Bush - Capturing Bin Laden Is ‘Not A Top Priority Use of American Resource

[Pirate Smile]

Think Progress

Bush Tells Barnes Capturing Bin Laden Is ‘Not A Top Priority Use of American Resources’

Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes appeared on Fox this morning to discuss his recent meeting with President Bush in the Oval Office. The key takeaway for Barnes was that “bin Laden doesn’t fit with the administration’s strategy for combating terrorism.” Barnes said that Bush told him capturing bin Laden is “not a top priority use of American resources.” Watch it. (Go to link for video)

Bush’s priorities have always been skewed. Just months after declaring he wanted bin Laden “dead or alive,” Bush said, “I truly am not that concerned about him.” Turning his attention away from bin Laden, Bush trained his focus on Iraq — a country he now admits had “nothing” to do with 9/11.

Capturing bin Laden, as Rep. Nancy Pelosi recently pointed out, will not necessarily make America safer because it would come five years too late. Yet, capturing or killing the man responsible for 9/11 should remain a high priority.

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Full transcript:

HOST: Alright Fred, you and a few other journalists were in the Oval Office with the President, right? And he says catching Osama bin Laden is not job number one?

BARNES: Well, he said, look, you can send 100,000 special forces, that’s the figure he used, to the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan and hunt him down, but he just said that’s not a top priority use of American resources. His vision of a war on terror is one that involves intelligence to find out from people, to get tips, to follow them up and break up plots to kill Americans before they occur. That’s what happened recently in that case of the planes that were to be blown up by terrorists, we think coming from England, and that’s the top priority. He says, you know, getting Osama bin Laden is a low priority compared to that.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/14/barnes-osama/

[fasttense]

1. He doesn't have the stomach to hunt Bin Laden down. n/t

[bluerum]

2. Hey , Osama's just this guy you know,,,, a therapist's dream.

Kind of quote from the hitch-hikers guide.

[Human Torch]

3. Human Torch - George W. Bush is a poor use of semen and egg

I rest my case. Just sayin'...ya know?

:evilgrin:

[Texas_Kat]

4. 100,000 troops or 1 journalist with a film crew

which would find him the fastest?

[rodeodance]

5. umm bush has changed this strategy--now its intell-not blowing up

countries that is important.





.......His vision of a war on terror is one that involves intelligence to find out from people, to get tips, to follow them up and break up plots to kill Americans before they occur. That’s what happened recently in that case of the planes that were to be blown up by terrorists, we think coming from England, and that’s the top priority. He says, you know, getting Osama bin Laden is a low priority compared to that.

[rhiannon55]

6. Prolly cause Bin Laden's already dead

and Little Monkey knows it.

[OneBlueSky]

7. if he's still alive and BushCo isn't making his capture a priority . . .

then one of two things is true . . . either they're completely derelict in their duty (going after the perpetrator of 9/11), OR they know that bin Laden isn't the real 9/11 culprit . . . my vote would be for the latter -- assuming again that the guy is still alive (I have my doubts) . . .

[Old and In the Way]

8. If he's dead, they still have an interest in perpetuating the myth.

I'm surprised that they haven't just dedicated a team or 2 to chase down the phantom sightings....I agree with your points exactly. Last thing they want is OBL captured and telling the truth about the House of ZSaud and the House of Bush. Personally, I think he's dead, but if he isn't, he's well protected and probably not in Pakistan.

[opihimoimoi]

9. WHY??? WTF??? WHY would Bush say that??? THINK....WHY?

Sounds like a losing Coach excuses..."Oh he is not important enough for us to use our resources"

Thats because of the unsuccessful hunt.....Bush cannot admit defeat...remember? he cannot admit a failure so he makes excuses... typ of a losing coach w/o class.

[serryjw]

11. I'm confused...Did we NOT heard on 9-11-06

that catching OBL was a top priority?

[opihimoimoi]

15. I Believe he made a series of speeches to that end right after 9/11 01

"Wanted: DEAD OR ALIVE"

"There is no place he can HIDE"

"He can run but he cannot HIDE"

shit like that.....

[serryjw]

17. No, I was referring to THIS Monday

n/t

[leesa]

10. Do you get it yet? He cut a deal with OBL and his family. Get the troops

out of SA and you can use my name for your new "Pearl Harbor". They have no intention of getting OBL, even if he hadn't died of renal failure in December 2001.

[CarlVK]

12. Why would he hunt down the folks he flew out of the country on 9/12?

Come on connect the dots here. Bushidiot's good buddy Mushareff has already basically declared that BinLaden can stay in Pakistan as long as he lives peacefully.

[Blackthorn]

13. He's been dead since 2003, that's why.

[AJ9000]

14. well he just doesn't spend that much time on him.

besides where would * be without the bogeyman Osama.

[Dem2theMax]

16. * needs bin Laden out there.

He can't SCARE us if he catches him.

Well, he can't scare THEM.

Big difference. ;)