Wednesday December 9, 2009

I've Been Thinking:

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about Osama bin Laden.
Capture him or kill him - that is the question.

People are frustrated.
So many years later and the United States has still not found bin Laden.
Now, as the new Afghan policy takes hold, people are wondering if he will ever be found.

Yesterday General McChrystal went on the record again saying that we cannot defeat al Qaeda if we don't find bin Laden.
I disagree.
Bin Laden is no longer essential to al Qaeda. Capturing him or killing him will be a huge moral victory for the US and an enormous morale booster, but it will not defeat al Qaeda.
Bin Laden created an organization, a network, that reproduces on its own and that can and will flourish on its own.

Osama bin Laden is only a symbol - an important symbol, but just a symbol.

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