Democrats versus Republicans

[RAGNAR]

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[RAGNAR]

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[sck5]

"While we are on favorite quotes, the guy who is going to get us out of Iraq because we have no need or business there is planning on bombing Pakistan on the assumption that Osama is there and we can find him."

Actually, he said he would bomb Osama IF he were found, wherever he is, including Pakistan. You would be against that?

There is such a thing as "hot pursuit". The Pakis might not like us bombing Osama in their country but if they are harboring him (which they are) and have a tacit agreement to let him be (which they do) then he has what amounts to a secure base of operations. As for them having nukes, sure they do but they sure as hell wouldnt use them against us for killing Osama on their territory. We could turn them into glass in 10 seconds and they know it. They would whine and piss and moan and then get over it.

What ever happened to getting him "dead or alive"? I know. G. W. Bush took his eye off the ball and got more interested in a new war before finishing off the old one. I am not alone in saying that the ONE objective he ought to have focused on was tracking down Osama and killing him. Sure, that isnt all there is to an anti terror strategy but it sure ought to be PART of one - We ought to set the example that if you mess with us you are dead. Instead, we now have set the example that our oh so macho President is too much of a ***** to go after our enemies wherever they are. Here is what most Americans want. No Excuses. No letup. Osama's head on a pike, and then go after the rest of his organization. Not so hard. I thought this was what Bush was going to do but he apparently couldnt be bothered to stick with it.

Time for a new team to get the job done

[sck5]

Dont forget, those tribesmen in Pakistan who are harboring Osama live by the rule of an eye for an eye. If our positions were reversed THEY would go after the guilty guy until they got him. So they might not LIKE it if we figured out where Osama is and bombed him but they sure as hell would RESPECT it because it is EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD DO. These guys are no friends of ours. That is why we need to set the example of swift and sure retribution. Anything else invites more attacks.

Again, Bush apparently cant be bothered or doesnt get it. He ought to get some lessons from the Israelis on this sort of thing. Time for a new team to get the job done.

[PBzeer]

I hate to tell you this, but "getting" bin Laden will solve nothing. We're dealing with fanatics, not rational human beings. They will keep at this, as long is there is one of them breathing. We could have had bin Laden long ago, but Newsweek didn't want to give up their interview with him.

[chucklesR]

I would be against that (bombing Osama where ever he is) if it started a war with a nuclear armed country. Liberals wring hands a lot about wars but don't mind starting them- while Clinton wasn't a classic 'liberal' he had no problem sending missles into a drug manufacturing company in Yemen because we 'knew' it was producing WMD's. He also got us involved in Somalia then turned tail and ran because he put us there without the gonads to do it right.

As to whether or not they would start a war, and use nukes - you bet your children's lives on that? Fine - don't bet mine on it. Osama's not worth it. Killing or capturing him is not the end all be all. He's a small part of the terrorist problem not the only part.
I seriously doubt the Pak's are knowingly harboring him.

Ragnar, I choose not to continue that conversation. Argue with someone else.

[PBzeer]

As I don't believe there is much left unsaid on Iraq at this point, can we get back to something else? I get tired of having to make the same points over and over.

[xort]

I think the concern with bombing pakistan is that if we did, all hell would break loose there. The gov't would likely topple, you'd give the taliban a very good chance at taking power and then they would get the nukes. They won't deliver them with conventional methods, they will send them off in freighters to Hawaii, Miami, NYC, LA, London, etc.
You can be damn sure that if it was possible to 'get' him inside pakistan we would have. The tradeoff of killing one man vs the relative stability of pakistan is of some great concern.

[RAGNAR]

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[RAGNAR]

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