>> Psst, we don't have bases in SA anymore
It is a great point.
If we had had imperialistic intent for the region, with a war starting up in early '03, we certainly wouldn't have given up those bases so easily. Now, ted will remind us that we now have bases in Iraq and Kuwait, of course.
The reality is that the American presence in the region is not the problem.
Ted, like many others, has basically overlooked bin Laden's history in favor of his propaganda. His history tells us that bin Laden was all about engaging the US at a time when the US didn't have a significant presence in the region.
After running the Russians out of Afghanistan, he featured himself the slayer of all superpowers, and was ready to take on the next. And he was humiliated by the Saudis when they refused to allow him to "defend" Mecca. So, he set up shop in Sudan and got involved (along with Zarqawi, the Iranians and Sudanese) in essentially setting a trap for America (in Somalia).
The bottom line is bin Laden is like the school bully who has it in for us, and wanted to pick a fight with us. And that's what happened on 9/11. (Not in '93, as he suggested in his earlier post on this subject). Now, he's apparently had his butt whipped, and has run off and hidden. Which is as good as we could hope for, I suppose. |
