Posted on 05/24/2007 7:22:35 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who has eluded a U.S. manhunt, is plotting against the United States but has been isolated and driven into hiding, President George W. Bush said on Thursday.
"He's not out there traipsing around. He's not leading many parades," Bush told a news conference after being asked why bin Laden had not been caught. "He's not out feeding the hungry. He's isolated, trying to kill people to achieve his objective."
Bush, who declared after the September 11 2001 attacks that he wanted bin Laden captured dead or alive, pledged that the hunt would go on.
Security officials believe that bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri are hiding in the mountainous region along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"He is in a remote region of the world. If I knew precisely where he is, we would take the appropriate action to bring him to justice," Bush said.
"He is attempting to establish a base of operations in Iraq," he said. So far bin Laden had not succeeded in establishing a cell there and "that's why we've got to stay engaged," Bush said.
"Had he been able to establish an internal cell that had safe haven, we would be a lot more in danger today than we are," he said.
Bush has repeatedly warned that U.S. troops must stay in Iraq until it is secure and that al Qaeda must be defeated overseas or it will again launch attacks on U.S. soil.
Bin Laden and Zawahri have issued taped messages over the years showing they are still alive despite efforts by U.S. forces to find them.
Democrats, who have gained a more forceful voice since winning a majority in Congress in last year's elections, criticize Bush for the Iraq war, saying it diverted resources from pursuing the al Qaeda leaders. In trying to make a case for sending more troops to Iraq despite the increasing unpopularity of the war among the American public, Bush insists that al Qaeda and insurgents must be defeated there or they will "follow us" to the United States.
"I would hope our world hadn't become so cynical that they don't take the threats of al Qaeda seriously. Because they're real," Bush said.
He appeared to be referring in part to comments by Sen. John Edwards, a Democratic presidential hopeful, on Wednesday that Bush's declared "war on terror" was "a slogan designed only for politics."
Trying to rally support for his Iraq policy, Bush used a speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday to detail continued efforts by bin Laden to attack on U.S. targets since September 11.
He’s the global equivalent of a Ted Kaczynski or Eric Robert Rudolph, just with more money. He’ll meet justice, but we have bigger fish to fry.
He’s likely being carried around. After all, it’s easier to hide a corpse than a living body.
Calling the Award committee ;-)
Thes idiots that spout the “why havent you found Bin Laden” line crack me up.
I want to hide a car somewhere in Tx and challenge them to find it.
Nice speech, sir.
Now, about that southern border...
Heh, before I get flamed, I should probably clarify that I meant bin Laden is simply an operative for a much larger enemy coalition.
Saying we’re at war with al Qaeda is like saying we were at war with the Imperial Japanese Navy, or just with Choichi Nagumo’s carrier group.
if he had received a death penalty sentence in a jail in this country, he would still be looking forward to another 10 years of appeals.
Weekend at Binnies?
Exactly. I wish someone had cracked that he may be walking across our southern border.
***If I knew precisely where he is, we would take the appropriate action to bring him to justice,” ***
Just bring in his head!
If I wanted to “roll up” al Queda, I would locate the head of the serpent, and watch him closely. I would not strike the head but all that come in contact with him. That way, I could get all the mid level operational operatives, and hit them where it really hurts. When I was satisfied I had decimated the organization, only then would I get him. Just a theory, but a good working theory, I hope.
That's the general idea.
I can’t understand why one of our tv and radio peeps haven’t asked their Rat callers or guests ‘When was the last time you heard UBL use the term ‘paper tiger’ about us?’
I doubt eliminating 10% of the organization would be enough.
Osama is either rotting dust in Afghanistan or Osama running for President on the Democratic Ticket.
In Three cups of Tea there is a descrip;tion of how people live there in settlements surrounded by guarded, fortified earthworks with no roads at all.
I am truly distraught over the Amnesty Bill. But I am still glad Bush was President on 9/11.
I gotta admit the reason I clicked on this is because I thought this was Bush commenting on Obama...seriously. The name is wayyyyyyy too close for him to ever sit in the white house.
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