O/T There were some good articles in Newsweek this week regarding the response to Bin Laden.
Basically, it says the administration is a lot smarter than most people (including me) thought. Colin Powell knows ground troops in Afghanistan is a non-option, GWB says he's not going to send a $2-million dollar missile into a $10 tent to hit a camel in the ass, and a special forces mission seems suicidal.
What they're suggesting is what seems to be happening - a crackdown on the network worldwide and isolating those states that support the network. They used Libya as an example, and how they were isolated after the Lockerbie bombing. Although this does not seem to affect the Taliban, it is better than the alternatives, IMO.
I'm not saying this will be as effective this time around, but it sure is nice to know this administration seems to understand the stakes are much higher right now, and bombing and cruise missiles are not effective responses to this threat. Furthermore, arrests and crackdowns worldwide should help make citizens feel more safe than bombings and massive loss of life in a military campaign that has little chance of succeeding, but has a huge potential for a backlash.
It seems most of the world did not get the clues GWB was dropping during his speech - that we are proceeding in a way other than militarily. That hysteria may turn to hope over the weekend, and the markets may return to normal again, whatever that may be.
I'm still anticipating a possible gap down Monday with a re-test of the lows. The NDX and COMPX charts today looked pretty sick most of the afternoon. If we get down to the '98 lows or the Friday lows and they hold, we may get our bounce and reversal. |
