Remember how President Bush had al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden on the run and how it was only a matter of time?

Question

until we found and brought (him) to justice? Well, six years later and hundreds of billions of dollars later, Osama is still on the loose and al Qaida along with the Taliban are bigger and badder than ever. What have we accomplished?

Answer 1

Compared to the goals stated at the onset of the operation in Afghanistan, we have accomplished little--Bin Laden is still on the loose, Al Qaida is reconstituting into a larger, more powerful force than it was before 9/11, and Afghanistan is once again being taken over by the warlords and the Taliban. And the United States has become--at least in the eyes of many around the globe--the new "Evil Empire" bent on world domination.

Of course, any rational person realizes that this lack of success is due primarily to the invasion of Iraq, and the splitting of American forces and mission. We obviously should have remain focussed on Afghanistan.

But I don't think Afghanistan and Bin Laden were ever truly the point. The Bush administration (and the Neocon "thinkers" behind the strategy on the "War on Terror") manipulated the fear of 9/11 to do what it had wanted to all along: invade Iraq, depose Hussein, build permanent military bases in Western Asia, drive up the cost of gasoline (to boosttoil company profits), and spread American military, economic, and political power.

As the Cold War taught us, the best way to do this (and to keep the American people going along with the high costs--both in terms of finances and lives) is to create a bogie man to make us all afraid; then we blindly follow the administration's "tough on defense" jingoism. And while some people get incredibly wealthy, the middle and lower classes who believe in this tripe beat their chests...all the way to the poor house.

Answer 2

Prior to 9-11, no politician would admit to being worried about the rise of militant Islamic Fundalmentalists. Once 9-11 came around, I think everyone did their best with what intelligence was available. The CIA had not been trying very hard to infiltrate these groups or even keeping a very close eye on them. I believe the real failure here is not what occured after 9-11, but what occured or failed to occur in the 10 or so years leading up to it. As a result, we believe that these terrorist groups (Al-Quida being one of many) are building up, I think they are just rebuilding. They were huge to begin with. Even now, many do not want to believe what the enemy is saying, that their goal is for Islam to be the one and only religion in the world. This is their holy war. They have chosen this time as the starting point for this war. They are prepared to fight for the next 100 years or more to accomplish this goal. We have leaders that are not prepared to fight to next fall. The US is not to blame for this war. When the Liberals take over in the next election, they will get there on promises of ending the war, building a lasting peace with the Muslims in the Middle East, etc. They will find that if they pull back the troops, this enemy will pursue us. If they extend their hand with an olive branch, it will be cut off. I have watched this thing build from the time the current President of Iran marched our embassy personnel thru the streets of Tehran. They were given a nation from which to build their base of operations and they have reached the point where they are ready for the Jihad. No matter what we do (as a nation), what we say, what concessions we make, the goal of the Radical Muslims will not change. I expecpt to watch the fighting 30 or 40 years from now, if I live that long.
I don't believe the Taliban government in Afganistan really thought we would come after them. After all, we jerked around with Saddam for over 10 years. We didn't give them 10 months. I believe this disrupted their timetable and forced them to engage us perhaps 5-10 years earlier than was ideal.

Answer 3

Bush accomplished exxactly what he intended to long before 9/11 took place.
Hes always wanted SADDAM.

We could have Bin Laden already if he truly lived up to his promise "to use every means to bring Bin Laden to justice"

well,everyone has known where Bin Laden was..and it wasnt in IRAQ.

And for Some reason Pakistan president harbouring bin laden is more important than the pledge he gave to the American people.

Just where do our presidents loyalties lie?

Answer 4

Yep. Did they say how much time? I believe "long hard struggle" or something to that effect were repeated quite a bit. I mean, it did take over 40 years to 'win' the Cold War, and that at least had defineable enemies with actual borders.


Though I doubt they're going to 'catch' bin Laden alive - if he were still alive, he'd have released another video by now. His desicated corpse is probably burried under a cave-in beneath some Afghan mountain or other.

Answer 5

accomplish? well I say nothing much yet in some peoples eyes..But yes to exterminate terrorist and the ones that mastermind, almost forgot and the ones that sponsor them too. Remember terrorist always existed, why they coming out of their holes now because is someone to go after them to exterminate them that's all. Otherwise, after 9/11 if the president never when to war they will still there walking around, growing, bringing more jihad's volunteer's etc.
Understand?
Six years, and he still in the loose. Well he is a coward dressing with the dresses that the women's use to hide and hiding around "apparently Innocent" people of course. Is big mistake why they haven't go after him even if is surrounded by apparently Innocent people.

Answer 6

We (the public) haven't accomplished anything. But Bush and his chronies are proceeding according to plan$$$

Answer 7

didn't U.S. soldiers capture/kill a good majority of Al qaida and tali ban. Not to mention we took out their highest ranking Lieutenants??

Answer 8

Not what WE accomplished, but what HE (Bush) has accomplished.

He got re-elected.