Home > Jay Bookman > Archives > 2008 > September > 07 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSeven years later, bin Laden lives
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the first few hours and days after the attacks of Sept. 11, I would never have believed that Osama bin Laden would still be walking the earth almost seven years later.
Yet apparently he is. The best guess is that he is still hiding somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan, and perhaps helping to direct the Taliban resurgence in neighboring Afghanistan.
In recent weeks the United States has begun to get more aggressive about attacking targets within Pakistan. We have launched missile strikes and even helicopter assaults on suspected terrorist locations. As long as our intelligence is solid and the target important enough, I have no problem whatsoever that approach. When we said that the man behind the attacks on the World Trade Center would find no refuge anywhere in the world, we meant it, or at least we should have.
However, it’s interesting to note that a year ago, Barack Obama was condemned as naive and worse when he said that if he was president, he would authorize attacks inside Pakistan if the Pakistani authorities refused to carry the attacks themselves. Today such attacks are being carried out with little or no criticism, at least in this country.
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Comments
By JAY BOOKMAN
September 7, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this
Also, NEW RULE:
I see where Trash and Management got into a posting war in the previous thread, putting up reams of material from other sources that nobody else on earth would care to read.
If you have an opinion to express or something to say, say it in your own words. But if you’re posting something off-topic from elsewhere just to allow yourself to comment on it, that’s my job, not yours.
Such posts will be pulled. Repeated such posts will require more serious action.
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 7, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Jay, who cares about OBL, he’s irrelevant and , in all probability, lives by eating lavae out of mud puddles. On the Packistani incursions, one year ago Mushariff, a great friend to the USA in a bad environment, was teeting; this year all bets are off. Both key tenets of you blog are red herrings to distract from the momentum of John McCain and the Sarahcuda.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Have you spoken with Has Bin, Jay?
I personally believe he is most likely maggot food, but if not, he sure is a weak little impotent cave dweller, ain’t he?
No attacks in seven years is more of a stretch for me.
We can all thank thee Strong Horse for that, Bushie.
Who is also smart enough not to initiate a wholesale invasion of Pakistan to find some washed up loser.
By Midori
September 7, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
using your logic Andy, we also haven’t had any more attacks since we invaded Iraq - a country that had absolutely nothing to do with attacking us on 9/11.
By JAY BOOKMAN
September 7, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this
Irrelevant?
He killed more than 3,000 of your fellow Americans, touching off wars that killed thousands more, and it is irrelevant that he is still free?
Your willingness to rationalize away total failure is amazing, particularly on an issue that is so gut-level to so many Americans.
By AmVet
September 7, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this
I agree Mr. Bookman.
Ask those people who lost family and friends in NYC, the Pentagon and Pa. if they consider OBL irrelevant.
Only a BushCo apologist would even consider uttering such a sentiment.
In this nation, MOST of us value that little concept called justice. Flawed as our attempts at it are, they still are the envy of most other civilized countries.
And your reasoned agreement vis a vis strategic strikes resonates with me as well.
I have advocated that we actually follow our blustering hero of Alabama’s rhetoric and advise the world that we WILL strike anytime anywhere that we have solid intel about the exact locations of these scumbags.
And if you decide to harbor them, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, you get to suffer those consequences.
Makes so much more sense than the Ready, Fire, Aim approach used in invading and occupying the wrong country, er I mean Iraq…
By GodHatesTrash
September 7, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
No problem for me, Mr. Bookman.
Please note, though, that what I did this morning I have never done before on this or any AJC blog, and it personally disgusts me to be to be equated in any way, shape, manner or form with your leading lady blog sociopath.
Now, with regard to multiple IDs, are you still letting us know when someone signs in from the same account with a different screenname, or if someone namejacks?
One of my roles when I worked for a government agency out of northern Virginia was communications analysis. We studied written syntax, spellings, and colloquialisms to analyze written and typed material to determine authorship. A few times we worked on projects with domestic crime enforcement agencies, as well.
Andi/Angelina/AJC and Rufus are one in the same, that is, the writings under both screennames are written by the same person. Unfortunately, it is easy nowadays to log into more than one internet access point, and there are more and more American homes with multiple computers, even mobile homes (it is actually easier to steal signal in a trailer park, since the “homes” are so close together), so it is possible she has access to the internet from multiple ISPs, ergo multiple IP addresses.
Perhaps you should have a column inch or word limit rule per day. Once an account reaches a certain word limit, you turn it off for the day.
A certain someone will blow her load for the day before breakfast.
Anyhow, a beautiful afternoon in the Green Mountains.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 3:11 PM | Link to this
I often times wonder if God’s Trash is an employee of the Urinal.
Think about it for a second, if you want to scold AJC/DNC Management for being “rude,” just have your intern God’s Trash rudely attack him, and then, even though AJC/DNC M ignored the attacks for several days, the very first post that AJC/DNC M retaliates in kind, bingo, you get to publicly harangue him for it.
And then let’s say you don’t like the word “Urinal,” so you have intern God’s Trash post a totally disgusting attack involving urine, far more depraved than any play on words could ever be, delete the vile post and then turn right around and scold AJC/DNC M, based on our new found puritanism, for using the word Urinal.
And then, after years and years of liberals who can do nothing but wait for the Huff and Puff to disgorge some vile anti American propaganda so that they can post it to the blog without comment, just send intern Trash off on a paragraph posting binge, and then as soon as AJC/DNC M makes one long post, no matter if every word of it had relevance to his topic, and was not put up as a part of some “war” with a loser, presto, you can again scold AJC/DNC M for the misdeeds of each and every blog participant.
Just some “thoughts” of mine.
By GodHatesTrash
September 7, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this
And it’s Sir Trash to you, young Mr. Bookman.
By getalife "whiners"
September 7, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Leave it to Andy to force rules again.
Anyhoo, I remember w spewing on a bullhorn in the rubble swearing he would get him.
Wanted dead or alive. Blah, blah, blah.
After Tora Bora when he cut and ran to occupy Iraq I was stunned. I started searching for why in the world would he cut and run from the one that attacked us.
The answer is oil. It really is amazing how he destroyed our country and freedoms to allow obl to win.
Amazing and pitiful.Here we have another election and Americans want to reward the gop to continue the destruction.
You get what you vote for so Americans deserve it if they are that ignorant and insane to believe the gop will change anything.
I say give the dems a chance to recover from the gop destruction and if they fail, shut down the fed government until it is fixed.
Canada and England are having the same problems listening to the worst president ever.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
By Midori September 7, 2008 2:49 PM using your logic Andy, we also haven’t had any more attacks since we invaded Iraq - a country that had absolutely nothing to do with attacking us on 9/11.
I r o Dim: You may want to back up and rethink the intent behind your post, dearie, unless you are willing to say that Bush was right to invade Iraq.
Speaking of which, and please do forgive me for introducing topics of discussion on thee blog, but you should go read Woodward’s article about Thee Confusion!! and Thee Turmoil!! in the Bush administration in 2006.
I have no idea if he meant it or not, but he portrays Bush as a damn hero and leader of the ages.
Something I already knew, by the way.
By getalife "whiners"
September 7, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
Andy,
Woodward claims failed ledership.
Try wooten’s with that drivel.
Its not working here.
By Midori
September 7, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
Andy - you silly, immature name calling and “changing the subject” strategeries need to stay in the back of your playbook.
I don’t need to rethink a bloody thing.
I just responded to your illogical excuse with a similar one.
again: Andy, we also haven’t had any more attacks since we invaded Iraq - a country that had absolutely nothing to do with attacking us on 9/11.
Somehow this makes sense to you?
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
al-Gitmo: Shouldn’t you be packing the SUV again?
Wouldn’t it just be easier to purchase a submarine, since you have decided to live beneath the sea?
Dude, Woodward makes George Casey look like a moron. Then he specifically says that Bush went behind his and Rumsfeld’s backs to initiate a change of strategy in Iraq.
Which ultimately led us to where we are today, victory.
It’s not my fault that word confuses and frightens you liberals.
By Taxpayer
September 7, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
Bush is an IDIOT. This one is just for you, Andy: Bush SUCKS. Bush SUCKS. Bush SUCKS. Now, where is that idiot preacher that Palin listens to and why hasn’t he been preaching something along the lines of “Bush should burn in Hell if he fails to capture the terrorist leader that caused the deaths of our brave American men and women” instead of preaching that critics of Bush need to burn in hell. I think they’ve got their wires crossed — they’re not getting their messages from God.
By GodHatesTrash
September 7, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
This is the first time ever I’ve used the word “urine” on this blog.
Your filthy feeble sick and paranoid mind is yours, not mine.
By Midori
September 7, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Hi there Getalife :)
always good to see you.
Very happy to see you weathered the storm.
Better watch out: I would think at this point Andy is trying to think up another of his jack a-ss terms of endearment for you.
After all, that’s all he’s got.
name calling+stupidity+hypocrisy = Andy’s Greatest Hits.
By AmVet
September 7, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this
Midori, we also have not had a SINGLE instance of rouge icebergs attacking San Diego or rampaging wildebeests wrecking havoc on the Great Plains since 9/11.
Not that it is even in real doubt for me, but more evidence that McCain may be the polar opposite in many ways of these arrogant, GOP first, wallet second, America third, sycophant-seeking neo-cons:
WASHINGTON — Republican John McCain pledged if elected president to appoint Democrats to his Cabinet, saying there’s nothing partisan about tackling the nation’s toughest problems.
“I don’t know how many, but I can tell you, with all due respect to previous administrations, it is not going to be a single … ‘Well we have a Democrat now.’ It’s going to be the best people in America,” the GOP presidential nominee told CBS’ “Face the Nation,” in an interview taped Saturday that will be broadcast in full Sunday.
And jeez, Andy, take it easy. Your fellow Bush apologists wouldn’t want you banned from yet another AJC blog…
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
I r o Dim: I like this, you do not care much for me using your name backwards because you have no answer for it and it is devastatingly correct, so now you, of all people, are going to scold me for name calling.
Great.
And to answer your question, why is it that terrorist activity in Pakistan/ Afghanistan picking up the pace now that the terrorists consider Iraq a lost cause?
Somehow connected, maybe?
Hmmmm?
By AmVet
September 7, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
getalife, pay no attention to the jerk that enjoys the misery and suffering of the residents of the Big Easy. (He knows there are a lot of THOSE people there).
Most of the rest of us in the generous nation will be proud to help you crazy cajuns when the watery sh!t hits the fan.
Hang tough Louisiana…
By Midori
September 7, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
AmVet: LOL!!! Got to keep an eye on those rogue icebergs, don’t we?
Andy: for someone with so much bluster and tries to pass himself off as a “manly man”, you sure do whine a lot.
Try connecting the dots, sweet heart.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this
DimVet: If you remember, as you apparently do not, you are the one who got Wooten’s blog shutdown for the weekend, with your mindless, shrill, immature stalking of other bloggers.
Even I haven’t had that dishonor to my name.
By Midori
September 7, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
Andy - can you tell the truth about ANYTHING?
Wooten’s blog isn’t closed.
By AmVet
September 7, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this
Midori, it is not even remotely surprising that the worst of the worst of these neo-cons still stupidly try to carry water for BushCo.
Speaking of which, no Anduhng, I confess I’m not very good at remembering your numerous imaginary events.
Perhaps there was a wobble in the earth’s orbit or a variation in the sun’s temperature that caused it!
Just go ahead and man up for once in your virtual life and tell the good patrons of Mr Bookman’s blog that YOU, and YOU ALONE, were banned/blackballed/kaputskied for some many weeks from posting at Luckovich’s because of your loathsome behavior.
There are only a dozen or so who could confirm that irrefutable fact.
It’s new ground for you, to be sure, but the truth shall set you free…
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this
Back to the subject at hand, let us look back the very beginning:
With Pakistan providing support and the United States looking the other way, the Taliban took control of Kabul in 1996. “We created the Taliban,” Nasrullah Babar, the interior minister under Benazir Bhutto, told me in an interview at his home in Peshawar in 1999.
One must ask, which would be more important, finding Has Bin or creating him?
I can think of three thousand answers to that question.
By getalife "whiners"
September 7, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
Freaking Ike.
Anyhoo, Andy can’t post NRO so we are stuck with his opinion.
Saints won, Falcons won, go Cowboys.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
I r o Dim: I said weekend not weekends.
~~~~~
DimVet: Only if you tell them about your GoldStar Mother day’s.
By Dusty
September 7, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
Is there a topic over here today? Oh yeah, Osama bin laden, the leader of the failed terrorists in Iraq (they came, they saw, they TRIED to conquer).
Nothing Arabs like better than disgrace, such as that of Saddam and Osama. Most terroristic activity on the news these days has a new or local leader. Osama is not the big wheel anymore. His importance is not near enough to send thousands of our troops into the highest mountains in the world to hunt for a snake in a gopher hole. BUT..HE IS STILL BEING HUNTED.
No one has forgotten 9/11 or the savagery of Osama. He is to be captured. But..like Hitler when his regime had fallen, we overan his “hole” but the war was already won when we did. The status of Osama is the same status as Hitlers. All that is left is to blow up the “bunker” of an impotent killer.
By getalife "whiners"
September 7, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
Andy,
We looked the other way because we armed and trained them to fight Russia.
You can’t bribe them with your money like the “surge” in Iraq.
By Midori
September 7, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this
Andy - if only you put as much effort into logical thought as you do in inventing silly nicknames.
sigh
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
O.K. I’ll tell them:
DimVet is the luckovich blog stalker and psychotic, who once claimed that he had inserted a keystroke recorder into the computers of all the Conservative posters and that he was going to get them and their families.
Notice how he cannot make one post to the blog without ranting and raving about “Andy?”
He does have a canned, multi paragraph screed about the “death” of Conservatism, but his best days were masquerading around as “Gold Star Mother” who was, of course, against victory in Iraq, until he got busted and oddly enough, we haven’t heard from Mom in quite some time.
As you can imagine, yes, he is a pretty sad case to say the least.
By Dusty
September 7, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Oh what an honor!! Cut out of Luckovich’s blog!! That’s like saying you can no longer eat out of the garbage can.
Luckovich is STILL trying to keep George Bush from a third term. The poor guy is still worried about KARL ROVE? Look at today’s cartoon. He lines up several outstanding Republicans who have helped run this country and calls it a cartoon. I assume the “point” is for liberals to get a what??big laugh?? envy?? more inferior complex? elect libs? show who led our country’s”protection”?
Lucko did refrain from cartooning our military.THIS TIME ANYWAY. I suppose that is to keep us from saying “Luckovich just aint got no respeck!” He doesn’t get any either.
By AmVet
September 7, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this
Hows the weather there in LA LA Land, Anduhng?
Where do you come up with this stuff? Keystroke loggers? Gold Star Mother? You’re not one of those guys who claims to have been abducted and r&ctally probed by aliens are you?
Anger issuess? Percocet? Chronic depression?
The bush league, unsupportable nonsense you proffer couldn’t be any farther removed from me and the other rational bloggers here. We can actually support our claims with facts. You couldn’t if your life depended on it. You never have. If so, go ahead and do so regarding that childish nonsense referenced above about loggers and stars.
Good for laughs but that’s about it…
Abd of course you do not deny being banned from Luckovich’s.
You won’t even touch that subject will you?
You’ll just avoid it at all costs, won’t you?
Why?
By RW-(the original)
September 7, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
If you have an opinion to express or something to say, say it in your own words. But if you’re posting something off-topic from elsewhere just to allow yourself to comment on it, that’s my job, not yours
Jay B,
Shouldn’t that rule apply only up to the point in time that your topic is played out? What’s the point in having a blog if you’re going to run off your readers once the topic is talked out and you haven’t put up a new one? There’s not one thing on this particular topic that any of us can say that we haven’t said hundreds of times already, unless it’s the Obama angle.
On that one I believe he was criticized for undermining any help we were getting from Pakistan by saying he would invade. We were already doing surgical strikes when he started his bluster.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
By getalife “whiners” September 7, 2008 4:26 PM Andy, We looked the other way because we armed and trained them to fight Russia.
The Russians were still in Afghanistan in 1996?
Dude, check it out, you just made the same exact argument that the wingnuts have for us arming Iraq when they were fighting Iran.
No you see the difference between the libs and the cons, we blew up Iraq after they shot out Iran for us and the Taliban blew us up because you libs didn’t blow them up.
Thanks alot.
By JAY BOOKMAN
September 7, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
RW, I think that will indeed come into play.
By J$
September 7, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
AJC/DNC Management @4:30- You got that right.
Notice how Amvet quickly goes into defensive, oh who me? what? have you been rectally penetrated by an alien mode?
Laughable. Guilty.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
DimWet: Read back a few days into this blog and you will see me sure enough saying that I got banned from these blogs.
Now, do I have to go back through the archives to show everyone what I say about you is the truth?
Forget that, I got a better idea, let us just see if you can make it more than one day without angrily babbling about “Andy.”
Betcha can’t do it, psycho.
Save me some time, plus we all know where this is headed anyway; your meltdown.
You should thank me.
By RW-(the original)
September 7, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this
RW, I think that will indeed come into play.
Jay B,
That’s good, at least if it means what I think and as you can see on this topic you have 37 comments, as I type this one, and a majority aren’t even remotely on topic.
Another option would be to do what most blogs that try to stay on topic do and that’s putting up an occasional open thread.
By Dusty
September 7, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Well, I just posted something off topic on Luckovich.
Since he closed his blog, I thought we were supposed to comment on his productions most any place at AJC.
It is getting to be like getting a “purple heart” to be banned from a blog. Some seem to strive for it. But some just don’t know any better.
By JAY BOOKMAN
September 7, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Yeah, just people picking at each other. That’s fun…..
By AJC/DNC Management
September 7, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
RW: The 3rd post in this thread was on topic.
The 4th, 6th, 8th, #1 @ 3:31, 3:37 and 3:42 all attacked me, out of the blue, off topic.
And I’m the “problem,” bwahahahaha.
By @@
September 7, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
I hate rules!
So is GHT PoliForescore and how many names ago?
One of my roles when I worked for a government agency out of northern Virginia was communications analysis. We studied written syntax, spellings, and colloquialisms to analyze written and typed material to determine authorship.
PoliFore’s always been into the syntax and paddywacks. Accusing the conservative posters of being one in the same. He’s rather paranoid IMhO.
Then he goes on to demand the respect that he alone feels he so richly deserves.
And it’s Sir Trash to you, young Mr. Bookman.
Anyhoo, the latest in Pakistan is that with all the military incursions across the border, more insurgents are being inspired.
Where have I heard THAT before?
I think OBlahMa’s all talk. I doubt very seriously he would follow through on his empty rhetoric. It’s all about the vote with him.
By @@
September 7, 2008 5:56 PM | Link to this
Oh, and Jay? If you want all posts to address the topic at hand, don’t you think Midori should take her cartoon links over to Luckovich’s cartoon blog?
I’m just askin’ is all……
By Midori
September 7, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
wah
wah
wah
Midori did this. Midori did that
wah
wah
By getalife "whiners"
September 7, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
Wow, that is some logic RW.
My head spins.
crusty,
If being banned is a “purple heart” I would have a chest full. LGF, Free Republic, Red Sate, Daily Obama, My DD and TPM are my “purple hearts”.
By beatle obama
September 7, 2008 6:13 PM | Link to this
midori in the sky-hi with diamonds…
picture yourself on a o-bam-a sky sta-tion with marsh-mellow pies….
By Taxpayer
September 7, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
I always did enjoy history. Of course there are the factual accounts and then there are the works of fiction, the half truths, the convenient truths, the unknowns. The people that were involved in the 9/11/2001 attacks are surely of great importance to the families of those that died on that day. In fact, I would venture a guess that these families are more concerned with bringing any and all living persons involved in 9/11/2001 to justice than they are with fighting a holy war in Iraq, for example. I think we know where Palin would lead us if she were given the chance — onward Christian soldiers. What would Obama do. McCain says he’d be hot on Osama bin Laden’s heels all the way to the gates of hell. What’s he going to do if he catches him.
By RW-(the original)
September 7, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this
I question Jay’s title to this column. What makes him so sure OBL is alive? Usually when we quit hearing from people that we’ve been used to hearing from constantly, after pounding them with airstrikes, they are considered more likely dead than alive.
For instance:
Months of attacks by unmanned US predator aircraft have caused carnage among the middle ranks of terrorist leaders in the lawless lands along the border with Afghanistan, where al-Qa’eda remains dangerous despite suffering a serious defeat in Iraq.
Their victims have included experienced Arab leaders and, it is now thought, Adam Gadahn, a former heavy-metal fan and so-called “killer computer nerd” originally from California. Nothing has been heard from him for months, leading intelligence experts to conclude that he may be dead.
By RW-(the original)
September 7, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
getalife,
Your head spins about this time of day without any help from me.
By lovelyliz
September 7, 2008 7:04 PM | Link to this
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
Jay, who cares about OBL, he’s irrelevant
But Saddam Hussein was such a threat to the USA that in order to take him out at that moment in time we had to sacrifice the lives of some half a million Iraqi men, women and childen not to mention some 4000+ servicemembers?
By Hillbilly Deluxe
September 7, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this
I think we’d all agree we wish Osama had been caught by now. These things often take a long time. Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (Carlos the Jackal) was on the loose for many years before he was finally caught. Osama is still a threat but his position has been weakened to what it once was. Yes he’s still dangerous but it’s more difficult for him now. He will eventually be caught or killed and when he is whomever is President will get the credit and good for them. (Killed would be good enough for me.)
According to the book America’s Secret War by George Friedman (2004), Osama probably escaped from Tora Bora by paying off Eastern Alliance General Mohammed Zaman Ghun Sharreef.
These things are happening in a shadow world of intrigue where things often aren’t what they seem. So I agree we should stay after him until we either get him or have definitive proof that he’s dead. It may be a very long hunt though.