Posted on 10/09/2001 6:25:18 AM PDT by Ranger
PAKISTAN, SAUDI Arabia, Uzbekistan, Oman and other Muslim nations secretly demanded that the US-led war against terrorism would not be abandoned until Osama bin Laden was dead and his al-Qaeda network finished off, The Miami Herald reported on Monday.
While Arab and Muslim leaders publicly warned of the dangers of US strikes, they privately sought assurances that US President George W Bush would not stop the war prematurely, the way his father ended the campaign against Iraq a decade ago, according to the report, which quoted two unnamed senior administration officials.
"While they were complaining in public about the West attacking other Muslims, in private they wanted to know if this time we were going to finish the job," the paper quoted one senior official as saying.
"They did not want to cooperate with us and then have Bin Laden coming after them," the official said. "Basically, they told us they want Bin Laden dead."
As a result, one of the tasks before Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last week, when he visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Uzbekistan, was to reassure leaders in those nations that this time, the United States was not "short of breath," the Herald reported.
Some Arab and other alliance leaders were worried that because Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other senior officials in the current administration played prominent roles in the Gulf War, the outcome could be the same, the report said.
The senior President Bush decided against going after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein at the end of the Gulf War, which was waged to eject an Iraqi occupation force from Kuwait.
Arab and Muslim leaders also believe the war against terrorism will be protracted and difficult, and are worried about US resolve after watching America retreat from Lebanon and Somalia after suffering only limited casualties, the Herald reported.
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al Faisal said Saudi Arabia believes there was enough evidence that bin laden orchestrated the September 11 attacks, according to an interview published by Time magazine.
"It is necessary to pursue with vigor and tenacity the criminals who created this tragedy. The US has the support of the international community.
"The people must be identified, pursued, brought to justice, and all of the world is willing to join in this struggle," the minister said.
"I can't be more specific than that," said the foreign minister.
I normally don't like countries demanding anything from the United States, but I like this demand.
We have to really, really, really promise that we will do as we say.
That lying c___sucker destroyed our credibility abroad. He made America look like a wimp to our enemies and allies alike.
It's time to take the gloves off and show the world that we are the last people that they should F__K with!
The last thing they want is for the US to leave this conflict with a bunch of hostile, agitated nations angry at Saudi Arabia for allowing US troops to be stationed in their country.
There is a significant difference - George W Bush is now Commander-in-Chief!
They need only look into his eyes to see the resolve.
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