems have fallen way short of Black people's expectations too? Just to give you some backround...I'm in my mid 50's ...a Viet Nam vet and a registered Dem. However.... I have (in the last 10 years or so) woke up from my slumber and realized that the Dems are way out in left field now.... They now embrace the Micheal Moors, Jesse Jacksons & Al Sharptons of the world and your average American just doesn't relate to those guys. They are more concerned with Gay rights...abortion rights and Illegal aliens rights than the 'average' American citizens rights. They are all about being 'politically" correct instead of just being correct...loosing all common sense in the process. They are into taxing me to the hilt and giving my money to the hundreds of welfare programs that don't work. They are all about letting other countries dictate how America should be run. They go out of their way to make anybody not a Dem look bad and often times at the expense of America...and especially in a time of war when they should be pulling us together instead of tearing us apart for their political gains... I could go on & on...but I think you get it. Any questions?

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#13)
    by Sailor on Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 10:15:13 AM EST
    I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.


    Soc.
    Thats the only way he has a chance of consolidating absoulte power in the presidency and slowly take away our freedoms.
    I take it you're discounting marshal law or a coup? How silly of me, fancy forgetting Diebold. Dems to retake the house? Not a hope.

    Posted by JimakaPPJ September 11, 2006 08:44 PM SD - Paranoia becomes you. BOO!
    Have you no shame man. Is this what we get for someone who seees a terrist on evey street corner? Someone so un-American he is prepared to give up two centuries of laws and rights so he can be protected by his Daddy, G W Bush. You're as pathetic as your arguments. And you're just who this man had in mind when he wrote. "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom--go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!" Samuel Adams.

    Re: 9/11: "Not Concerned About bin Laden", Then an (none / 0) (#11)
    by soccerdad on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 01:14:52 PM EST
    and after Hillary gets elected in 2008 and continues the same policies it will be PPJ to be the first to whine like a little girls that the left is destroying the country and our freedoms. PPJ - hypocrite extroidinaire completely void of principles.