Flashback: Bush rejects offer on handing over bin Laden

[G_j]

www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0WDQ/2001_Oct_22/80338926/p1/article.jhtml
Bush rejects Taliban's offer on handing over bin Laden.
Asian Political News, Oct 22, 2001

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 Kyodo

President George W. Bush on Sunday rejected an offer from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban to discuss turning over Islamic militant Osama bin Laden if the United States stops air strikes against Afghanistan.

''There is no need to discuss innocence or guilt. We know he's guilty,'' Bush told reporters as he returned to the White House from his Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

''Turn him over, turn his cohorts over, turn any hostage they hold over, destroy all the terrorist camps. There's no need to negotiate...I told them exactly what they need to do,'' Bush said.

The Bush administration believes bin Laden masterminded the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. It accuses the Taliban of providing shelter to the Saudi fugitive and his al-Qaida network of terrorist groups.

At a news conference in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Sunday, Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Haji Abdul Kabir said the Taliban would be willing to discuss handing over bin Laden to a third country, or putting him on trial in Afghanistan, if the U.S. military ends bombing and provides evidence of his involvement in the attacks on the U.S
..more..

[Racenut20]

1. They were more interested in the pipeline route than BinMissin

[mikehiggins]

2. Damn, ain't the Internet wonderful

Now, when the Bushoids claim Clinton didn't take OBL when he had a chance, we can point out that Bush could have gotten OBL AFTER 9/11 but turned down the chance.

Bush wanted these wars a lot more than he wanted OBL

[G_j]

4. yep, war first

everything else is secondary. :-(

[G_j]

3. also trying to find

a link about the secret Iraqi 'truce' offer that was supposedly dissed by the CIA.

[Killarney]

5. Interesting...

I have that bookmarked to show my friends the next time they claim Clinton had his chance and let him go.

[TNOE]

6. They always have an excuse

"oh its Asian news, that doesn't count". They only believe things from World Net Daily, et al - and if those report things they don't like - they dis them too.

[G_j]

7. it was widely reported in the US media also.

www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/14/ret.retaliation.facts/
-------------

[Stone_Spirits]

8. did * ever want to find him to begin with?

I have my doubts.

[PSR40004]

9. Am I missing something...

It looks like the taliban want to talk about it while bushlite said just turn him over... Anyone who lost a friend in the WTC would say that is the correct action, your title IMO is misleading it should read the Taliban rejects Bush's offer to turn over bin laden. The taliban and bin were no friends of dems and we were right in this, even Pres Clinton was agreeing to this.

Remember the taliban and how they abused women and their people, no one should feel people like this have a right to do what they did...

[G_j]

10. perhaps you are

one offer I believe was to turn him over to a neutral third country. The Taliban also requested some evidence linking him to 9-11. That's a starting point, and why not talk? The US had no idea where he was and knew that even after waging all out war the chances were extremely minute of finding him. If you believe them now, the admin. still says they don't know where he is. They supposedly suspect he is in a 40 square mile area of rugged mts. in Pakastan. Unlike Iraq they have zero/zilch intelligence in this area, for the inhabitants are completely hostile to outside agendas including the Pakastani government. Many believe they will never find him. Now if he had been turned over to a neutral country or put in front of an Islamic court, at least those 9-11 relatives you mention would know where he was. I'm sure they fell feel safer now.

two wars and possibly 60,000 deaths later.

[PSR40004]

11. Except it was probably a ploy

By now it's pretty much assured bin and the taliban were behind 9-11. It's also a well known ploy the taliban used in offering to talk while going no where, remember the hindu statue they destroyed and the numerious "cease fires" during the war? I really don't think their offer was an honest one the anyone that would trust them wouldn't really have much street smarts where I come from. I might be alittle too close to the subject due to personal reasons but IMO the taliban and bin had to go. Personally I can live with ol'bin living in a hole, I don't need him dead just unable to ever show his face outside of the rocky hill side he seems to show up on every now and then.... The idea of him living in worse conditions then sadam seems fitting, most jail cells I've seen are more comfortable.

[G_j]

12. the Taliban are a despicable bunch

and certainly not trustworthy, but the US had also dealt with them in the past.
I think the bottom line is that Bush wanted a war and bin Laden was secondary.

on edit: I'm wasn't aware that there is evidence directly implicating the Taliban in 9-11.

[dpibel]

14. What's the harm?

You know for certain, apparently, that those wicked Taliban people (US allies mere years before) were just pulling one of their ploys. I remember that being the big talking point at the time. But help me out with this:

What would have been the harm in calling their bluff? A week's wait? A month? We're talking about killing people here. And we can't wait to do it?

Wouldn't it have given the US the absolute moral high ground? "We gave 'em a chance to do what they're going to say, and they didn't do it."

Also remember (and I know you'll challenge me to provide sources, which I'm not going to google up for you right this minute) that the original post refers to a second offer to turn over OBL.

Forgotten in all the hysteria since is this fact: They offered before the bombing even began to turn the guy over upon being shown proof. The Fierce Warrior Chieftain rejected that offer. We don't need no steenkin' proof.

Once the bombing started, it was easy to say, "Sure, now you want us to stop punishing you."

But the fact is, bloodlust was abroad in the land, and even though the offer was on the table well in advance of military operations, the Fierce Warrior Chieftain was not to be stayed in his mighty course.

[G_j]

15. Absolutely

And then the French were so outrageous as to request one further month of weapons inspections in Iraq. Of course it turns out they were right. Bush of course still had to 'punish' them because they advocated some sanity instead of kissing his butt. But hey, who cares about all that now? Saddam is a bad man.


...I'm still trying to find a link to the story of the secret Iraqi truce offer. I I don't seem to be typing the right key words into search.

[dpibel]

17. Here ya go

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1082250,00.html

But watch out! It's that commie saddamy George Monbiot.

[G_j]

18. excellent article! -bookmarked!

He ties it together very well, complete with the Bush and Blair BS comments.
Thanks. This is the article that ties it together. :toast:

[Romberry]

13. The Taliban simply said...

..show us some proof because we won't just take you at your word.

No doubt that the Taliban was abusive to the people of Afghnaistan but that didn't stop Bush from sending them millions of dollars in aid in May of 2001. Also, despite your comments in another post, there is zero evidence that the Taliban knew of the planned attacks on 9-11. I know that's the popular perception but it's just flat wrong.

All Bush had to do was "end bombing and provides (the Taliban) evidence of his involvement in the attacks on the U.S." and we would have had him. Instead we have hundreds of US soldiers dead, a hornets nest in Iraq and Bin Laden still on the loose. It doesn't take a genius to see which outcome would have been better for America.

[tlcandie]

16. Not like this admin never made deals with peeps of this caliber..

The Taliban type are what this regime is use to dealing with day in and day out, so it shouldn't have felt like they were lowering themselves in the least by at least talking.

You know...exhaust ALL Measures FIRST and war is the LAST resort!

[G_j]

20. Uzbekistan ?

now there's an upstanding * 'friend' that anyone could be proud of.
>sarcasm<

[BonjourUSA]

19. Osama will never be captued alive

if he is yet.

Remember that Osama's family saved W's ass of a total bankruptcy. And certainly he could talk about things very dangerous for Bush