WP: Dubya cut and ran from the hunt for bin Laden in December 2001

[ProgressiveEconomist]

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/09/AR2006090901105_pf.html :

'Bin Laden Trail 'Stone Cold' By Dana Priest and Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, September 10, 2006; A01

On the videotape obtained by the CIA, bin Laden is seen confidently instructing his party how to dig holes in the ground to lie in undetected at night. A bomb dropped by a U.S. aircraft can be seen exploding in the distance. "We were there last night," bin Laden says without much concern in his voice. He was in or headed toward Pakistan, counterterrorism officials think.

That was December 2001. Only two months later, Bush decided to pull out most of the special operations troops and their CIA counterparts in the paramilitary division that were leading the hunt for bin Laden in Afghanistan to prepare for war in Iraq, said Flynt L. Leverett, then an expert on the Middle East at the National Security Council.

"I was appalled when I learned about it," said Leverett, who has become an outspoken critic of the administration's counterterrorism policy. "I don't know of anyone who thought it was a good idea. It's very likely that bin Laden would be dead or in American custody if we hadn't done that."'

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For more links relevant to the debate over ABC's "crockumentary" tonight, see another GD thread at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2098263 .

[rodeodance]

1. Cheney denied this story on MTP today.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

3. What a surprise! That must have been at the beginning of Russert's

interview--I tuned in late and did catch his doubletalk about "three" contexts for talking about the alleged connection between Iraq and 9/11, though. The guy is a snake on a plane.

[sub.theory]

4. Well, that confirms it!

If Cheney is denying it, then it's absolutely true. That man is simply incapable of the telling the truth.

AWOL gave up on Osama so he could go after Sadam, who as we all know had nothing at all to do with 9/11. Makes sense. :crazy:

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. kick

[rodeodance]

2. hey, I like the cut and run turn on Bush. It has potential I think.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

6. That's why I started this thread. The slogan fits in very well with Chairman

Dean's campaign theme about Dubya's shifting positions on bin Laden, from "Dead or Alive" (2001) to "I truly am not that concerned about him" (3/13/03) to last week's "flip-flops" on successive days.

Hey, "Bush's flip-flops on the need to bring bin Laden to justice" might be even better.

[lonestarnot]

5. Are you kidding me? There never was a hunt for Binforgotten.

His escape was part of the deal to flame the fire of fear for years. He cut and run on 9/11/2001 or prior.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

7. Somehow I don't think that would be a winning campaign theme for Democrats

during the next two months. Can you come up with a better vote-getting "spin" on that idea?

[lonestarnot]

8. Reality bites.

[FloridaPat]

9. Funny how the fact * used Afghanistan money to plan for the Iraq

invasion has been forgotten. Especially since it was illegal. But then who's counting all the illegal things these thugs have done in 6 years.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. Picture a "Bush Flip-Flop on bin Laden Justice" TV ad,

the kind where graphics "flip" the 2-dimensional video-tape image like a pancake with each sequential shift in the Republican Party line. Picture also a punchline delivered by a family member of a 9-11 victim, calling for change in Congress to bring bin Laden et. al. to justice.

Did you see McLaughlin Group this weekend? Eleanor Clift brought up a point I hadn't thought of: Because the best candidates for prosecution evidently have been tortured at secret prisons or Guantanamo, any sharp lawyer would be able to get their confessions excluded, and they would WALK! This is another Bush 9/11 screwup that won't sit well with 9/11 victims' families.

Combine that with MANY TV airings of "Press for Truth" during the next two months and I think we have a winner.