Posted on 11/29/2001 5:35:19 PM PST by Fusion
Osama bin Laden has escaped the encroaching American dragnet in Eastern Afghanistan and is headed west, possibly helped by Iraq -- with an ultimate destination believed to be Africa or the Balkans according to US diplomatic officials. Bin Laden and a group of some twenty lieutenants and bodyguards departed his Afghan lair early this week, crossing into Pakistan via caravan along ancient mountain tracks at high altitudes. "We missed him," says Mike Scanlan of the US Embassy in Banja Luka.
While the western media trumpets the impending elimination of Osama bin Laden and the apparent collapse of Taliban forces, Washington officials concede their quarry has escaped the noose. Privately they suggest Iraq may have been involved at some level with logistical support in assisting the al Qaeda leader's run. "Think about it," says US Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), "Baghdad knows we are coming after them next, once business is finished in Afghanistan. By keeping bin Laden from our grasp, they hope to delay our next strategic move."
Could the US begin the attack on Iraq before bin Laden is captured or killed? "No way," replies Hayworth. "The president has set out clear objectives that must be accomplished for each phase to transition to the next. We want a clear cut victory in Afghanistan before moving against Saddam. If bin Laden has indeed escaped Afghanistan then some adjustments will be taking place soon."
With bin Laden on the move west, it is suspected he may transit the Caucuses region -- an area that could provide safe haven during the winter, before reaching Bosnia or Albania in the spring. Chechen fighters battling the Russian Federation enjoy strong support in Azerbaijan, where a shaky Baku government has made it difficult for the US to operate effectively. In addition, the murder of a midlevel American intelligence operative there last year sent a clear signal that Azerbaijan remains beyond western geopolitical hegemonism sufficient to manipulate events on the ground.
Should Osama bin Laden reach Albania then he is gone. Despite American intelligence successes there during the last half decade, US assets on the ground continue to operate in an informational black hole. "Tirana has close to a million people supported by very little municipal organization or cohesion," one veteran Albania watcher advises, "nobody knows what is happening here now. Should the government be overthrown next year then the seeds of the coup will be planted in the coming months -- fertile ground for bin Laden, with both sides more than willing to offer him sanctuary in exchange for cash."
Whether Osama bin Laden reaches the Balkans or Africa by the spring to reconstitute his shattered organization remains to be seen. What is clear is that he has managed to escape Afghanistan before the heavy winter snows made such a journey impractical. What then will be the Washington response to this event? Will the Pentagon and White House planners attempt to claim bin Laden's death after massive bombardment of his Afghan mountain hideout?
"Unlikely," says Scanlan. "We've got world opinion and credibility on our side now. To claim victory and then have him pop up somewhere else would be a disaster. However if he tries to come through the Balkans we'll take him down."
I remember reading a few posts by this guy a couple of years ago. What happened to him?
-ccm
Maybe he was in that same helicopter that was a 30-knot boat, fleeing ,helter skelter away from underneath a falling,shot down TWA-800. Ole Fibber McGee KALLSTROM morphed that boat into a helicopter.
You can also find "G. Dority's" "G Spot" column on Beaufort County NOW
SO WHAT! "G. Dority" still is the same person as "Fusion"! No, Hoplite, he's not a Slavic Macedonian or a Serb. He's a Serb-hating Shiptar sympathizer and cloak-and-dagger wannnabe!!
It's just the creepy Balkan thing again.
Osama plus any decent size entourage would be easily spotted, night or day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.