Re: "The Pakistanis where not our opponents in an active military campaign."
My response: Bull.
(True, we were, and are, not formally at war with the nation of Pakistan. (But then we are not *formally* at war with anyone... :-(
However, we were and are at 'war' with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and the individual Pakistani PEOPLE who were at Kunduz in Afghanistan & were supporting, aiding, directing, and tking an ACTIVE part in fighting with the Taliban and al Qaeda *against* the invading AMERICAN and Northern Alliance Forces.
To ME, that *fully meets* any definition for 'opponent', anyone *shooting at us* and *directing the shooting at us* is 'enemy'!
Re: "If your referring to the idea of letting Al Qaeda escape, you have not established that idea."
That's JUST IT, Tim... by LETTING THESE TERRORISTS AND TALIBAN FIGHTERS ESCAPE WITHOUT VERIFYING *WHO* WAS GOING ON THESE MILITARY TRANSPORTS FIRST, WE GAVE UP THAT OPPORTUNITY OF 'establishing that', as you put it.
(However, our CIA has since reported on some of the leading terrorists they believe to have escaped from Kunduz on these flights in the "Airlift of Evil"... and several of the Taliban have boasted of how they fought the Americans... and escaped to fight anew....)
PURE MILITARY IDIOCY --- this one WH decision, allowing, *unchecked* & *unverified* egress for these leaders of the enemy, has likely done MORE then any single other event to PROLONG the war in Afghanistan.
Re: "semi-declared war" hasn't been established.
(The phrase 'semi-declared' was my short-hand way to refer to how the Iraq War became 'authorized' --- WITHOUT the Constitutionally mandated Declaration of War by Congress. To the Iraq War, I believe you should also add the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and most every American major use of force since WW II... which was the last time America constitutionally declared a war. I use the phrase 'semi-declared' because the Congress, in each case, did pass something, just nothing that rises to meet the constitutional provision for a declaration of war....) |
