That's nonsense... and you know it! It doesn't fit
Gustave... it doesn't fit in with the Russians either...
They COULD have used nukes back in the 1980s were it not for the threat of a retaliation by the US, or just the threat of their becoming even more of a pariah nation.
And don't think that some of our more hawkish elements aren't above using nukes either... Goldwater advocated the use of nukes during Vietnam, just as MacArthur did the same in Korea. And there's no doubt the Russians have their ultra hawks as well.
And btw, I don't buy your scenario where the Russians knocked off Masoud.. It makes MORE sense that OBL realized that in response to the WTC attack, he knew the US would attempt to use the N. Alliance, so if he assasinated him, the NA would be too disoriented and off balance to be utilized against the Taleban.
But I doubt he saw the US placing as much pressure on the Pakistanis, or even the US and Russia joining up in an alliance against he and network. Or he figured that China would step in and prevent the other two powers from taking any direct action (the economic agreements that the Taleban signed with China literally hours before the attack).
Nope... I tend to believe that Bin Laden had Masoud killed, and was also betting heavily on being able to successfully generate a "jihad" by these attacks and that the US would not have been able to develop a concerted response until next year.
And what the world needs to face is the American people are p*ssed off in a way that hasn't been seen since WWII.. And they need to face the fact that, without the US economy remaining stable, a global depression faces the entire world.
And nobody, but OBL and his gang, truly desire such an outcome.
But such a result is quite possible, and that's probably making it much easier for the US to twist some arms politically.
Hawk |
